Utah Occupational Therapy Association

06/17/2026

Please give a warm welcome to Robyn Thompson, who will be taking over as the UOTA Vice President on 7/1/2026! 🫶 Robyn is an assistant professor and program director for the OTA program at Weber State University, and is dedicated to preparing future practitioners to provide occupation-based, client-centered care. She is committed to advancing the OT profession through education, advocacy, mentorship, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We're glad to have you join the UOTA Executive Board, Robyn!

06/16/2026

Next up is Natalie Miner, OTR/L, who will take over as the new UOTA Member-at-Large on 7/1/2026. She is an acute care OT with advanced training in rehabilitation, currently practicing at the University of Utah as part of the orthopedic and trauma team. Natalie is passionate about advocating for occupational therapy and expanding the profession's role within complex medical and emerging practice settings. Please welcome Natalie to the UOTA Executive Board! 🎉

06/15/2026

Please help us roll out the welcome mat for our incoming UOTA Executive Board members! First up is Jean Carlson, COTA/L, who will take over as UOTA Treasurer on 7/1/2026. Jean brings more than 20 years of experience working in nursing homes & rehabilitation settings, and recently transitioned to the Weber School District while continuing to support rehabilitation services. She is excited for the opportunity to give back to the OT profession she has always loved. Welcome to UOTA leadership, Jean!

06/14/2026

It's been so much fun to see new graduates posting their NBCOT certifications once they pass the boards! 🙌 As you transition into becoming an official OT practitioner and your UOTA renewal comes up, don't forget to take advantage of discounted rates for your first year of UOTA professional membership. Scan the QR code for more details! 🎓🎉

06/11/2026

Our UOTA Annual Conference gets bigger and better every year, and we have outgoing UOTA Vice President Lynn Farley to thank for this! She has been instrumental in getting UOTA member-requested continuing education courses going, monitoring Utah legislation affecting OT practice, and running the UOTA business meetings to keep members active and informed. Thanks for all of your service, Lynn! Her term as vice president ends on 6/30/26, but good news is, she's not going far...😀

06/10/2026

The Member-at-Large position represents the interests of UOTA members in Utah to the Executive Board, and we want to say THANK YOU to Lyndsay Fait for doing just that during her years of service as the UOTA Member-at-Large. She's the one who helped UOTA transition to having Specialty Practice Area Representatives to better address the needs of UOTA members, and started our practice area webinar series for UOTA members. With her term ending on 6/30/2026, we want to recognize all of her hard work with our organization. Thanks Lyndsay! 👏👏👏

06/08/2026

We don't get very far at UOTA without a steady, reliable, and dedicated treasurer, and Savannah Stone Kunz has been all of those things (and more!) for the past 4 years while serving as the UOTA Treasurer. Did you know she started volunteering on the Executive Board as the UOTA Treasurer soon after graduating from OT school? Way to hit the ground running! Her term ends on June 30th, 2026, so please help us give her a heartfelt THANK YOU for her years of service to UOTA. 👏👏👏

05/29/2026

Make your voice heard to protect reimbursement for OT services!

We need your voice! Ask Congress to support the RECOVER Act which will increase payment for therapy services.

In April, the Removing Excessive Cuts to Outpatient and Vital Essential Rehabilitation (RECOVER) Act (HR 8386) was introduced to repeal the multiple procedure payment reduction’s (MPPR’s) arbitrary cut to therapy payments. Last week, as Congress took several important steps towards fixing the flawed Medicare Part B Payment system, AOTA was working to make sure the RECOVER Act is included in these efforts.

Contact Congress today at aota.org/takeaction
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4dPaKMM

05/29/2026

🥁Drumroll please...as we announce Shauni Snow, COTA/L, and Nick Sidwell, OTR/L, as the winners of the 2026 UOTA OT/OTA Partnership Award! They were nominated for a demonstrating “mutual mentorship,” professionalism, and genuine care for their clinic, clients, and the Utah OT community.

As their nominator wrote, "Together, they exemplify the heart of occupational therapy by elevating one another and providing exceptional care for Utah children and families."

Congrats to Shauni and Nick on this well-earned award!

05/23/2026

🎉Here's a shout out for UOTA member Aarone Cefalo, the 2026 Award of Excellence in Practice winner! Aarone's nominator commented on his high-level oversight with a deeply approachable, 'people-first' personality as the Regional Director of a pediatric OT clinic. He was also recognized for his proactive nature, willingness to research complex clinical questions for best patient outcomes, innovation in developing technology used for better communication between families and staff, and his ideal blend of clinical dedication & forward-thinking leadership. Congrats, Aarone, on a well-deserved honor! 🎉