Joy Doll, OTD, OTR/L: OT in Informatics
In this post, we will learn from Joy Doll, OTD, OTR/L. Dr. Doll is an occupational therapist who specializes in Informatics. In 2023, she launched her own consulting firm to support organizations to bridge health care and social care, Hello Better Healthcare, LLC. She is Associate Professor and Program Director of Health Informatics at Creighton University. Prior to launching Hello Better Healthcare, Dr. Doll was the Vice President of Community Programs for CyncHealth. In this role, Joy supported cross-sector partnerships to build a social determinants of health ecosystem that includes community based organizations, health information technology, 211 and health care organizations. She led the first EHR integration of health care and social care in the state of Nebraska. She is a passionate advocate for health equity supporting programs like the Health and Dwelling, a Medical Respite for the Homeless and the Greater Omaha Pathways Hub. Prior to joining CyncHealth, Joy served as the Inaugural Executive Director for establishing the Center for Interprofessional Education and Research (CIPER) where she was engaged with CHI Health to develop, establish and study an interprofessional clinical learning environment. She was the Vice Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions at Creighton University. During her time at the CU, she was also the director of a Post Professional OTD Program where she was responsible for recruitment and retention of students, managing student issues, and maintaining program excellence. Joy is author of the textbook Grant Writing and Program Development for Occupational Therapy Practitioners: Making the Connection and over 50 book chapters or peer reviewed journal publications. She is a sought after pocaster and speaker including the 2018 TedX Talk entitled Cultivating Collaboration in Health Care: The Journey of an Accidental Expert. Joy earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree in 2003 from Creighton University. In May 2022, she completed a miniMBA from University of Arizona as a recipient of the CommonSprit Equity Impact Scholarship.
Q & A with Joy:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations:
I am like many women - I fill many roles as wife, mother, daughter, friend, OT, grant writer, business owner, speaker, gardener.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
I love motivating others to live the life to their fullest and live their vocational calling.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve and the needs that you address.
I have mostly had "uncommon" work but I like to flip that to an innovative spirit. I am not afraid to go into the unknown and I love to learn. When starting practice, I quickly realized the health care system was not going to allow me to do OT as I wanted so I have been on a journey to be the OT I am ever since. This has led me to community, population health, informatics, research, evaluation, grant writing, speaking, writing, consulting - you name it!
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
Actually, I became an OT because it most fit with my creative spirit. I love to problem solve and be solution oriented.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
The path is very windy and unplanned. I think being open to opportunity rather than having a set goal has helped. I dive deep and learn. The other aspect that has always leveraged me forward is people seeing potential in me and giving me opportunity. I never take that for granted to try to produce the best outcomes possible. I never take the responsibility lightly.
Please describe a typical day or OT session at your uncommon setting? What OT skills do you utilize?
No day is the same. My OT skills that are my favorite are really helping people grow - identifying their just right challenge in their chosen occupations.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Lows would be that in December 2022, my job was eliminated due to funding. I loved the work. Yet, it opened up so many new opportunities and I am actually grateful. Hard work is not without significant failures - I am not afraid to fall fast and learn quickly. Life is a PDSA cycle in many ways. If you fail, you learn and if you don't fail, you win. Either way is an outcome of importance in this journey of life.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I am always learning something new. I read a lot! I love audiobooks and I love to read to find out what others are doing. Networking is important. I know there is always someone who has been there, done that so I seek those experts out.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
When I was working in private industry, I had a high salary. Now I am an academic and run my own business. I took a miniMBA and continue to try to level up my business skills since I own a consulting firm. I am set to potentially make as much as I did in private industry. We shall see how it carries over time. For my business, I do consulting contracts for specific scopes of work that are specific and time bound.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
I am scared just like others to not have stability. Yet, I love innovation. My journey has been so amazing. Talk to others, get encouraged. Know that no one has all the answers and what you bring matters.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
OTPs are not often thought of in the roles I am in and people are often surprised to find out I am an OT. I also dislike being called nonclinical - although I did not provide direct patient care, the systems work I do has direct impact on care delivery.
How do we find you , follow you, be in touch with you, and promote your unique work?
Twitter - @joyot but mostly on LinkedIn. I have a website for my business www.hellobetterhealthcare.com and you can email me joy@hellobetterhealthcare.com
Please list any resources you would like me to include with your Show Notes (courses, articles, assessments, tools, etc.)
This depends on the topic. On my website are links to my TedX talk, publications and other podcasts along with my book.
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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