Past NOTA Conference Wrap-Ups

The 2023 NOTA conference was a success as practitioners and students joined together to “Reach Beyond”. The Conference was in person once again and held on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th at Creighton University– Mike & Josie Harper Center in Omaha. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally! 

Participation in this year’s conference included over 90 attendees. Those who purchased our Full Conference Bundle during our early bird registration time were provided with a free t-shirt with this year’s conference logo and Gold & Silver Sponsor logos.

Conference kicked off Friday morning with a free student session “Beyond the Resume: Preparing for Level 2 Fieldwork Interviews” by Andrew Skarka, Director of Career and Financial Wellness at Nebraska Methodist College. Friday afternoon, two Pre-Institute sessions were offered - “Application of the RMS in everyday practice” presented by Dr. Nancy Krusen, as well as “The Role of Posture in Health and Occupational Therapy Practice Across the Lifespan” presented by Amy E. Mayer, OTD, OTR/L, RYT. Friday evening was full of networking and conversation as participants visited sponsor booths and enjoyed appetizers. NOTA awards were presented to the following individuals: Lindsay Tuxhorn - Contributor of the Year, Samuel Troia - Practitioner of the Year, Sarah Worthington - Outstanding Student of the Year, and the Mark & Taylor Kaipust Memorial Award to Bailey Lundman. Following the presentation of the awards and Gold Sponsor recognition of SaRA Health, the keynote speaker was introduced. This year’s keynote was
given by Bob Gardiner entitled “Guillain Barre Syndrome - My Story.”

Saturday was another day full of great presentations and networking with practitioners and sponsors. The morning tracks included “Seeing and Finding a Way: Screening and Simple Treatments for Visual Dysfunction in the Acute and Rehab Settings” by Rebecca Kinnison, OTD, OTR/L, “Occupational Therapy's Improved Role in Mental Health” by Kylie Widhelm, OTD, OTR/L, Samuel Troia, OTD, OTR/L, & Michael Tambone, OTD, OTR/L, and “Move Better, Age Better: How moving with your fascia in mind improves your quality of life at every age” by Amy E. Mayer, OTD, OTR/L, RYT. Lunch was served while participants were able to attend posters and sponsor booths.

The afternoon tracks included “Occupational Therapy Practitioner Self-Care and Wellness” by Kylie Widhelm, OTD, OTR/L, Amanda C. Wise, OTD, MS, OTR/L, NBC-HWC, CPAM, & Ashley Fecht, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, “Mother Nurture: Occupational Therapy's Role in Maternal Health” by Miranda Little, OTD, OTR/L, and “Occupation Across the Lifespan: Doing, Being, Becoming” by Christine Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH, FAOTA and several of her students.

Conference was a success thanks to our conference planning committee, participants, moderators, and sponsors! Our Gold Sponsor was SaRA Health. Our Silver Sponsors were Aspire OT and Superior Van & Mobility. Our Bronze Sponsors included Creighton University, Nebraska Methodist College, & OT Potential. Our Friend Sponsors included Bioness Bioventus, Choice Rehabilitation, Ensign Affiliates – In House Therapy, MaxAbility, Mayer Fascia Wellness, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT), Sandford Health, and Therapy Works of Nebraska.

Our conference planning committee included Jena Roeber, OTR/L, Erin Reinhart, OTR/L, CBIS, Jenna Closter, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, Abby McClure, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, Hannah Wieger, OTR/L, CLT, and Kristin Gzehoviak, NOTA Administrative Assistant. If you didn’t have a chance to join us for conference, you will be able to purchase most of our conference courses through our online continuing education platform with Aspire OT in the near future! Visit notaonline.org today for up to date information. Thanks to all who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you next year! Encourage your fellow colleagues to come experience the excitement at next year’s conference as we continue to “Reach Beyond”. If you would like to be involved or have an idea for a topic contact us at [email protected]. Check the website for updates as we begin to plan conference for 2024!

The 2022 NOTA conference was a success as practitioners and students from across the state were “Sparking the Power of Connection.” The Conference was in person once again and held on Friday, February 25th and Saturday, February 26th at Creighton University– Mike & Josie Harper Center in Omaha. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

Participation in this year’s conference included over 73 attendees. Those who purchased our Full Conference Bundle during our early bird registration time were provided with a free t-shirt with this year’s conference logo and Gold Sponsor logo. 

