Bringing a focus on holistic health approaches, Glenda Watkins, OTD, OTR/L, NASM-PES, assistant professor of occupational therapy, has joined a team supporting the Mobile Health and Wellness Program (MHWP), an innovative care model for older adults in underserved communities across urban and rural Virginia. 
 
Focusing on individuals with an average of 3.5 chronic conditions, MHWP aims to improve their health outcomes, reduce costs and promote independence through customized care plans developed collaboratively with faculty and students across various health professions. It is supported by several Health Resources and Services Administration grants, including the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP).

MHWP also provides interprofessional training for students, residents and faculty in Tribal, Tribal Organizations, Underserved and Rural (TTOUR) primary care sites. The GWEP’s goal is to develop a workforce prepared to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care for older adults across Virginia.  

“In this role, I’ll offer education and guidance through an occupational therapy lens,” said Watkins, who will serve as a preceptor. “My scholarship efforts will explore holistic health approaches, with a focus on occupational therapy’s role in health promotion, prevention and well-being – with an emphasis on its impact on mental health, chronic disease management and quality of life.”

This focus builds on Watkins’ earlier work as the inaugural civilian occupational therapist for the Department of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness Integration Team (HIT), where she contributed to the U.S. Army's efforts to achieve holistic health through the implementation of their Holistic Health and Fitness Initiative (H2F), headquartered at the Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT) in Ft. Eustis, Va. 

“My work focused on integrating the key components of health and well-being, particularly in the domains of sleep and mental readiness, while incorporating nutrition, physical fitness and spiritual health to enhance Soldiers' lives while increasing performance,” she said. “This approach underscored the interconnectedness of these domains and their collective impact on overall health, a perspective I am eager to share with the broader community.”