Volunteerism has long been a part of Mary Ann Johnson’s life, and it even led to her career as an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
“I have volunteered in the community ever since I can remember,” Johnson said. “I planned to become a special education teacher and volunteered at Denton State School with a group of other students from Texas Woman’s University. One of them was an occupational therapy student. In talking to her, I thought that would be a fun thing to do.”
Johnson’s interest in teaching is evident in her interactions with colleagues and patients, said Michaelle Rudd, manager, Outpatient Rehab, at Texas Health Dallas.
“Mary Ann has a wealth of experience evaluating and treating all types of hand and upper extremity injuries and pathologies, as well as patients who have had surgery,” Rudd said. “She’s always very gracious and patient.”
Read more about Johnson in her own words:
What did you want to be as a kid, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
As a kid, I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. After passing out when getting my blood drawn, I didn’t think nursing was a good option for me. I had wonderful teachers growing up in the Rio Grande Valley. One of my favorite teachers had graduated from Texas Woman’s University. She encouraged me to apply to TWU. My plan was to work with children, but that was not my destiny. One of my student internships was at Texas Health Dallas, and I was offered a job at the end of the internship. More than 35 years later, I’m still here and extremely grateful!
How do you spend your days at work?
I spend most of my time in direct patient care. I also am one of our department’s CareConnect One superusers, so I do some teaching and problem-solving. This helps me meet my teaching desires, and sometimes, it makes me feel like a detective.
What’s your favorite part of your job, and what is the biggest challenge?
I love the interaction with patients. Everyone has their own unique story and I have learned so much from them. As a hand therapist, I work closely with hand surgeons. For over 20 years, we met weekly with one of our referring hand surgeons to discuss the patient’s status. This time was invaluable for me as a therapist.
My biggest challenge is the time it takes us to document and finding ways to streamline documentation.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
I love what I do as a therapist and am blessed to have wonderful co-workers. I am open and willing to learn new ways of doing things. I treat others the way I would like to be treated and truly believe in individuals caring for individuals.
What is your favorite work-related hack (something that makes your job easier)?
I think it always goes back to documentation, specifically the time it takes to document. So, I would have to say using smart phrases and the user dictionary on CareConnect One.
Published December 20, 2022