Conference kicked off Friday morning with a free student session on “TherapyEd” by Kate Campbell and “TrueLearn: Exploring Exam Success Resources” with Rita Fleming-Castaldy. Friday afternoon, two Pre-Institute sessions were offered - “Returning Patients with Complex Medical Needs to their Rural Communities ” presented by Diane Ulmer, OTR/L and Melissa Gulizia, RRT, BS, as well as “OT in Rural Nebraska: Common Issues and NOTA Advocacy” presented by Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, MOT, OTR/L, and Amanda Hegy, OTD, OTR/L.  Friday evening was full of networking and conversation as participants visited sponsor booths and enjoyed appetizers and “mocktails”. NOTA awards were presented to the following individuals: Lindsay Tuxhorn, Contributor of the Year, Callie Watson, Practitioner of the Year, Danielle Abboud, Outstanding Student of the Year, and the Mark & Taylor Kaipust Memorial Award to Denise Slavik. Following the presentation of the awards and Gold Sponsor recognition by Mayer Fascia Wellness, the keynote speaker was introduced. This year’s keynote was given by Amber Becker entitled “Disrupted Plans.”

Saturday was another day full of great presentations and networking with practitioners and sponsors. The morning tracks included “Cancer Rehab: Utilization of Digital Screening to Improve Patient Outcomes” by Anthony Flores, OTR/L, CLT, “When Fascia Meets Function: How the Emerging Research on Fascia will Change How We View Our Therapy and Our Patients” by Amy E. Mayer, OTD, OTR/L, RYT, and “The OT’s Integral Role in Finger and Partial-Hand Prosthetic Intervention” by Tania Garcia. Lunch was served while participants were able to attend posters and sponsor booths.
The afternoon tracks included “Collaboration in evidence-based education inquiry” by Nancy E. Krusen, PhD, OTR/L & Nicole Martino, PhD, OT/L, “Persisting in the Ever-Changing World of Pediatric OT” by Samantha Olsen, OTD, OTR/L , and “Mind-Body interventions: Interoception and mindful attention supporting clients on the cancer care continuum” by Rebekah Crisp, MAT, MS, MSOTR/L, CLT.

Conference was a success thanks to our conference planning committee, participants, moderators, and sponsors! Our Gold Sponsor was Mayer Fascia Wellness. Our Bronze Sponsors included Numotion, OT Potential, & Permobil. Our Friend Sponsors included Ensign Affiliates/BuildingTherapyLeaders.com, Hanger Clinics, Naked Prosthetics, Nebraska Methodist College, & Sunrise Medical.

Our conference planning committee included Anna Domina, OTD, OTR/L, Miranda Little, OTD, OTR/L, LSVT, BIG Certified, Jena Roeber, OTR/L, Erin Reinhart, OTR/L, CBIS, Hannah Wieger, OTR/L, CLT, and Kristin Gzehoviak, NOTA Administrative Assistant.

If you didn’t have a chance to join us for conference, you will be able to purchase most of our conference courses through our online continuing education platform with Aspire OT in the near future! Visit notaonline.org today for up to date information. Thanks to all who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you next year! Encourage your fellow colleagues to come experience the excitement at next year’s conference as we continue “Sparking the Power of Connection”. If you would like to be involved or have an idea for a topic contact us at [email protected]. Check the website for updates as we begin to plan conference for 2023!

The 2021 NOTA conference was a success as practitioners and students from across the state were “Connecting the dOTs.” The Conference was a fully virtual event held in partnership with Aspire OT on Friday, April 23rd and Saturday, April 24th. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally! Participation in this year’s conference included over 54 attendees. Those who purchased our Full Conference Bundle during our early bird registration time were provided with a free t-shirt with this year’s conference logo and Gold Sponsors logos.

Conference kicked off Friday morning with a free student session on “Tips on Landing your First Professional Job” with Lindsay Nichols, PT, DPT, NCS, Austin Nader, OTD, OTR/L, and Mike Masker, Director of Rehabilitation at CHI Health Immanuel. Friday afternoon, two Pre-Institute sessions were offered - “OTPF Framework– 4th Edition Domain & Process Updates” presented by Julie Dorsey, OTD, OTR/L, CEAS, FAOTA, Julie Miller, MOT, OTR/L, SWC, Wayne L. Winistorfer, MPA, OTR, FAOTA, and Deborah Lieberman, MHSA, OTR/L, FAOTA , as well as “Mission: Lifeline Stroke - Addressing the Medical and Rehabilitation Needs of Nebraska Stroke Survivors” presented by Beth Malina, RN, BSN, CNRN, Kristy S.E. Weissling, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, Lou Jensen, OTD, OTR/L, C/NDT, LSVT-BIG Certified, and Stacie Christensen, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy (NCS).  Friday evening was filled with OT and Nebraska Trivia during our on-line happy hour. NOTA awards were presented to the following individuals: Miranda Little, Contributor of the Year; Tracy Bender, Practitioner of the Year, Elena Giorgio, Outstanding Student of the Year, and the Access Champions Award to Candace Mullendore and Mary Walsh-Sterup. Following the presentation of the awards the keynote speaker was introduced. This year’s keynote was given by Alex Watters entitled “Helping Everyone Achieve Their True Potential.”

