AOTA member spotlight: Pooja A. Patel, DrOT, OTR/L, CDP, CFPS

Pooja A. Patel, DrOT, OTR/L, CDP, CFPS is an occupational therapist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She spent some time with Julie Malloy, MOT, OTR/L, PMP, CPHQ, FNAP, Director of Quality at AOTA, discussing her experiences working in quality.

Julie: How did you become interested in quality?

Pooja: I have always been a big picture person. When I see something that needs improvement, I want to work on it. My manager knew about my interests and asked me to participate in a hospital-wide falls committee. Upon joining this committee, we launched a hospital-wide Falls & Mobility (FAM) Champion Program. I became the OT FAM Champion for the hospital/rehab department.

Julie: What has your experience been as a participant of this group?

Pooja: I am currently in in my third year of being the OT FAM Champion. My role is to identify cognitive interventions to support fall prevention throughout the hospital. Other hospital staff don’t always have the patient-specific skills to address confusion, agitation, and impulsivity in patients along with all of their other responsibilities. But I am able to utilize my knowledge as an occupational therapist, certified dementia practitioner, and certified fall prevention specialist to provide training, education, and skills to drive fall prevention in patients with acute confusion, delirium, and/or agitation and impulsivity. This includes various interventions such as distraction/redirection techniques, activity engagement recommendations, calming strategies, and environmental modifications as appropriate.

Julie: What other opportunities have come about based on your participation in this falls committee?

Pooja: I have been able to participate in a formal quality/process improvement project, and I have been able to participate in a leadership development program to help those who want to drive change and performance. Serving on the falls committee was the start of being able to participate in these activities.

Julie: What would you recommend for those individuals who are interested in getting more involved with quality in their workplace?

Pooja: Many workplaces have quality teams, and there is always something to work on. See if you can get involved and take a seat at the table. See what’s interesting, and you might be surprised at the opportunities that come your way. You also need to trust those around you. If someone says, “you are really good at this,” take that advice and try something new.