At South College, our faculty have extensive knowledge and experience in the areas they teach. It’s part of who we are and what we offer our students. The new Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at the South College Nashville campus is no exception. When designing this program, we searched Nashville and the surrounding areas for passionate and highly skilled occupational therapy practitioners to teach and mentor our students. Here are two of the faculty we brought on board.
Brooke Gentry, Program Director & Chair
Brooke Gentry has been practicing as an occupational therapist since 2011, when she began her career in an acute care hospital and skilled nursing facility. In 2012, she joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), where she provided therapy for patients in the orthopedic, geriatric, surgical intensive care, neurology, trauma, burn, and inpatient psychiatric units.
“I love occupational therapy because it is a unique profession that combines compassion, creativity, and science,” she says. “It’s a rewarding career where you can work with individuals throughout the lifespan, from newborns to seniors. In occupational therapy, you have the ability to add value to someone’s life and help them live life to the fullest!”
At VUMC, Gentry began serving as a clinical educator for occupational therapy students, and this experience sparked her desire to become more involved in education. Before long, she started guest lecturing to medical and dietary students at Vanderbilt University. Today, as the OTA Program Director & Chair at the Nashville campus, she’s thrilled to be meeting and assisting future occupational therapy assistants.
Heather Livingston, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Heather Livingston has been an occupational therapist for nearly 20 years, helping patients of all ages with diverse conditions. Her work has included outpatient orthopedics, pediatrics, inpatient acute, inpatient rehabilitation, and medical sales with splints. Her biggest passion is inpatient neuro rehab with the elderly. “I feel we always have something to learn from older people if we just take the time to listen,” she says.
Across her work, Livingston enjoys meeting new patients, learning about their lives and what matters to them, and then striving to deliver the best patient care for them to be successful.
“I love to help people become as independent as possible, even if it means making adjustments or adaptations. I love to see them light up when they can do things by themselves again such as get dressed, feed themselves, transfer to a toilet, or complete a shower,” says Livingston. “The work is exciting as well as challenging, and no two days are alike. I am super excited to be able to share my passion for occupational therapy with students as I guide them in the classroom and with fieldwork opportunities.”
Earn Your OTA Degree at South College
As an OTA student at South College Nashville, you’ll learn in newly renovated classrooms and labs, while receiving the training, experience, and education you need to work toward entering the growing field of occupational therapy. You’ll also have the chance to interact one-on-one with faculty and staff who have experience in, and connections to, a wide range of regional healthcare organizations. Request information to learn more or contact our Nashville campus at 629-802-3000.
Our OTA program is also available at our Asheville and Knoxville campuses.
