Occupational Therapist Assistant

Occupational Therapist Assistant

Join Cleveland Clinic's Mercy Hospital where research and surgery are advanced, technology is leading-edge, patient care is world-class, and caregivers are family. Officially becoming a full member of the Cleveland Clinic Health System in 2021, Mercy Hospital offers a wide variety of medical specialties to the communities in and around Stark County. Here, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.

Occupational Therapist Assistants are directly involved in patient care, often helping occupational therapists implement a specific treatment or rehabilitation plan. Assistants help patients through various rehabilitative activities, observing and recording their progress throughout different stages of the process. They might also help patients in dressing or grooming themselves when they are physically unable to do so themselves. Occupational Therapist Assistants are integral in implementing a lasting plan of treatment to help patients in physical rehabilitation with their lifelong goals of recovery.

A caregiver in this position works variable days and hours from 7:00AM – 4:30PM, which may include weekends.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

• Administer patient centered Occupational Therapy treatment incorporating evidence-based practice and skilled techniques to achieve optimal functional outcomes, under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist.
• Communicate changes in patient status to the primary therapist.
• Act as a clinical instructor and participate in the education and evaluation of students.
• Act as a resource for volunteers and observers.
• Participate in staff development, education programs and interdepartmental education.
• Direct and supervise the activities of support personnel while retaining responsibility for patient care.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Associate's degree or certificate
• Graduate of an Occupational Therapy Assistant program accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association
• Current state licensure as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Experience in a clinical area

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to walk without assistive device and to maintain balance despite sudden load in order to support patient from falling.
• Ability to meet physical demands characterized at the heavy level defined by 1993 Leonard Matheson and Ministry of Labor.
• Ability to lift and reach with arms sufficiently to lift patient's extremity during therapeutic treatment program.
• Sensation of touch and manual dexterity to be able to palpate muscle tension or to monitor patient pulse.
• Visual acuity to observe patient's gross and fine motor movements in order to analyze these movements and to read all patient monitors.
• Ability to speak clearly enough to instruct patients and families.
• Ability to hear at a conversational level to understand patient's description of symptoms and response to treatment.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

The policy of Cleveland Clinic Health System and its system hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Health System) is to provide equal opportunity to all of our caregivers and applicants for employment in our drug free environment. All offers of employment are followed by testing for controlled substances.

Cleveland Clinic Health System administers an influenza prevention program. You will be required to comply with this program, which will include obtaining an influenza vaccination on an annual basis or obtaining an approved exemption.

Decisions concerning employment, transfers and promotions are made upon the basis of the best qualified candidate without regard to color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran or any other characteristic protected by law. Information provided on this application may be shared with any Cleveland Clinic Health System facility.

If applying for a Florida position, please see the following website for more information on the background screening requirements required by the Agency of Health Care Administration:

Please review the Equal Employment Opportunity poster.

Cleveland Clinic is pleased to be an equal employment opportunity employer.