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Maddie Engelstad’s passion for her occupational therapist (OT) profession makes her a standout with clients and coworkers at RiverView Health. That passion has also earned her the Employee of the Month (EOM) honor for November.

Engelstad has worked at RiverView in Rehab Services and Home Care for six years. She says her main goal for her clients is safety within the home while they complete activities of daily living, such as showering, cooking, and taking care of the house. She also concentrates on fall prevention.

A Walhalla, ND, native, she, her husband Chris, and their 11-month-old daughter Camryn live in Fertile. Snowmobiling and snowboarding top her list of winter hobbies, while playing yard games and being at the lake dominate her summer activities.

“I appreciate this recognition so much,” Engelstad exclaimed of being named EOM. “I have the privilege of working in the Rehab and in Home Care. This gives me a special perspective when I’m seeing clients who transition from the Inpatient Unit to Home Care or from Home Care to Outpatient Services.

“A large part of Occupational Therapy is communication with our team members. I’m constantly looking to the Rehab OTs to get a picture of how the client is functioning, while the Home Care Team, including nursing, coordinators and PTs (physical therapists), help me to create the best outcomes for patients by looking at function from several perspectives. I also need to give special shout outs to Brittni Johnson, Ashley Leines, and Lily Ngwe as they keep me on track and organized each week.”

The following comments were giving in Engelstad’s honor: Maddie uses her knowledge, gifts, and talents every day to have a positive impact on our clients, patients, co-workers, and RiverView Health. She’s dedicated and committed to improving and empowering people’s lives. She’s a joy to work with!

Maddie has an infectious, positive approach to each day. In her Home Care role, she readily says ‘I’ll see what I can do’ and then she sets out to dig in and attack the issue. She’s always ready to find a solution and then actively participates in the process. Maddie energetically plays a key role in Home Care Process Improvement Projects and serves on committees and teams without reservation. Her passion for improved client-outcomes is evident through her involvement and assistance on any project. Maddie is very community minded. Two, of many examples, include her involvement in Matter of Balance and the all-inclusive playground at Highland. She has taken the lead in Matter of Balance classes which are provided to the community twice a year. This involves a huge commitment of time, both on and off duty, but she’s always excited and prepared for each session. Within her role with RiverView’s Rehab Services Department, Maddie works with children. Through her involvement with the all-inclusive playground, Maddie promotes the wellbeing of children during, and also away, from work hours. These are examples of how she upholds the values of RiverView for Safety, Teamwork, Respect and Empathy.

She also loves to expand her own knowledge and abilities by taking on additional specialties. Maddie trained and is now certified as a Lymphedema Specialist and also completes MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) assessments for clients...Maddie loves to make learning and work, fun!