Anna (Nikki) Alvarez, OTR/L

Experience

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  University of Michigan's Filipino American Student Association (FASA)

  Apr 2008 - Apr 2011

  Various Executive Board Positions

  - Historian (2010-2011): Documented and maintained a historical record of FASA event's through media; uploaded pictures and videos onto FASA's accounts on respective websites; collaborated with the webmaster to create slideshows, programs, and posters- Vice President (2009-2010): Held weekly meetings alongside the president for an executive board of 12; acted as interim president during occasions of president's absence; reviewed and revised the organization's constitution at the conclusion of the academic year- Co-Cultural Chair (2008-2009): Managed the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser, Philippine Culture Night (PCN), which included holding weekly PCN committee meetings, soliciting donations, contacting performers, and organizing event logistics; developed Pin@y 101 events, which educated the community about Filipino-American culture; worked closely with the co-cultural chair and executive board for the creation, construction, and execution of said cultural events Show less

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  Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing, Inc.

  Jul 2008 - Aug 2008

  Summer Intern

  - Gained first hands-on experience in giving medical care, specifically taking patients' blood pressures, temperatures, and electrocardiograms- Assisted with first aid treatments on minor injuries- Learned how to interpret basic results from patient blood tests- Organized and updated patient records on paper files and on electronic data files

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  University of Michigan Health System

  Sept 2009 - Apr 2010

  Research Assistant

  - Partnered with a professional in the psychiatry field to research the differences in cognitive profiles among Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Lewy Body Variant of Alzheimer's Disease (mixed form) patients- Conducted extensive literature searches and kept open communication with mentor throughout the school year to enhance research findings- Designed a poster, "Distinguishing Cognitive Profiles Between Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies Postmortem," to effectively present research findings for students and faculty at the end-of-the-year Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) symposium- Proposed results for improved diagnostic purposes in a clinical setting, treatment planning, and further research Show less

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  Beaumont Health System

  Nov 2011 - Feb 2013

  Rehabilitation Therapy Aide

  - Administered patients' modalities before and/or after their therapy as instructed by their therapists; modalities include hot packs, cold packs, pelvic traction, cervical traction, whirlpool, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, electrical stimulation and ultrasound combination, and iontophoresis- Communicated with a team of four other therapy aides in a fast-paced environment in order to maximize quality of patient care, adjusting treatments if need be to better fit patients' comfort levels- Fostered a strong foundation for working relationships with therapists, aides, and patients through in-depth conversations built on mutual respect and understanding- Maintained a safe and organized working environment by cleaning gym equipment, stocking supplies, and auditing charts Show less

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  Stein Education Ctr

  Mar 2014 - Mar 2014

  Occupational Therapy Fieldwork I Student

  - Worked with a team of five school-based occupational therapists with varying years of experience, directly observing each one on a rotating schedule of 30-minute treatment sessions with students who have developmental disabilities, emotional disorders, and behavioral concerns- Created and led a treatment session and administered the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure by the fifth day- Participated in an interdisciplinary Behavioral Intervention Plan meeting, where occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, teachers, and classroom aides discussed changes in students’ behavior and behavioral goals Show less

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  Privately Owned Part-Time Care Assistance

  Sept 2014 - May 2015

  Personal Care Assistant

  - Facilitated the independence of a client with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy by assisting him with some activities of daily living, such as toileting, dressing, and bathing- Assisted client with transfers to/from his power wheelchair during doctor's appointments, workouts at the gym, wheelchair soccer tournaments, and other leisure activities- Gained an overall increase in confidence in working with a person with a disability in terms of communication, transfers, and ADL assistance in a safe and controlled environment Show less

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  Bjc Home Care Services

  Oct 2014 - Oct 2014

  Occupational Therapy Fieldwork I Student

  - Received the opportunity to observe, learn from, and collaborate with a home health occupational therapist of 16 years- Instructed clients on safe transfer techniques and home modifications, performed home exercise programs with clients, and administered screening tools, such as the Short Blessed Test, Range of Motion Screening, and Manual Muscle Testing, for initial evaluations- Practiced goal writing and treatment planning, modifying sessions to fit each client’s unique home environment Show less

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  Paraquad

  Feb 2015 - Apr 2015

  Continuing Education Instructor

  - Taught basic computer skills to a group of eight adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities- Collaborated with students individually in order to create client-centered goals for increased motivation to participate in class activities​- Created weekly lesson plans, which included games, worksheets, and videos, grading them for all skill levels through the use of task analysis

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  Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan

  Jun 2015 - Sept 2015

  Occupational Therapy Fieldwork II Student

  - Conducted evaluations and ongoing treatment sessions in an outpatient hand therapy clinic while collaborating with a group of six occupational therapists/certified hand therapists- Became well-versed in rehabilitation protocols for common upper extremity injuries (i.e., Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Lateral Epicondylitis, De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, and Distal Radius Fractures) through the use of modalities, AROM/PROM exercises, and splinting- Researched recent rehabilitation protocols for Distal Biceps Tendon Repair and presented a proposal for changes to the OAM protocol to provide the most updated and evidence-based treatment to future patients Show less

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  Henry Ford Health System

  Sept 2015 - Dec 2015

  Occupational Therapy Fieldwork II Student

  - Worked intensively with a well-established rehabilitation team composed of 30-40 occupational therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants, and other OT/PT students in an acute care setting with high productivity expectations- Utilized effective time management and creativity skills in order to prioritize patient lists daily to efficiently perform evaluations and complete ongoing treatment sessions with limited time, space, and resources- Communicated frequently with members of healthcare team, specifically physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, case managers, social workers, and psychologists, in order to advocate for patient needs and discuss most appropriate plans for discharge Show less

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  HCR ManorCare

  Mar 2016 - Mar 2018

  Occupational Therapist

  - Work with a rehabilitation team of 20-30 therapists with varying years of experience in a fast-paced dynamic environment- Perform evaluations and plan client-centered treatment sessions to achieve patient goals before appropriate discharge- Provide caregiver training to patient's family members when necessary to ensure safety at home- Maintain open communication among patients, patients' family members, therapists, nurses, CNAs, physicians, social workers, and case managers in order to determine best course of action for discharge planning Show less

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  Sutter Health

  Mar 2018 - now

  Occupational Therapist