HCHSIS Standing Committee Members
The HCHSIS standing committee leads the direction of the special interest section. Members elect them to their positions.
Kelly Sajdak
OTD, MSOLA, OTR/L Chairperson
Dr. Kelly Sajdak is a dedicated leader at Advocate Health, managing both in-person and virtual clinical programs with a keen focus on quality and effectiveness. With 28 years of experience, Kelly finds ways to improve outcomes, data collection, and public reporting across various service lines, including home health, hospice, and rehab. She works closely with leadership teams to design solutions that drive exceptional results in patient care. Kelly has a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Administration from Concordia University Wisconsin. She currently serves as chair the AOTA Home & Community Health Special Interest Section and previously served as President of the Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association. Kelly is also a keynote speaker, continuing education presenter, and adjunct professor, sharing her expertise to advance healthcare practices. On a personal note, Kelly and her husband love to travel and support their five children in their personal life adventures. During the summer, they spend most of their time on the water, boating, paddleboarding, or hanging out in the pool. Kelly also enjoys flower gardening, yoga, and eats chocolate every single day!
Anna Alexander
MEd, MOT, OTR/L Communication Co-Lead
I took the scenic route to becoming an OT. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in German from Idaho State University (ISU), went on to complete my Masters of Education in School Counseling from Western Washington University and after working in that field for a short time, finally earned my Masters of Occupational Therapy from ISU and found my niche. The majority of my clinical experience is in home health, but the last several years have been spent teaching in both the MOT and OTA programs at ISU as well as serving as the AFWC for the OTA program. I am passionate about the functional accessibility of all spaces: private and public.
I am a native Idahoan, and while my heart remains in Idaho with its natural beauty, my head is usually somewhere else. My husband and I love to travel and experience new cultures, and of course, the food is usually my favorite part—especially the ice cream! I am also a hobby enthusiast and enjoy making teddy bears, baking, stained glass, photography, road biking, backpacking, snowshoeing, playing the violin, and pampering my pets!
Ciera Whitmore
MOT, OTR/L, COS-C Communication Co-lead
Ciera Whitmore, MOT, OTR/L, COS-C is a clinical Occupational Therapist working with Stillwater Medical Center Home Health. Ciera graduated with her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2014 and started work in home health as a new grad. Her passion for advocating for patients to obtain appropriate services and her passion for occupational therapy’s role within the home setting has led to multiple presentations alongside AOTA staff including at the National Association of Homecare and Hospice conference and for the Center’s of Medicare Advocacy. Ciera has also published an article in the APTA Home Health SIS journal on the role of occupational therapy in home health to educate those in other disciplines on the benefits of including occupational therapy as part of an interdisciplinary team.
When Ciera is not working or advocating for occupational therapy at the state and federal level, she is busy with her husband and two kids on their farm where they grow vegetables and raise cattle. Ciera and her husband also opened a farm store directly on their farm to sell their produce and beef in addition to other local farmer’s products. In what free time she has, Ciera loves reading, hiking, camping, and photography.
Glenda Watkins
OTD, OTR/L, NASM-PES Communities of Practice Liaison
Dr. Glenda Watkins received her B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, emphasis in Therapeutics at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1997. She earned her M.S in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Additionally, Dr. Watkins earned an M.S. in Occupational Therapy and Post Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy, respectively, from Shenandoah University in 2013 and 2021. She is a Virginia-licensed and National-certified occupational therapist. She also holds certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a performance enhancement specialist. Dr. Watkins has over 25 years of allied health
experience, 11 years’ experience as an occupational therapist, and over a decade of experience teaching in academia. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the College of Health Professions. She has varied experience in health promotion, wellness and prevention, community-based programming, psychosocial rehabilitation, group dynamics, and teaching and mentoring
students. She also enjoys spending time with her daughter Jaela and two fur-babies, Marley and Milo.
Sue Doyle
PhD OTR/L CAPS CHAMP CFE CHAT Co-Editor
Adrianne Smiley
EdD, OTD, OTR/L Co-editor
Adrianne Smiley, EdD, OTD, OTR/L, is a K. Leroy Irvis and Academic & Health Sciences Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh where she is completing her PhD in Rehabilitation Science with a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. She has practiced for nine years in home health and long-term care, specializing in neurological movement disorders and stroke recovery. She obtained her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and during her graduate occupational therapy studies, she was selected for the AOTA Emerging Leaders Development Program, Cohort 6 (2015-16).
Adrianne completed both her post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Education at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, and during her doctoral training, she was selected as a student intern for the AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section (2018-19). From 2020-21, Adrianne served as Chairperson of the AOTA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Taskforce, and from 2020-2023, served as a member of the Volunteer Leadership Development Committee (VLDC). Adrianne is also engaged in clinical and patient advocacy and has been an AOTPAC Ambassador since 2022.
Michael Lopez
MOT, OTR/L ECHM Practice Chat Coordinator
Michael, MOT, OTR/L, ECHM, is a licensed occupational therapist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University (2016) and an Executive Certificate in Home Modification from the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. With over nine years of clinical experience, Michael has worked in a wide range of settings, including outpatient, home health, acute care, sub-acute rehabilitation, and long-term care. He primarily serves adults and older adults, treating individuals with neurological conditions, developmental disabilities, trauma, and musculoskeletal injuries.
Michael’s clinical interests include accessibility, human-centered design, and the intersection of technology and aging, also known as AgeTech. He is passionate about advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare and has presented and published on these topics.
While balancing his role as a clinician, he has also served in a variety of volunteer leadership roles for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). He was selected for AOTA’s Emerging Leaders Development Program during his graduate studies and currently serves on AOTA’s Home & Community Health Special Interest Section.
In his free time, Michael enjoys traveling, experimenting with new recipes, spending time with loved ones, and finding joy in life’s simple pleasures—especially a good book by the beach.
Deborah James
Committee Member
Deb James, OT, OTD, MBA, OTR is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Western New England University. She earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2020, focusing on mental health and mentoring in occupational therapy education and practice. With over 30 years of experience across settings such as skilled nursing, rehabilitation, acute care, home health, outpatient, mental health, community-based practice, and academic settings, Deb brings a well-rounded perspective to her teaching
and clinical work.
Deb has presented nationally on topics related to mentoring and occupational therapy education at the AOTA Annual Conference & Expo and the AOTA Education Summit, including both poster presentations and a short course. She is passionate about supporting students and practitioners through meaningful professional development and collaborative learning. In addition to teaching, she continues to practice clinically on a per diem basis at a local community hospital. Outside of her professional roles, Deb enjoys gardening, horseback riding, reading, playing video games, and spending time with her husband, cats, dog, horse, and a close-knit circle of family and friends.