Saturday was another day full of great presentations and more online networking with practitioners. The morning tracks included “Impact of Vision and Motor Skills on Child Development and Learning” by M. Kristen Pfeil, OTD, OTR/L and Rachel Smith, OD, “Courageous Compassion: Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Discussion on the Emotional and Psychological Impact of COVID-19 and the New Normal” by Andrea Thinnes, OD, OTR/L, Hannah Wieger, OTR/L, CLT, and Colleen Spellman, OTD, OTR/L along with panelists Emily Chop, Kristie Armstrong, KC Humphrey, Sam Montemero,& Allie Bartley, and “Hippotherapy: It's Not Just a Pony Ride” with Kaiti King, OTD, OTR/L. Participants were then able to attend one of three different poster session breakouts.

The afternoon tracks included “In the Driver’s Seat: Adaptive Driving In and After the Rehabilitation Setting” by Erin Young, OTD, OTR/L, “Occupational Therapists and Pelvic Health: A General Practitioners Guide to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Throughout the Lifespan” by Ashley Sass, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM, LSVT-BIG, Pelvic Floor Rehab Specialist and Brittney Gilligan, OTS, and “Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Raising the Bar in Occupational Therapy Practice” by Khalilah Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L.

Conference was a success thanks to our conference planning committee, participants, moderators, and sponsors! Our Gold Sponsors included Superior Van & Mobility, Parkinson’s Nebraska, and College of Saint Mary. Our Silver Sponsor was Creighton Post Professional OTD Program. Our Bronze Sponsor was Bioness. Our conference planning committee included Anna Domina, OTD, OTR/L, Miranda Little, OTD, OTR/L, LSVT, BIG Certified, Lindsay Tuxhorn, OTD, OTR/L, Emily Barr, OTD, OTR/L, BCG , and Kristin Gzehoviak, NOTA Administrative Assistant.

If you didn’t have a chance to join us for conference, you can still purchase all courses through our online continuing education platform with Aspire OT! Visit notaonline.org today for more details! Thanks to all who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you next year! Encourage your fellow colleagues to come experience the excitement at next year’s conference as we continue “Connecting the dOTS”. If you would like to be involved or have an idea for a topic contact us at [email protected]. Check the website for updates as we begin to plan conference for 2022!

The 2020 NOTA conference was a success as practitioners and students from across the state were “Improving Quality of Life by Leaps and Bounds.” The Conference was held in Omaha at the Nebraska Methodist College Friday, February 28th and Saturday, February 29th. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

Participation in this year’s conference included over 100 attendees and many student volunteers. For the second conference year in a row, those who met the early bird registration deadline were provided with a free t-shirt with this year’s logo. We had three sponsors and nine vendors who were able to interact with participants during open time to showcase their products and services. Conference kicked off early on Friday morning with a free student session on student loan repayment offered by Sarah Valdivia . The Pre-Institute session started Friday afternoon with the topic of “Navigating Change: How NOTA is Working to Protect and Promote OT in Nebraska” presented by Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, MOT, OTR/L. Friday evening was full of networking and conversation as participants visited vendor booths and enjoyed appetizers and mocktails. NOTA awards were presented to the following individuals: Melissa Kimmerling, Contributor of the Year; Hannah Wieger, Practitioner of the Year. Following the presentation of the awards and introduction of the NOTA Board members, the keynote speaker was introduced. This year’s keynote was given Shawn Phipps, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA entitled “Transformational and Visionary Leadership in Occupational Therapy.”

Saturday was another day full of great presentations and more networking with practitioners and vendors. The morning was kicked off with a networking breakfast. The morning tracks included “Vision 2025: The Future of Occupational Therapy” by Dr. Shawn Phipps, “Owner and Therapist” by Creighton Alumni Dr. Sam DeLong, and “Knowing our Clients: How to Facilitate Health in Clients with Co-Morbid Mental Health Diagnoses” by Christine Urish. Thank you to Creighton School of Pharmacy & Health Professions for sponsoring Sam DeLong as a speaker.

Participants enjoyed a break after the morning session with lunch provided by A Catered Affair, which provided all food for the weekend. They also attended 7 poster sessions and visited with over 12 vendors. The afternoon tracks included “PDPM-Dispelling the Myths and Addressing the Challenges to Pave the Way for a Solid Future in Geriatric Practice” by Don Biggs, OTR/L , with panelists Heidi Bitney, Sara Spencer, & Ryan Hough, “Primitive Reflexes and Occupational Therapy: What, When, Why, and How” by Diana Feldhacker, OTD, OTR/L, CBPR, “Emotion Regulation- Just for Children? A Journey into the Self-Reflective Practice” by Larry Zier, OTD, OTR/L, and Emilee Hunter-Maguire, OTD, OTR/L.

