Heather Salzwedel, MOT, OTR/L
Dallas,TX
Summary
Experienced Occupational Therapist specializing in Acute Care, home health, and outpatient settings. Nearly 8 years of hands-on practice at Veterans Affairs Hospital addressing diverse patient needs. Expertise includes evaluations, treatment planning, environment adaptation, and DME recommendations. Committed to delivering exceptional patient care through collaboration and innovative solutions.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
PRN Home Health Occupational Therapist
CC Young Nursing Home
Dallas, Texas
08.2024 - Current
- Evaluating and assessed patients within their homes
- Collaborating with clients to form goals and plan of care
- Creating HEPs and interventions to meet goals
- Adapting their environments and daily activities to promote increased independence in activities of daily living (ADLs)
- Instructing family members on how to use adaptive equipment for safe performance of ADLs
- Administering standardized tests to measure cognitive abilities including memory recall, problem solving skills or visual perceptual abilities
- Providing quick documentation utilizing Kinnser Software
PRN Acute Care Occupational Therapist
Parkland Hospital
Dallas, Texas
07.2024 - 04.2025
- Evaluated and treated patients of varying diagnosis throughout the hospital
- Rounded with multidisciplinary team to provide cohesive care
- Thrived in the fast pace environment that Parkland fosters to promote quick patient healing
Acute Care Occupational Therapist
VA North Texas Health Care System
06.2016 - 06.2024
- Primarily inpatient but provided cross coverage in outpatient including a 5 month time period of primarily working outpatient
- Exercised my therapeutic use of self with a very diverse patient population to include many mental health diagnosis daily including PTSD, schizophrenia, substance abuse, bipolar, personality disorders amongst many others
- Improved patient outcomes by implementing individualized treatment plans and monitoring progress
- Utilized modalities of various types including NMES, TENS, utlrasound and cryotherapy
- Researed EBP to increase my knowledge of medical diagnosis and procedures, working on all floors of the hospital with a plethora of patients and conditions
- Evaluated and treating patients of all abilities including ICU patients- Experience with early mobility with severely critical patients including CABG patients, patients with LVADs, CRRT patients, and patients on ventilators
- Provided bi-annual presentations to my department on various therapies and diagnosis
- Rounded on critical ICU patients
- Improved patient outcomes by implementing client centered and occupation based treatment plans and monitoring progress
- Managed a caseload of up to 25 patients
- Supervised COTAs and Level I and II Fieldwork students
- Triaged patients and covering for the lead therapist
- Recommended ordering a variety of unique, specialized DME/AE daily, and training patients and family accordingly
- Volunteered and serving on multiple committees to to include Fit testing N-95 masks for the hospital
- Collaborated with PT and others in the interdisciplinary team to holistically treat each patient effectively
- Created HEPs and programs for my patients to work on at home, or post-discharge, for continuation of care.
- Evaluated and making discharge recommendations utilizing clinical reasoning
- Served as the primary Covid Occupational Therapist for the hospital in 2020 while researching and developing safe treatment and evaluation protocol and creating new templates for the hospital
- Served as chair for employee appreciation committee and increasing coworker relations and planning events
- Created a screening program and materials to distribute DME in the ER while training ER employees for the national 'Gerivet' program
Home Health Occupational Therapist
Foreman Therapy Services
02.2016 - 05.2016
- Evaluated and treated patients in the setting of their home
- Developed occupation-based interventions to meet client-centered goals
- Modified environments to enhance independence and safety, including DME recommendations
- Trained caregivers and families on effective strategies for patient support
- Ensured safety by monitoring vitals during treatment
Education
Master of Occupational Therapy - Occupational Therapy
Texas Womans University
Denton, TX12.2015
Bachelor of Science - Kinesiology
Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX05.2013
Skills
- Thrives in a fast paced environment
- Advanced medical knowledge and experience with severe conditions including ICU level
- Experience with multiple modalities
- Good rapport with patients of diverse demographics, cultures and mental health conditions
- Home modifications
- Experienced and efficient with assessments and creating a client-centered plan of care
Certification
- OTR/L - Occupational Therapist Registered - Licensed in Texas
- BLS CPR Certified
Timeline
PRN Home Health Occupational Therapist
CC Young Nursing Home
08.2024 - Current
PRN Acute Care Occupational Therapist
Parkland Hospital
07.2024 - 04.2025
Acute Care Occupational Therapist
VA North Texas Health Care System
06.2016 - 06.2024
Home Health Occupational Therapist
Foreman Therapy Services
02.2016 - 05.2016
Master of Occupational Therapy - Occupational Therapy
Texas Womans University
Bachelor of Science - Kinesiology
Texas Woman's University