Laura VanPuymbrouck, PhD, OTR/L

Biography

Laura VanPuymbrouck, PhD, OTR/L, is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Her clinical experience as an occupational therapist spans over 30 years across the care continuum of physical rehabilitation. She received her PhD in disability studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research areas of interest are informed by her professional experience as a health care provider and participation in community-engaged collaborations with the disability community. Her doctoral research was a phenomenological study exploring how people with disabilities develop their identities as advocates in the health care context.

VanPuymbrouck has been actively involved in the investigation of disparities in health due to health care access, quality of care, and outcomes for people with disabilities. Her research experience includes working as a project coordinator, co-investigator and research assistant on funded grants from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, Alliance for Research in Chicago Communities, the American Cancer Society, UIC’s Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement and a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Training Center Grant developing a Peer Health Navigator training and intervention model of care. She is currently a Co-PI on a Spencer Foundation grant exploring professional education influences on occupational therapy students’ attitudes of disability. Additionally, she is primary investigator on numerous investigator-initiated research projects.

VanPuymbrouck is actively involved in community advocacy efforts to address disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes of the disability community. Her work as a founder of the PPE4PWD coalition is committed to addressing inequities experienced by Home and Community Based Service users living in the community. She has contributed to healthcare policy briefs and is a frequent contributor of public commentaries and opinion pieces across multiple media platforms.

Honors and Activities

Illinois Occupational Therapy Association 2020 Public Awareness Award

Public Voices Fellow with The Op-Ed Project of Rush University 2019-2020, sponsored by the Rush University President’s Office. This fellowship targets skill development to increase influence as a thought leader within the Rush organization and beyond. My platform focuses on examining the barriers to healthcare access of people with disabilities and processes for identifying methods for their removal and strategies for increasing supports to access equitable care.

Rush University College of Health Sciences Faculty Award for Excellence in Education, 2019. Annual award recognizing exemplary teaching achievements, co-nominated by faculty and student.

Eugene J. Thonar Award nominee, 2019. Annual award given to a member of the Rush community recognized for: making outstanding contributions to the Medical Center; and, Enabling Rush to further its commitment to offering opportunities to individuals who are determined to turn a disability into a possibility, professionally and personally.

Publications

Publications

VanPuymbrouck, L., Friedman, C., & Feldner, H. (2020). Explicit and implicit disability attitudes of healthcare providers. Rehabilitation Psychology, 65(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rep0000317

Sheth, A., Lee, D., VanPuymbrouck, L., Kish, J., Heffron, J. (accepted for publication; 2021). A legitimate place in the profession: Author reflections on the 2005 Disability Studies Special Issue. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(4).

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (accepted for publication; 2021). Support for the Americans with Disabilities Act among nondisabled people. The Journal of Disability Policy Studies.

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019). Anti-Fat bias of occupational therapy students. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2017.010305

VanPuymbrouck, L. & Friedman, C. (2019). Relationships between occupational therapy students’ understandings of disability and disability attitudes. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2019.1596310

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019). The Relationship between disability prejudice and Home and Community-based services spending. Disability and Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.01.012

Heffron, J., Lee, D., VanPuymbrouck, L., Sheth, A., Beck, J. (2019). “The bigger picture”: Occupational therapy practitioners’ perspectives on disability studies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3), https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.030163

Magasi, S., Ferlin, A., Panko-Reis, J., Rosen, A., Ferlin, A., VanPuymbrouck, L., Wilson, T. (2019). ScreenABLE – Breast cancer screening among women with disabilities: From community identified challenges to community-based programs. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 13(special issue), and 61-69 (article) https://muse.jhu.edu/article/730024

Magasi, S., Papadimitriou, C., Panko-Reis, J., The, K., Thomas, J., VanPuymbrouck, L., Wilson, T. (2019). Our Peers-Empowerment and Navigational Support (OP-ENS): Development of a Peer Health Navigator Intervention to support Medicaid beneficiaries with physical disabilities. Rehabilitation Process and Outcome. https://doi.org/10.1177/1179572719844759

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019). The Relationship between disability prejudice and Home and Community-based services spending. Disability and Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.01.012

Magasi, S., Papadimitriou, C., Wilson, T., Panko-Reis, J., VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019). OP-ENS (Our Peers – Empowerment and Navigational Support) – Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a peer health navigator intervention for Medicaid beneficiaries with physical disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine. 8, 1-10. Doi: 1179572719844759.