Conference was a success thanks to our conference planning committee, participants, volunteers, vendors and sponsors! Our Gold Sponsor was OT Potential, our Bronze Sponsor was Superior Van & Mobility, and our Friend Sponsor was Kohll’s Rx. Vendors included Aegis Therapies, Coloplast, HELP Equipment, Mobility Motoring, Nebraska AgrAbility, Nebraska Methodist College, Numotion, Parkinson’s Nebraska, & Permobil. Our conference planning committee included Andrea Thinnes, OTD, OTR/L, Lindsay Tuxhorn, OTD, OTR/L, Emily Barr, OTD, OTR/L, BCG , Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, MSOT, OTR/L, Whitney Rubin, OTD, OTR/L, Michelle Massey, MS, OTR/L, Janel Meis, OTD, OTR/L, and Kristin Gzehoviak, NOTA Administrative Assistant.

Thanks to all who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you next year! Encourage your fellow colleagues to come experience the excitement at next year’s conference as we continue to “Improve the Quality of Life by Leaps and Bounds” If you would like to be involved or having an idea for a topic contact us at [email protected]. Check the website for updates as we begin to plan conference for 2021!

Click here for the full conference brochure. 

The 2019 NOTA conference was a success as practitioners and students from across the state were “PromOTing the Good Life.” The Conference was held in Omaha at the Nebraska Methodist College Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

Participation in this year’s conference included 100 attendees and many student volunteers. As a new addition to conference registration, those who met the early bird registration deadline were provided with a free t-shirt with this year’s logo. We had three sponsors and nine vendors who were able to interact with participants during open time to showcase their products and services.

Conference kicked off early on Friday morning with a free student session offered by Barbara Williams, DrOT, MS, OTR, and Associate Director of External & Regulatory Affairs for NBCOT. She spoke about preparation for the board examination. Following the student session, Dr. Williams presented a free practitioner session on the NBCOT Navigator Tools that can be used to earn PDUs. The Pre-Institute session started Friday afternoon with the topic of “Addressing & Advocating for Reasonable Accommodations to Support Student Success in Clinical Education Experiences” presented by Michelle Massey, MS, OTR/L, Lisa Bagby, OTD, OTR/L, and Jaime Garafalo-Peterson, OTD, OTR/L. Friday evening was full of networking and conversation as participants visited vendor booths and enjoyed appetizers and “mocktails”. NOTA awards were presented to the following individuals: Emmilie Kosiba, Occupational Therapy Student of the Year; Emily Barr, Contributor of the Year; Melissa Anderson, Practitioner of the Year. Following presentation of the awards and introduction of the NOTA Board members, the keynote speaker was introduced. Donna Costa, DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA presented “Compassion Fatigue.”

Saturday was another day full of great presentations and more networking with practitioners and vendors. The morning was kicked off with breakfast with our lobbyist Cheryl Frickel, OTD, OTR/L, and RA, Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, OTR/L for updates and discussion. The morning track included “Pain Management Across the Lifespan & the Opioid Crisis” by Donna Costa, DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, “A General Practitioners Guide to Lymphedema and Edema Management” by Hannah Wieger, OTR/L, CLT, and “The Occupation of Mothering: Perspectives on Infant and Maternal Mental Health” by Marion Russell, OTD, MOTR/L, SCFES. Participants enjoyed a break after the morning session with lunch provided by A Catered Affair, which provided all food for the weekend. The afternoon tracks included “Intimacy, Sexuality & Disability” by Diane Ulmer, OTR/L and Brooke Murtaugh, OTD, OTR/L, CBIST, “Ergonomics for Occupational Therapy Practitioners: Identifying and Minimizing Personal and Organizational Risk Factors” by Amy Mayer, OTD, OTR/L, RYT, and “Identifying and Addressing Mental Health Issues in the Elderly Throughout the Continuum of Care” by Emily Goodwin, OTD, OTR/L.

Conference was a success thanks to our conference planning committee, participants, volunteers, vendors and sponsors! Our Gold Sponsor was Mobility Motoring, our Bronze Sponsor was Aegis Therapies, and our Friend Sponsor was Superior Van & Mobility. Vendors included Bioness, Cariant Health Partners, Coloplast, Creighton University Department of Occupational Therapy, EasterSeals, Ensign Services, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Rehab Innovations, Inc., and RehabVisions.

