Date and Time: October 20, 2026 – 7-8pm via zoom
Chairperson(s): Mary O’Donnell, Haley Holland & Sarah McKinnon
Location: Zoom - to be sent out day before the event
Title: AOTA Hill Day Debrief: Sharing 2026 Insights and Federal Legislative Priorities
Speaker: Sarah McKinnon & Mary O’Donnell
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Explain federal legislative priorities from AOTA for 2026-2027 calendar year
- Identify the impact of current federal policy on OT/OTA clinical practice and OT/OTA education
- Engage in real-time advocacy for the field of OT through advocacy letter writing
Bio/Focus:
Sarah McKinnon OT, OTD, OTR, BCPR, MPA, FAOTA, FNAP is an occupational therapist and is the Chair of the OT department the MGB University of Health Professions. She is also the Program Director for the Doctor of Health Sciences program at MGB University of Health Professions. She received her AOTA Fellow distinction for her work in interprofessional advocacy, service and education and Fellow from the National Academies of Practice in 2022. Sarah recently served on the Board of Directors for the American Occupational Therapy Association Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) from 2015-2020 and led government relations for the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy (MAOT).
Mary O’Donnell, OT, OTD, OTR, CLC is an occupational therapist and Assistant Professor in the OT Department at the MGB University of Health Professions. She currently serves as Co-Government Relations Representative of the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy (MAOT). Her clinical and professional interests include pediatrics, adaptive sports and policy/advocacy.
Sarah and Mary will share insights from AOTA Hill Day 2026. Participants will learn about federal legislative priorities currently affecting the OT profession as well as the major takeaways from the collective advocacy of Hill Day.
References:
1. American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTA’s Annual Hill Day. American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/advocacy/hill-day
2. Leverentz, C. (2023). Support the Medicare home health accessibility act: Establishing occupational therapy as Medicare home health qualifying service will help seniors avoid costly interventions [PDF]. American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/-/media/corporate/files/advocacy/federal/hill-day/2026/medicare-home-health-accessibility-act-fact-sheet-with-references.pdf
3. McKinnon, S., Petrone, N. & Tarbet, A. The role of an occupational therapy practitioner in professional advocacy: A scoping review. Translational Science in Occupation, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.32873/unmc.dc.tso.1.2.02
This event will be closed at 4 p.m. the day before the event. Please register by October 19, 2026.
Please keep this copy for your own records and keep with your certificate. MAOT is not responsible for maintaining records for contact hours.