Nancy Hock receives OT Award of Excellence
At its recent annual conference, the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association honored Dr. Nancy Hock with its highest award – the OT Award of Excellence. MiOTA presents the award to recognize members who have made an outstanding global contribution to the profession.
Dr. Hock, OT faculty member and coordinator of WMU’s Occupational Therapy program in Grand Rapids, was lauded as an expert clinician, celebrated educator, respected administrator and leader, researcher, and author who puts forth unparalleled degrees of energy – always for the benefit of others
As a clinician with 25 years of experience, Dr. Hock received the highly prestigious Certification in Hand Therapy from the American Society for Hand Therapy, as well as certification in manual lymph drainage through the Academy of Lymphatic Studies. She was invited by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission of the ASHT to serve as an exam item writer – a distinction offered only to the most accomplished hand therapists.
Dr. Hock has been instrumental in the continuing development of OT program in Grand Rapids. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership, resulting in an environment where all faculty and staff feel highly valued and work as a team to ensure the best practices in professional education.
In addition, Dr. Hock has continued to serve clients in an outpatient setting and at the OT hand clinic she started at WMU-Grand Rapids. There, she also provides clinical education for both level I and level II student internships.
Dr. Hock is the faculty advisor for the Student Occupational Therapy Association which has grown to develop an annual program that provides high school students in Grand Rapids Public Schools with opportunities to learn about occupational therapy and other health science programs.
While completing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at WMU, Dr. Hock published three chapters in two textbooks widely used in occupational therapy education. Her dissertation research, which focuses on the development of norms for the 5-position hydraulic pinch meter will clearly add to the knowledge base of necessary precision in hand function assessment.
Congratulations, Dr. Hock.