Assistant Professor (Doctor of Occupational Therapy)
Des Moines University
Dr. Emily Summerfield graduated from the College of Saint Mary with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Studies in 2014 and Master of Occupational Therapy in 2015. Recently, she has earned her post-professional Doctor in Occupational Therapy at the University of Kansas Medical Center in December 2024. Summerfield’s clinical experience includes working for two nationally known neurorehabilitation centers: On With Life in Ankeny, IA, and Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha, NE. Since starting her career, she has worked across the continuum of care in neurorehabilitation, including ICU, acute (hospital-based), post-acute (inpatient), outpatient, community-based, and long-term care. In addition to her care provider role, Summerfield was a clinical team lead at On With Life in the outpatient department. This role allowed her to participate in various program development opportunities and lead meetings emphasizing team-based learning and collaboration. She joined DMU in 2023 as an instructor in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program and was promoted in Assistant Professor in January 2025. She is passionate about facilitating multimodal learning opportunities for future occupational therapists that aid in developing clinical reasoning skills and competency in neurorehabilitation. Summerfield is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS) through the Brain Injury Association of America and Lee Silverman Voice Training (LSVT) BIG certified. Summerfield continues to practice in adult neurorehabilitation and is a licensed occupational therapist through the state of Iowa.
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