Our conference planning committee included Andrea Thinnes, OTD, OTR/L, Lindsay Tuxhorn, OTD, OTR/L, Emily Barr, OTD, OTR/L, BCG, Tara Ruppert, OTR/L, Whitney Rubin, OTD, OTR/L, Michelle Massey, MS, OTR/L, Janel Meis, OTD, OTR/L, and Kristin Gzehoviak, NOTA administrative assistant.

Thanks to all who joined us this year and we look forward to seeing you next year! Encourage your fellow colleagues to come experience the excitement at next year’s conference as we continue to “PromOTe the Good Life!” If you would like to be involved or have an idea for a topic contact us at [email protected]. Check the website for updates as we begin to plan conference for 2020! 

Click here for the full conference brochure. 

The 2018 NOTA Conference was a success this year!  The Conference was held in Omaha at the Nebraska Methodist College Friday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 24th, 2018. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

We had 92 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students participate in the conference in addition to the many volunteers, 7 vendors, 7 sponsors, and 20 poster presenters. We also took the opportunity to showcase 10 international experiences by Nebraska OT’s as a way to recognize practitioners who have made an impact on a global scale.  

Conference kicked off with a Pre-Conference Institute: Perspectives on Healthcare Policy & Practice with representatives from AOTA, NOTAPAC, Nebraska RA and Lobbyist, as well as Program Directors from Creighton, College of Saint Mary, Central Community College, Nebraska Methodist College, and Union College.  Friday evening a NOTA Friends reception provided a great opportunity for networking and conversation as well as visiting with vendors. NOTA Award winners were recognized  and honored. Jean Peck, OTL, CHT  was named Practitioner of the Year, Melissa Kimmerling EdD, MOT, OTR/L was named Contributor of the Year, and Sam Troia was named Occupational Therapy Student of the Year. The evening capped off with a powerful keynote “How to be your best at being an OT” by Brittany (Bennett) Stryker, OTD, OTR/L, BOCO sponsored by the Creighton Alumni Association.

Saturday held another day full of activity and energy!  The morning kicked off with a special networking breakfast and the opportunity to speak with our NOTA lobbyist Cheryl Frickel, OTD, OTR/L and Nebraska RA Melissa Kimmerling EdD, MOT, OTR/L.  Three tracks were offered in the morning and afternoon sessions.  The morning tracks available were “GoBabyGo: Roles, Research, & Application”, “Review of Orthotic Fabrication ”, and “Trauma Informed Care and Occupational Therapy Practice”.  Afternoon tracks available were “Establishing Best Practices in Teletherapy”, “Using Errorless Learning in Rehabilitation,” and “Designing Accessible and Therapeutic Environments for All Ages”.   Afternoon networking with vendors and poster presentations as well as door prizes made for a full day!    
Thank you to our Gold Sponsor Mobility Motoring! Thank you to our Bronze Sponsor Innovative Prosthetics & Orthotics, and Friend Sponsors Ensign Services, Snyder Charleson Therapy Services, Restorative Therapies, Inc., Union College, and Total Respiratory & Rehab.  NOTA Conference also hosted the following vendors: Neofect USA, Envision University, Cariant Health Partners, Mobilis Home Medical Equipment, RehabVisions, Select Rehabilitation LLC, and Frontier Home Medical.
Friday night’s “mocktail” hour and Saturday’s breakfast and lunch were provided by A Catered Affair.

Thank you to our conference planning committee for a successful weekend. The committee consisted of Michelle Massey, MS, OTR/L , Mary Turner, M.Ed., OTR/L, Anna Domina, OTD, OTR/L, Emily Barr, OTD, OTR/L, BCG, Whitney Rubin, OTD, OTR/L, and Tara Ruppert, OTD, OTR/L, along with vendor coordinator Nicole Brown, MOT, OTR/L.

Check the notaonline.org website for the 2019 NOTA Conference dates which will be announced shortly!  We hope you will join us!  
Click here for the full conference brochure.

The 2017 NOTA Conference was a great success! The Conference was held in Omaha at Creighton University on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th, 2017. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

We had 111 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students participate in the conference in addition to the many volunteers, 13 vendors, 4 sponsors, and 10 poster presenters. We were excited to have such great attendance! 

Students had a special opportunity to have a pre-conference session with Amy Lamb, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA and snacks sponsored by Nebraska Methodist College. Conference then kicked off with a Pre-Conference “Parenting with Physical Impairments”. A panel of parents with disabilities shared their personal stories, and providers shared strategies and resources for healthcare professionals. Friday evening a NOTA Friends reception provided a great opportunity for networking and conversation as well as visiting with vendors. The evening capped off with a powerful keynote “OT Soaring into the Future” by Amy Lamb, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA, and President of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at Eastern Michigan University, and owner of AJLamb Consulting.