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2018). The impact of people with disabilities choosing their services on quality of life outcomes. Disability and Health Journal. 12(1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2018.11.011

Friedman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2018). Occupational therapy in Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waivers. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(2).

https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.024273

Freidman, C. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2018). Community based services for people with brain injury: A national analysis. Rehabilitation Research, Policy and Education, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.1891/2168-6653.32.2.123

VanPuymbrouck, L., Heffron, J., Sheth, A., & The, K. (2017). Experiential Learning: Critical analysis of Standardized Patient and Disability Simulations. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2017.010305

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2014). Promoting client goal ownership in a clinical setting. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1087

Select Non-refereed publications

Magasi, S., VanPuymbrouck, L., Panko-Reis, J., Lukaszewski, K., Simon, M., Gardner, G., Jones, R. (July 2020). POSITION STATEMENT: Healthcare facilities should adopt accessible medical diagnostic equipment standards. Society of Behavioral Medicine. Policy Brief: https://www.sbm.org/UserFiles/image/MDE-brief20-v2-HIRES.pdf

VanPuymbrouck, L. & Meskin, K. (2020, September 24). Illinois COVID-19 response is failing people with disabilities. [Commentary]. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-coronavirus-disabilities-ada-20200924-rbudhioaprhpln56g22d63kcqq-story.html

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2020, July 15). Provider bias in healthcare [OpEd]. The Hill. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/507423-provider-bias-in-health-care

VanPuymbrouck, L. & Ailey, S. (2020, June 4). The intellectual disability community needs COVID tracking [OpEd]. The Hill. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/501240-the-intellectual-disability-community-needs-covid-tracking

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2020, May 4). Action Plan: Reworking the work-from-home isolation. [Essential Topic]. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disabled-flourishing/202005/action-plan-reworking-the-work-home-isolation

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2020, April 29). People with disabilities and their personal assistants need COVID relief Now [News Analysis]. Truthout: Series Despair and Disparity: The uneven burdens of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://truthout.org/articles/people-with-disabilities-and-their-personal-assistants-need-covid-relief-now/

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2020, April 7). Disability and COVID-19: Could bias doom outcomes for the disabled? [OpEd]. Better National. Retrieved from https://thriveglobal.com/stories/practice-what-we-teach-higher-ed-needs-universal-design-for-all-students/

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019, October 31). Congress must pass the Disability Integration Act [OpEd]. The Hill. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/468391-congress-must-pass-the-disability-integration-act

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2019, October 4). People with disabilities face barriers to basic health care [OpEd]. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-10-04/commentary-people-with-disability-face-barriers-to-basic-health-care

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2017). Supported decision-making in the United States: A whitepaper by CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership. Towson, MD: CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership.

Book Chapters

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2020). Clinical Reasoning and the Art of Practice. In: D. Powers-Dirette & S. Gutman. (Eds.). Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, 8th Edition, Wolters Kluwer Publishers.

VanPuymbrouck, L. (2018). Self-Advocacy and Health Literacy. In: T. Heller, S. Parker-Harris, C. Gill, & R. Gould (Eds), Disability in American Life: An Encyclopedia of Concepts, Policies, and Controversies. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Morley, J., Patel, A., VanPuymbrouck, L., & Schwartz, C. (2015). Occupational therapy interventions related to cardiovascular & cardiopulmonary disease. In: K. Barney & M. Perkinson (Eds), Occupational therapy with aging adults: Promoting quality of life through collaborative practice. New York, NY: Elsevier Publishers.

Taylor, R.R. & VanPuymbrouck, L. (2013). Therapeutic use of self: Applying the Intentional Relationship Model in group therapy. In: J. O’Brien & J. Solomon. (Eds.), Occupational Analysis and Group Process, 1st Edition. New York, NY: Elsevier Publishers.

