2019 NANT Excellence Awards Recipients

Each year NANT asks the neonatal therapy community to nominate their peers for one of two awards – Excellence in Research or Excellence in Clinical Practice. The submissions must also indicate which NANT Core Value the nominee exemplifies.

The recipients are announced from the podium at the annual NANT Conference. We want to share that news with the rest of our Membership and community here. Please help us congratulate the 2019 NANT Excellence Awards recipients!

Excellence in Research

Awarded to Suzann Campbell, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Suzann was principal investigator of grants from the Foundation for Physical Therapy and the National Institutes of Health for research to validate the Test of Infant Motor Performance and the TIMPSI. In September 2010 she was awarded the Jonas Salk award for leadership in research by the March of Dimes. Other awards include the Mary McMillan Lecture Award and the Marion Williams Research Award from the APTA and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

Suzann’s work experience includes physical therapy practice with:

• children and infants in a residential care facility, in special care nurseries, and in outpatient clinic follow-up of infants at risk for delayed development and cerebral palsy
• teaching in three research universities
• research on development of children with cerebral palsy
• intervention for infants at risk for movement dysfunction
• measurement of motor development in infants and young children

Per the peer submissions, Suzann exemplifies the NANT Core Value of excellence which NANT describes as: “Constantly recommitting to the highest intention for the greatest good. All roads lead to serving babies and families in the NICU.”

As PI of an NIH grant norming the TIMP on 990 infants in the US, she has provided therapists with a normed, reliable and valid assessment tool to detect early motor delays and demonstrate the efficacy of their intervention programs. She readily shares her passion, skills, and strong research with others! Her body of research articles has provided OT’s and PT’s with solid evidence-based data to share with neonatologists, pediatricians and early intervention programs.

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Awarded to Jodie Hanrahan, OTD, MS, OTR/L

Jodie serves on the NICU collaborative, NICU advisory and Developmental Committee as the representative developmental therapist. She initiated and implemented the developmental care model into a Level III NICU in Florida. She works with the neonatal population in the NICU and also with postpartum nurses, moms and NAS infants helping with the management of sign/symptoms and proper environmental modifications during the acute withdrawal stage. She contributed to the NAS resource for moms that is provided by the hospital after birth.

Jodie vetted, introduced and implemented new developmental products into the NICU that she practices in, which are now used system wide in three different NICUs. This process included in-depth collaboration with medical leadership in the NICU as well as the industry providers of the products. These products are now used to support the units’ IVH protocols among other initiatives.

Jodie earned her post professional OTD in 2018 at Chatham university. She completed her research in infant pain and was published in the Quality and Performance Improvement eJournal in the October 2018 edition titled Neonatal Pain Management. Jodie has dedicated countless hours working alongside other healthcare professionals following best practices and creating positive outcomes for neonates. She has a strong passion for her clinical work and is an exemplary clinician.

Per the peer submissions, Jodie exemplifies the NANT Core Value of innovation which NANT describes as: “We listen. We stay curious. We create meaningful roads out of mere wilderness. We bring unique value to the neonatal community.”

Congratulations to you both. Peer nominations speak volumes about your contributions to neonatal therapy as well as your character. Thank you for making the world a better place for babies and families.