Cedar Crest College has launched the Lehigh Valley’s first entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD). The full-time, doctoral program, which is completed in 33 months, aims to develop ethical occupational therapy leaders who are committed to clinical excellence, scientifically informed practice, advocacy for occupational justice and positive social change, and serving the health and occupational needs of diverse populations. The program was approved by the Board of Trustees on May 8, and the first classes are expected to begin in the fall of 2021.
The addition of the OTD program to Cedar Crest’s portfolio of Health Science programs supports a growing need, both locally and nationally, for professionals in the field. In fact, The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in occupational therapy will increase by 24 percent by 2026. Currently, the Lehigh Valley is the third largest employer of occupational therapists in Pennsylvania.
“We are excited to develop the first entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in the Lehigh Valley. The program’s combination of coursework, research and fieldwork experiences provides students with an expanded lens to view and understand concepts such as occupational justice, healthcare management, advocacy, leadership and preventative health,” says William Wrightsman, ScD, MSOT, OTR/L, founding director of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. “Graduates of the Cedar Crest program will be equipped to work in traditional healthcare settings and emerging areas of practice such as health promotion, chronic disease management, and aging in place.
Students will explore the dynamic field of occupational therapy through community-based and emerging practice sites, particularly those that attend to underserved populations, and developing relationships with innovative practice areas for student fieldwork and capstone exercises. The new program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Wrightsman joined Cedar Crest College as the founding director for the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in 2019. Previously, Wrightsman had been the founding doctoral capstone coordinator for Touro University Nevada, where he taught for 10 years. His previous experiences include extensive management and leadership positions in the corporate world and academia. His clinical background is in physical dysfunction and rehabilitation, working with adults and older adult populations. His teaching responsibilities focus on adult and older adult populations, qualitative research and social justice courses.
Cedar Crest recently appointed Mirella Deisher, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CHT, as an assistant professor of occupational therapy and founding doctoral capstone coordinator. Deisher is also the founder and faculty of Virtual Hand to Shoulder Institute, LLC, which offers telerehabilitation services, as well as a virtual hand therapy fellowship program providing advanced level education for clinicians seeking to specialize in upper extremity and hand therapy. Her previous experiences include extensive management and leadership responsibilities within large hospital networks. Her clinical background is in physical dysfunction and rehabilitation within the specialty of upper extremity and hand rehabilitation.
Cedar Crest also recently appointed Aimee Ketchum, OTD, OTR/L, CNMI, assistant professor of occupational therapy and founding academic fieldwork coordinator. Ketchum has been practicing occupational therapy for over 20 years, primarily in pediatrics and neurological rehabilitation, but has also worked in early intervention, schools, geriatric psych, acute-care, home-care, out-patient and rehab. Ketchum is the creator of STEM Starts Now through her child development company, Aimee’s Babies, LLC. The Aimee’s Babies family of DVDs, CDs, videos, mobile apps and educational materials have been featured on the Rachael Ray Show and iPhone Essentials Magazine. She has worked with the Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail Initiative, Zero to Three Child Advocacy Network and Parents as Teachers. Ketchum recently published a book titled “See Occupational Therapist Run.”
Learn more about program details and course listings on the Occupational Therapy Doctorate page at www.cedarcrest.edu/otd.
For further information contact the School of Adult and Graduate Education at or 610-740-3770.