Published abstracts

VanPuymbrouck, L., Kim, A., Lieberman, K., Guzaldo, T., Thrasher, E. (2020, March 26-29). Interventions to promote and support development of client self-advocacy: A narrative review of the literature. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4_Supplement_1):7411505139. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-PO4728

VanPuymbrouck, L. & Friedman, C. (2020, May). Relationships between occupational therapy students’ understandings of disability and disability attitudes. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4_Supplement_1):741150519. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-PO8023.

Sheth, A., VanPuymbrouck, L., Heffron, J., Kish, J., Mahaffey, L., Lee, D. (2020). Scholarly reflections on the state of the profession’s embrace of disability studies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4_Supplement_1):7411505169. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-RP304A

Reis, J. P., Martin, M., Wilson, T., VanPuymbrouck, L., Beaumonth, J., & Magasi, S. (2015). Screen-ABLE: A mixed-methods study on breast and cervical cancer screening disparities among women with disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(Suppl. 1)

Grants

Spencer Foundation
Co-investigator
2017 - 2022
The Impact of Occupational Therapy Graduate Education on Conscious and Unconscious Disability Attitudes Spencer Reference # 201700112

Invited Presentations

Kirschner, K., Hammel, L., VanPuymbrouck, L., Meskin, K., & Magasi, S. COVID-19 & working with people with disabilities. Scholarship of Practice Colloquium, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Occupational Therapy. October 5, 2020.

VanPuymbrouck, L. Innovative approaches to knowledge dissemination for occupational therapy. Guest lecture: OT 524 - Contexts of OT Practice University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Occupational Therapy. June 13, 2020.

VanPuymbrouck, L. Whose voices matter? University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Occupational Therapy: OTD Pro-seminar Synthesis. April 21, 2020.

Harrison, E., Mahaffey, L., & VanPuymbrouck, L. Ethical Dilemmas in Practice: How to support a person’s right to go home when our measures say they “shouldn’t”. Invited on-line presentation: Occupational Therapy & Disability Studies Network. January 2019.

VanPuymbrouck, L. Agency in self-advocacy: Factors that influence choice. Keynote Speaker: Rush University College of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy Research Day. August 2018.

VanPuymbrouck, L. Rights to accommodation in healthcare: Self-advocacy experiences of people with disabilities. Access Living Healthcare Town hall, Chicago, Illinois. May, 2018.

VanPuymbrouck, L. Rights to accommodation in healthcare: Self-advocacy experiences of people with disabilities. Scholarship of Practice Annual Conference, University of Illinois at Chicago. April, 2018.

Lee, D., Sheth, A., VanPuymbrouck, L. Findings from an exploratory pilot study: catalysts and barriers to incorporating Social Model and social justice perspectives into practice. Scholarship of Practice Lecture Series, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences. February, 2017.

Primary Instructor for Occupational and Physical Therapist: Introduction to PNF, co-sponsored by Swan Rehabilitation and John C. Lincoln Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona. Four-day course for the neurologic and orthopedic patient. 2013, 2016, 2018.

University of Illinois Chicago; Occupational Therapy Department, Research Methods. Occupational Therapy Research Roles. Professional Representative on a panel discussing OT and research for evidence-based practice. 2011 - 2015.

Guest Instructor for Ergo-therapy staff at The Spinal Cord Research Center in Nottwil, Switzerland. Five-day advanced course; PNF Treatment in the care of Spinal Cord Injury. September 2011.

Primary Course Instructor and Developer, in conjunction with The IPNFA, Myers, B. and Rosen, H. Advanced practice series of three, one-week PNF courses for Dutch and German Occupational Therapists. Independently responsible for instruction of week-long course. These courses occur at The Hogeschool, Maastrich, Holland; The Neurologic Klinic of Bad Aibling, Germany; The Spinal Cord Research Center in Nottwil, Switzerland; as well as throughout Holland and Germany 2-3 times annually beginning in 1992 to present.

Primary Course Instructor/Developer, Introductory and Advanced PNF, courses for OT, PT, SLP. Lecture circuit includes; Chicago, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Portland, St. Louis; 1991 to present.

Education

Research Areas