cOnnecT with Patricia Mahoney

What made you choose OT as your career?

I’ve always had a passion for helping people and developed an interest in rehabilitation while completing my kinesiology undergrad. As I explored various roles for working in rehabilitation I found myself drawn to the broad scope of OT and felt that the role provided a good fit with how I wanted to help people.

Where have you worked over your career? Where do you work now?

I started at Lions Gate Hospital after completing my Masters in 2005 and have been working on the Neuro Rehab Outpatient Program (NROP) at LGH for the majority of my career.

  

What has been your most interesting job? My current position on the NROP team for sure! I work with a wide range of neurological diagnoses on this program and I love the complexity and diversity of working with individuals with neurological issues.  

What do you like about OT? The opportunity to help someone get back to doing something that is important to them. No matter how big or small the goal is, it’s always exciting to celebrate a client’s achievement with them. I enjoy the challenge of working in a field that is constantly moving forward with new research and innovations, keeps me on my toes!

You are a volunteer for CAOT-BC. Why do you do it?  I believe that we all have a duty to contribute back to the community, including our OT community in some way. I know that I benefitted greatly from the knowledge translation and informal mentorship of OTs more experienced than myself when I started working in neuro rehab and joined the Driving SIG, and I feel that it's my duty to do the same for others when I can. In addition, I feel that I continue to benefit professionally from the knowledge exchange opportunities that arise from being involved with the Driving SIG. I believe we strengthen the OT profession and our image in the public and other health care professionals' view when individual competence is optimized, and the education and knowledge exchange opportunities provided by CAOT-BC special interest groups like the Driving SIG are one of the resources to support individual competence in this complex area.    

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you? I hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro on my honeymoon.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about becoming an OT? Go for it! It’s a very rewarding profession.

What do you think will change/shape practice over the next five years? I think the legislative changes on the horizon related to the OT role and driving will have a pretty big impact in shaping our practice.

What do you do when you aren't (working, volunteering)? I play soccer and basketball with different leagues in town. I also love getting out into the mountains, hiking or snowshoeing depending on the season, to take advantage of this amazing part of the world that we live in! And when I can, I enjoy travelling and experiencing different cultures, a passion that most recently took me to Cambodia and Vietnam. I am the most content when I am out in a forest, on a mountain, or on a beach somewhere in the world.