Before starting her shift as an acute care occupational therapist at Intermountain Medical Center a few Saturdays ago, Florentina Mueller-Planitz stopped at the farmer’s market in Murray. She was surprised and delighted when she spotted one of her fellow occupational therapists, Bonnie Larsen, with a patient from the hospital.
“The OT in me first noticed the gentleman in the well-fitting wheelchair, even before I realized he was accompanied by a therapist,” Florentina says. “What a wonderful way to practice community mobility and the instrumental activities of daily living.”
Florentina said hello and learned the patient’s name was Terry Clemmer, MD, and he’d recently had a stroke that affected his left side. Bonnie was helping him with real-world therapy tasks in a setting he enjoyed, working on things like standing, walking, sitting balance, endurance, and fine motor coordination.
“It was wonderful to watch his delight at being able to complete difficult tasks and observe the trust and mutual respect as she guided his treatment,” Florentina says. “Terry’s joy at being able to participate in a beloved activity was obvious in his sparkling eyes and his funny remarks.”
The treatment Dr. Clemmer was receiving was especially meaningful to him because he’d been involved in its creation. While working with Intermountain in the 1970s, he was instrumental in launching the system’s trauma services program in 1977. He also helped create Intermountain’s neurorehabilitation program more than 40 years ago, and he says he’s grateful to now be reaping the rewards of the programs he helped establish. He retired in 2019 after decades of service to Intermountain and the community.
“Terry deserves to be recognized for his amazing recovery,” Bonnie says. “It’s a great thing that he’s benefitting now from our rehab services, which he helped create. I just feel honored to be a part of that in a very small way.”
“Seeing Bonnie in action reminded me what a wonderful occupational therapist she is,” Florentina says. “She embodies the distinct value of occupational therapy. I want to thank her publicly for providing extraordinary care and for being an engaged caregiver, innovator, and role model.”