Saturday held another day full of activity and energy! The morning kicked off with a special breakfast opportunity to speak with our NOTA lobbyist Cheryl Frickel, OTD, OTR/L and RA Dr. Melissa Kimmerling EdD, MOT, OTR/L . Three tracks were offered in the morning and afternoon sessions. The morning tracks available were “Expanding Occupational Therapy by using Telehealth”, “Outpatient Interdisciplinary Approach to Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing in the Complex Pediatric Patient ”, and “Therapeutic Exercise Prescription”. Afternoon tracks available were: “Integrating Themes of Hope and Evidence-based Practice in Alzheimer's Care ”, “Mindfulness & Zentangle: Science, Health & Happiness....even when you think you don't have time!”, and “What Does it Take For a Woman to Regain Her Independence? It Takes Occupational Therapy: A Look at Women's Health and Occupational Therapy ”. Afternoon networking with vendors and poster presentations as well as NOTA Award and door prize presentations made for a full day! We also honored several individuals. Lauren Robins OTD, OTR/L, CLT was named Practitioner of the Year, Janel Meis, OTD, OTR/L was named Contributor of the Year, and Brady Moran was named Occupational Therapy student of the Year. 

We want to say thank you to our Gold Sponsor Mobility Motoring, and our Friend Sponsors Coloplast, Nebraska Methodist College, and Ensign Services. NOTA Conference also hosted the following vendors: Bioness, Cariant Health Partners, Central Community College, CHI Health, Children’s Home Healthcare– Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Kohll’s Pharmacy & Homecare, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Midwest Respiratory & Rehab, Nebraska Extension-AgrAbility, RehabVisions, Reliant Rehabilitation, Select Rehabilitation, Inc., and United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska.
Friday night’s cocktail hour was sponsored by Mobility Motoring, and food for the weekend was provided by Creighton University– Sodexo. 

Check the notaonline.org website for the 2018 NOTA Conference dates which will be announced shortly! We hope you will join us! 

Click here for the full conference brochure.

The 2016 NOTA Conference was a wild success this year! The Conference was held in Omaha at the College of Saint Mary, Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19th, 2016. The annual conference is just one of the many ways that NOTA strives to ensure your membership continues to be valuable to you both personally and professionally!

A record number, 119 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students participated in the conference in addition to the many volunteers, 14 vendors, 8 sponsors, and 21 poster presenters. This is exponential growth from the 2014 spring conference! 

Conference kicked off with a Pre-Conference Town Hall Meeting: “Vision, Progress, and Issues Facing Occupational Therapy in Nebraska”. Friday evening a NOTA Friends reception provided a great opportunity for networking and conversation as well as visiting with vendors and poster presenters. The evening capped off with a powerful keynote “All Hands Make the Future” by Christina Metzler, AOTA’s Chief Public Affairs Officer. 

Saturday held another day full of activity and energy! The morning kicked off with a special breakfast opportunity to speak with our NOTA lobbyist Dr. Steve Bowen. Three tracks were offered in the morning and afternoon sessions. The morning tracks available were “Vision Rehabilitation after TBI or CVA”, The Power of the Interactive Metronome in Outpatient Pediatric Therapy”, and “Lymphedema and Cancer Rehabilitation: Closing the Gap in Patient Care”. Afternoon tracks available were: “Rural Health OT: Bringing Our Services to Rural Nebraska”, “Handwriting! It’s A Big Deal,” “Everyday Ergonomics: Integrating Ergonomics into Your Practice for Yourself, Your Clients and Your Organization” and “On Pins and Needles: OT Interventions for Neuropathic Conditions of the Upper Extremity, Including Orthosis Fabrication and Manual Treatment”. Afternoon networking with vendors and poster presentations as well as NOTA Award and door prize presentations made for a full day! We also honored several individuals. Courtney Kossow, OTR/L was named Practitioner of the Year, Melissa Kimmerling, EdD, MS, OTR/L, was named Contributor of the Year, and Kelly Roth, was named Occupational Therapy student of the Year. 

Thank you to our Gold Sponsors, College of Saint Mary, Creighton University, and Mobility Motoring! Thank you Silver Sponsor Nebraska Methodist College, and Friend Sponsors Aegis Therapies, Coloplast, and Ensign Services. NOTA Conference also hosted the following vendors: Cariant Health Partners, CHI Health,Custom Medical Solutions, ENCORE! Rehabilitation Services, Hanger Clinic, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital,Mobilis Home Medical Equipment, Nebraska AgrAbility, Ride Designs, RehabVisions, Select Rehabilitation,The Shape Right System, LLC, Total Respiratory and Rehab, and University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Friday night’s cocktail hour and Saturday’s breakfast and lunch were provided by College of Saint Mary Chartwell’s Catering. 

