Faculty Spotlight: Heidi M Horwitz, MEd, OTD, OTR/L

Dr. Heidi Horwitz photoThis Faculty Spotlight highlights the work of Dr. Heidi Horwitz who joined the Department of Occupational Therapy in the summer of 2019 as a clinical assistant professor and the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program’s academic fieldwork coordinator (AFWC). Dr. Horwitz is a graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Education and a Gainesville native. She comes to the OTD program with a long career in a variety of clinical settings, including school systems, pediatric outpatient, and skilled nursing. Since taking the AFWC position, Dr. Horwitz has shown resilience, creativity, and innovation. When the COVID-19 public health emergency began in March, Dr. Horwitz moved quickly to adjust level 2 fieldwork from summer to fall in order to address the many cancellations facing our students. She revised the summer level 1 fieldwork from face-to-face community interactions to online clinical simulations. She has spent countless hours working with fieldwork sites across the country to make sure our students had placements and are able to graduate on time. Additionally, she co-teaches adult rehabilitation and pediatrics courses in the OTD program. Thank you to Dr. Horwitz for all she does to support our students and the success of the OTD program!