Susanne Pickering, MPH, MS, OT R/L, CHES, CAPT (ret.) USPHS , is a licensed occupational therapist with more than 25 years experience providing skilled therapy services in rehabilitation, medical, psychology, and neuropsychology settings for geriatric patients, with expertise in developing and implementing falls prevention and risk reduction programs.
Captain Pickering was the Region IV Women’s Health Coordinator for the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) when she retired from the United State Public Health Service (USPHS) in 2008. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist as well as being Gerontology Certified. Captain Pickering began her USPHS career with the NIH as the Senior Occupational Therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and served as the Occupational Therapy Supervisor and later the Clinical Therapies Training and Education Director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She has extensive emergency response experience including assisting at the World Trade Center in 2001. She has received 12 Commissioned Corps Honor Awards along with 8 Commissioned Corps Service Awards. In 2004, she was presented with the DHHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service and the CDC Healthier Worksite Group Honor Award.
Susanne earned her MPH from Emory University, an MS in occupational therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University, her BS from the University of Maryland, a Graduate Certificate in Health Care Management from Georgetown University, and a Certificate in Public Health from Emory University.