Thanks to Deana Kubosh, OTD’12, service members who aren’t everything they once were are able to once again be all they can be.
Kubosh, an occupational therapist, works as a Department of Defense contractor at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. There, her clients include mostly active duty service members who have sustained a mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) or who have overuse or traumatic hand or shoulder injuries. They are patients who must be at their best to do their best, and it often shows in the rehabilitation work Kubosh pushes them through.
“I have a lot more understanding, patience and appreciation for those who can really sustain motivation to do more work, and push their physical limits, in some pretty harsh environments,” Kubosh says. “You give them a few strategies, or exercises, and they will truly embark on a journey with it and push to return to their baseline.
“That’s something not every population can do.”
Creighton was essential to preparing her for such work, Kubosh says. An Anchorage native, she earned her degree through the Alaska Pathway Program, the first occupational therapy program in the state. She cites several faculty members, including lab instructor Valerie Maeker, OTD’14, and Al Bracciano, EdD, as critical to her success. She also cites fellow alumna Brittany Stryker, OTD’06, BSHS’06, under whom she was trained on custom orthotics in Las Vegas.
“I firmly believe that all of our classes were helpful in my career,” Kubosh says. “I graduated feeling very confident in my abilities.”
She spent time with a contract company as a traveling therapist, mostly in Alaska, before landing her current job at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2015. In 2017, Kubosh was one of 26 clinicians nationwide selected for an expert workgroup with the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Her group contributed cognitive rehabilitation treatment recommendations for active duty service members.
It’s a special group, she says.
“It’s rewarding to watch motivated individuals return to work and be so appreciative of your time and services. It’s impacted me greatly.”