Check the notaonline.org website for the 2017 NOTA Conference dates which will be announced shortly! We hope you will join us!

Click here for the full conference brochure.

The 2015 NOTA Conference was a wild success this year! The Conference was held in Omaha at Immanuel Hospital Conference Center Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st, 2015. 

Seventy four occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students participated in the conference in addition to the many volunteers, 15 vendors and 24 poster presenters. This is exponential growth from the 2014 spring conference! 

Conference kicked off with the Pre-Conference Institute “Defining Entry-Level Practice: Guidance for Fieldwork Educators” by visiting New York therapists Virginia Crippen MSA, OTR/L and Tara Collins MHS, OTR/L. Participants learned key factors to consider when determining a student’s entry-level practice competency and strategies for obtaining competence and facilitating student performance. 

Friday night we were honored to hear first hand Maggi Pivovar, OTR/L and Creighton University 1993 alumnae, share her personal story about her battle for life following the contraction of meningitis, and her resulting bilateral below-the-knee amputations during “An Abundant Life: Thriving and Flourishing Through Unforseen Activity.” Through her speech, attendees were able to hear how her training as an occupational therapist impacted her recovery. We also had the opportunity to personally reflect and reaffirm our profession’s commitment to holistic care. Also on Friday, we engaged in positive networking and educational opportunities through the alumnae and friends reception, poster presentations, and discussion with sponsors and vendors. 

We honored several individuals Saturday for their contribution to occupational therapy in the state of Nebraska. These include Occupational Therapy Practitioner of the Year, Kylie Widhelm, OTD, OTR/L, whose nomination indicated, “Kylie serves as a lab instructor for the last 2 years at Creighton. She also serves as a fieldwork educator at Bergan Mercy Hospital. Students and faculty alike have been most impressed with Kylie's ability to articulate the value of what occupational therapists do, demonstrate care for the clients she serves, and provide excellent mentorship and student supervision. Kylie is an asset to the profession and especially to the clinical education of occupational therapy students!” Cheryl Frickel, Creighton University occupational therapy student, was awarded Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student. Cheryl’s nomination was outstanding, indicating “Cheryl is a true leader in the field of OT and I feel privileged to learn beside and from her as a peer. Throughout our last two and a half years in the program, Cheryl has reached out to numerous community service activities, many offered through Creighton organizations. However, unlike most students she has extended herself to personally find additional community activities, outside of Creighton organizations, she is passionate about and can contribute to. Then she goes a step further and invites peers to contribute to the cause.” NOTAs president, Anna Domina, OTD, OTR/L, was awarded the Outstanding NOTA Member. “Anna has done an excellent job as the NOTA President. It should be noted that Anna stepped in when no one else was able/willing to and she stayed on as President for additional time for the good of the organization!” Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

Saturday held another day full of activity and energy! The morning kicked off with a special breakfast opportunity to speak with our NOTA lobbyist Dr. Steve Bowen. Three tracks were offered in the morning and afternoon sessions. The morning tracks available were “Caregiver Wellness: Cultivate, Grow and Thrive” by Dr. Eboni Green in which participants were able to assess their level of burnout, discuss how to avoid burnout, how to overcome and reverse the effects of burnouts, and how to integrate practical solutions into our daily lives as therapists. In “It’s All About the Tablet: Using Technology to Return to Functional Living” by Jennifer Brauer, OTD, OTR/L, Kiley Nelson, MOT, OTR/L, Krystal Winter, MS, CCC-SLP, and Ann Benson, MS, CCC-SLP, participants engaged in a hands-on session in which they learned about identifying, locating, and using apps with the adult population. The children and youth practice attendees had the opportunity to attend “A Sensory Integrative Approach for Feeding Challenges” by Stephanie Adam, OTD, OTR/L, Candice Mullendore, MOT, OTR/L, and Kristi Pilakowski, OTD, OTR/L in which they learned more about the dynamic process of eating, the difference between picky eaters and problem feeders, the Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding, and strategies to integrate into mealtimes to improve success and decrease anxiety.

