Michelle Heck

Client-centered, empathetic and adaptable occupational therapist with a passion for delivering exceptional service. Strong interpersonal skills with a talent for following the client's lead and effectively addressing concerns.

• Facilitating Occupational Justice: Occupational Therapists’ Role in Community Reintegration for Persons with Disability, 2021 ILOTA Virtual Conference, 10/01/21, Regarding doctoral capstone research with focus on project findings suggesting occupational therapy’s value in the community reintegration process and what meaning individuals desiring transition to the community associate with the State’s pre-transition assessment
• Conversations that Matter: Facilitating Occupational Justice: Occupational Therapists’ Role in Community Reintegration for Persons with Disability, 2021 ILOTA Virtual Conference, 10/01/21, Facilitated discussion amongst occupational therapy practitioners regarding community reintegration, doctoral capstone research, and their perceptions of findings and experiences in the field related to topic

• Basic Life Supporter, American Red Cross, 04/01/26
• OTR, NBCOT Certification, 464179, 11/01/21
• Interprofessional Patient Centered Teams, Rush University, Not Provided, Chicago, IL, Not Provided, 08/01/18, 04/30/19
• Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training, Rush University, Not Provided, Chicago, IL, Not Provided, 03/01/19
• Polling Place Accessibility Training, Equip for Equality, Not Provided, Chicago, IL, Not Provided, 10/01/18
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Chicago, IL, 08/01/17

Thomas Family Award, Rush University, 08/01/21, The Thomas Family Award for Clinical Excellence was established by the Thomas’ in 2003. The Thomas family made the decision to establish this reward following Mr. Thomas’s own experience with stroke; The Thomas’ recognized the unique and profound contribution that Occupational Therapy had for Mr. Thomas and established this award to recognize a graduate student who demonstrated patience, clinical excellence, and an interest in neurological rehabilitation.

• Ozelie, R., Burks, K. A., Lee, S., Riggilo, K., & Sivak, M., Masters to doctorate: Impact of the transition on one occupational therapy program., Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 4, 3, 2020, https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040309
• Sivak, M., The dog’s nose knows…or does it? Explosives detection by mechanical and electrical “noses.”, Illumin Magazine, 14, 2, 2011, https://illumin.usc.edu/the-dogs-nose-knowsor-does-it-explosives-detection-by-mechanical-and-electrical-noses/

• Facilitating Occupational Justice: Occupational Therapists’ Role in Community Reintegration for Persons with Disability, Rush University, Not Provided, Chicago, IL, Not Provided, 04/01/20, 08/31/21, This study takes a close look at the assessment used in Cook County, Illinois, to evaluate an individual’s “fit” to transition from nursing facility to independent living by exploring: the meaning of the assessment to people with disabilities who live in nursing facilities and the value of occupational therapy in this process. This study was presented at the ILOTA 2021 Annual Conference.
• Impact of transition to entry level OTD program: One program's experience, Rush University, Not Provided, Chicago, IL, Not Provided, 01/01/19, 06/30/20, This study analyzes the impact of the transition from a master’s degree in occupational therapy to a clinical doctorate. The research examines the new mandate’s effect on admissions, cohort diversity and fieldwork availability using six years of OTCAS admissions data from the occupational therapy program at an urban midwestern university. Research selected for presentation at the 2020 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo and published in Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE).