Meet VNS Health’s 2024 Occupational Therapist of the Year!

April is Occupational Therapy Month—when we honor our more than 70 occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs).

During this past Wednesday’s Occupational Therapy Month celebration, the 2024 Occupational Therapist of the Year was announced. And the winner is…  Manhattan OT Dina Klein!

Dina, who has been an OT with VNS Health Home Care for 12 years, serves a diverse community of patients on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Here are some other interesting facts about this year’s honoree:

Dina on why she loves doing occupational therapy: “I enjoy providing motivation to my patients and letting them know they can do more than they think they can,” says Dina. “If we make our patients’ lives a little better, help relieve the caregiver burden, or prevent one fall, then we make an important difference in their lives.”

She knows that little things can make a big difference. Dina understands that when it comes to helping her patients overcome functional barriers, little things can often have a big impact. For example, when a patient recovering from surgery was struggling to put on her shirt, Dina offered the simple fix of putting her left arm in first. Dina’s advice helped her patient achieve something that seemed impossible at the time.

Dina makes it a point to incorporate VNS Health’s Core Value of Empathy into her daily practice. “Dina always puts herself in her patients’ position to understand their concerns before acting,” says Kathy Wendt, Dina’s Clinical Field Manager. “She consistently demonstrates Empathy by actively listening and acknowledging and providing space for patients to articulate their emotions and concerns during every minute of interaction.”

 She also exemplifies the Core Value of Agility. “During the past year, Dina has had to adjust to an expanded health area, adapt, and overcome language barriers, all while delivering high-quality, outstanding rehab services to ensure that her patients achieve their highest rehab potential,” notes Kathy.

Dina gets special pleasure from running into former patients. Having served the same community for more than a decade, Dina often sees previous patients of hers out and about on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, which gives her great satisfaction. “It’s one of the most rewarding jobs, to help people achieve their goals and regain independence,” says Dina. “It doesn’t get much better than that!”

Congratulations, Dina! And Happy Occupational Therapy Month to all of our amazing OTs and COTAs!