The afternoon tracks available were: “A Beginner’s Guide to Living with Meaning and Flow as an OT/OTA” by Monika Lucaseiwicz, MOT, OTR/L and Stephanie Bell, MA. Participants learned fun, effective ways to incorporate wellness into their daily lives to improve their health and overall ‘flow’. Stacy Reichmuth, OTR/L presented on “Treatment of the Hemiplegic Upper Extremity Across the Continuum” in which she shared her experiences and education on the effective treatment of the upper extremity no matter which setting a practitioner is in. The team from Pediatric Therapy Center presented again in the afternoon, this time on “Sensory Processing and Functional Performance”. Participants expanded their knowledge on sensory processing disorder, sensory versus behavior, and the use of sensory strategies. Afternoon networking with vendors and poster presentations as well as NOTA Award and door prize presentations made for a full day! 

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor, Mobility Motoring! Thank you to our university sponsors Creighton University and Central Community College. Thank you Friend Sponsors Total Respiratory and Rehab, Ensign Services, Snyder Charleson Therapy Services, and Kubat Pharmacy. NOTA Conference also hosted the following vendors: Easter Seals, Coloplast Continence Care, OrthoMedics, RehabVisions, CUSOTA, NOTAPAC, Aegis Therapies, CHI Health, Mobilis Home Medical Equipment, Select Rehabilitiaon, and NuMotion. Friday night’s cocktail hour and Saturday’s breakfast and lunch were provided by Wheatfield’s Catering. 

Thank you to all that made the 2015 NOTA Conference such a success! We hope you will join us for the 2016 NOTA Conference. Dates will be announced very soon. Visit notaonline.org for updates, and of course we will send out Save the Date reminders via email.

Click here for the full conference brochure.

NOTA 2014 Conference

The 2014 NOTA Conference was held in Omaha, NE at Immanuel Hospital Conference Center Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th, 2014. Occupational therapists participated in the conference in addition to the many volunteers and 15 poster presenters. 

Conference kicked off with 2 Pre-Conference Institutes: Acute Care to Community Re-entry: Enhancing Stroke Rehabilitation across Nebraska presented by Lou Jensen, OTD, OTR/L, Teresa Cochran, PT, DPT, & Kathleen Volkman, PT, MS and the second titled Return to Work Part of Recovery presented by Virginia Schweitzer COTA/L. Friday night we became acutely aware of “Quality, Efficiency, and the Affordable Care Act” via a keynote address provided by Dr. Amy Lamb, Vice President of AOTA and Mr. Chris Lee, PT of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. 

Saturday we had a variety of speakers who provided expertise on Occupational Therapy in the oncology setting, managing bowel and bladder incontinence, and the Ready Approach. Thank you to Lauren Robins, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, Cali Carlson PT, DPT, Courtney Kossow OTD, OTR/L, C/ NDT, Lindsay Tuxhorn, OTD, OTR/L, and Theresa Parish, OTR/L, CEES, Ready Associate for presenting at conference this year. We also honored several individuals. Diane Ulmer, OTR/L was name Practitioner of the Year, Brooke Murtaugh OTD, OTR/L, CBIS was named Contributor of the Year, and Justine Bucy was named Occupational Therapy student of the Year. 

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor, Mobility Motoring! And thank you to our Friend Sponsors Total Respiratory and Rehab and Creighton University. NOTA Conference also hosted the following vendors: Snyder Charleson Therapy Services, P.C., Numotion, and Select Rehabilitation Inc. We received such positive feedback about the venue that we will again hold the 2015 NOTA Conference at Immanuel Hospital’s Conference Center. 

Mark your calendars now for the 2015 NOTA Conference on Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st, 2015! We hope you will join us!

Click here for the full conference brochure.

NOTA 2012 Fall Conference

NOTA 2011 Fall Conference

The 2011 NOTA conference was held September 23-24 in Lincoln at the Holiday
Inn and Convention Center. The conference was a success with 77 overall participants
for Friday and Saturday. Friday afternoon featured the first session of a
day and a half course for NEURO-IFRAH and a session on Stress, Sensory,
Processing and the Brain. All day Saturday sessions featured a Kinesio-taping
session and a Fall Prevention and Home Modification session. Friday and Saturday
also showcased two poster presentations and products and services by
twelve area vendors.

Friday evening participants enjoyed well-received keynote speakers, Brandon and
Tiffany Verzal who shared their daughter's journey through rehabilitation following
a shaken baby injury at the hands of her daycare provider. They raved about the
importance of OT in their daughter's recovery giving those present a renewed
sense of the amazing impact occupational therapists have on the lives of those
we serve. Following the keynote speaker, a lobbyist update was given by Justin
Young, NOTA lobbyist and awards were presented to Brooke Murtaugh being
named Practitioner of the Year, Lauren Sheehan named Contributor of the Year,
and Janel Meis named Student of the Year. Thanks to sponsorship of Kohll_s
Pharmacy, an appetizer and drink reception was held after the program to enjoy
social and networking time.

Click here for the full 2011 conference brochure. Thank you!