Meet your CAOT-BC Advisory Committee: Caroline Ehmann

CAOT-BC is a timely opportunity for Occupational Therapy and patients in British Columbia. After thirty four years as an Occupational Therapist, the consistent theme Caroline hears is about a health care system that focuses on patient/client centered care. Occupational Therapy is uniquely positioned as a broadly based health care profession with the skills, training and expertise to address all aspects of health care along the continuum. With years of relevant experience and leadership in occupational therapy and leadership in the BC health care system, Caroline is excited to participate in the CAOT-BC Advisory Committee.

Caroline trained in the UK and emigrated to Canada in 1980, working in mental health, rehabilitation and long term care in Kelowna. In 1987 she moved to Victoria, where she worked in residential care, seniors rehabilitation, home care and acute care, mostly as a front-line leader. Five years ago, demonstrating the systems orientation of Occupational Therapists, she moved to managing an in-patient rehabilitation unit, then onto directing open-heart surgery and intensive-care for Vancouver Island and to opening a new patient care centre floor for heart health and general medicine. Her current position is Director of Clinical Operation at the Vancouver Island Centre of the BC Cancer Agency. The central theme remains systems that support optimal patient centered care. 

 Parallel to work activities, she has been involved in many aspects of professional support since arriving in1980. Actively involved in BCSOT in the Interior, prior to moving to Victoria, and then became involved at the branch and executive level. In 2000, volunteered to become a member of the newly formed COTBC Inquiry Committee, becoming chair in 2003. Caroline was elected to the board of the COTBC from 2004-2010. Serving with the College has been the most valuable professional development activity of her entire career, participating and leading best practices in occupational therapy and leadership.

Caroline was honored in 2011 to be invited to chair the 2013 National OT Conference in Victoria and was thrilled that Susan Gmitroski was appointed as co-chair. It is fitting that the focus of this conference is the Future and Leadership and that occupational therapists will be celebrating the inauguration of the first CAOT branch: CAOT-BC.