Heather J. Williamson, DrPH, MBA, OTR/L, CPH
Dr. Williamson is an Assistant Professor for the Department of Occupational Therapy at Northern Arizona University on the Phoenix Bioscience Core. Clinically, she worked for ten years providing occupational therapy services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In her role as Associate Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy of Tampa Bay, she was responsible for overseeing programs providing supports for both children and adults with IDD including early intervention, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, supported employment, supported living, and respite services. She served as the HIPAA Privacy Officer and led efforts which supported the successful three-year accreditation of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilitates. Dr. Williamson also worked in the field of public health, assisting in the development of the Injury Prevention Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which focuses on preventing injuries to children through research, education, and policy initiatives.
Dr. Williamson’s research interests include: addressing health disparities experienced by individuals with IDD and other disabilities through improved access to health care and wellness resources; understanding best practices for care coordination and access to services in Medicaid managed long-term services and supports for adults with IDD and other disabilities; addressing the support needs of family caregivers of individuals with IDD and other disabilities; and utilizing community-based participatory research methods to increase participation of individuals with IDD in research.
Dr. Williamson earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Florida, specializing in pediatrics; her MBA from the University of South Florida with a specialty in marketing and management; and her DrPH from the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, Department of Community and Family Health. Her favorite occupations are: spending time with family and friends, hiking, running, sports, walking her dogs, and continually learning from others around her.
Collaborative intervention research interests: health services research, disability, and community-based participatory research.