2005 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:

The Arkansas Occupational Therapy Association is a vital link to our profession to keep us informed and to assist in making sure our practice exists in the future. As President of the Arkansas Occupational Therapy Association I would like to thank the membership for their support of our profession by being a member and having an active part in shaping the future of Occupational Therapy. In the up coming months we will be put to the test once again as the reimbursement on the federal and state level will be changing and declining. It is important that we stay informed as well as involved as we may need to rally our forces to maintain services for our clients as we know them today. I am here to help you and serve you and I welcome any suggestions you may have as how we may serve the membership through the State Association. Anyone who would like to serve on a Committee and get involved please contact me through the association web site. We have positions that are just waiting for someone to take an interest to further the practice of Occupational Therapy. I challenge all Occupational Therapy Assistants to become involved in the Association and have a voice in the making of policy and practice. Occupational Therapy Assistants are a vital part of the work force in Arkansas and involvement in the Association will ensure your voice and thoughts are heard and acted upon. Our student membership is very important to us as they are the future of practice. We welcome all student interest and help in the activities of the Association. Sign up; there is lot of work to be done. Everyone should plan to attend the Conference this year in Little Rock to hear Medicare’s latest changes in the way we are reimbursed. Also there will be a presentation concerning the new Occupational Therapy Practice Framework by Cindy Meyer OTR/L. Practicing using the Framework is very important to our profession to maintain a place in the practice arenas to day. It’s all about occupation and getting that person back to function in the quickest possible way.

I am dedicated to my Profession as so many of you are and I don’t know about you, but I want to have some say in what happens in Occupational Therapy.

So join me as we move into a new Era of Practice for Occupational Therapy and come help me define what our future will be and how we will practice.

Sandra Pugh, OTD, OTR/L