Occupational Therapy Chair, Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth, Healthcare Hero finalist
The Phoenix Business Journal has announced Dr. Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth, department chair of occupational therapy, as a 2024 Health Care Heroes finalist in the Community Outreach category. Honorees are nominated by other healthcare professionals and judged by past Health Care Hero recipients.
Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth has been nominated for this award as she is a selfless healthcare hero at every level—educating doctoral students at Northern Arizona University’s Phoenix Bioscience Core, mentoring occupational therapy (OT) faculty, and advocating for foster children in Arizona. Occupational therapy is a health profession committed to helping people do what they want to do and need to do in their everyday activities. Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth has been in the healthcare profession of OT for 26 years, serving as a leader dedicated to others.
She is recognized for her research in youth transitioning out of foster care. Approximately 20 percent of young adults become homeless just after they age out of foster care at the age of 18, and nationwide, 50 percent of the homeless population has been in foster care at one time, according to the National Foster Youth Institute, an advocacy organization. Youth aging out of foster care have well-documented challenges when transitioning into adulthood, exacerbated by a history of trauma, severed relationships, and instability of living. Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth is leading the groundbreaking effort to incorporate occupational therapists into the foster care system through her research and advocacy work. Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth has recently received a grant to develop a new Medicaid reimbursement and implementation model that allows youth transitioning out of foster care to receive occupational therapy services, such as training for life skills, mental health and wellness, self-care, health and safety, money management, and employment. Amy continues to inspire and should be recognized as a healthcare hero.
The 25th annual award ceremony will take place in August, where the winners will be announced. To read more about the Health Care Hero awards, visit the Phoenix Business Journal.