2025 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE
Sheila Don
Nominated For:
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
Sheila Don is a distinguished Occupational Therapist whose unwavering advocacy for clients and commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes has established her as a leading force in acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation across Ontario. With 18 years of unwavering dedication since 2006, Sheila has revolutionized the landscape of brain injury recovery through her innovative treatment approaches, fierce client advocacy, and evidence-based practice methodologies.
Sheila earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from D’Youville College and completed her honours degree in Kinesiology from Brock University. She is qualified to practice as an Occupational Therapist in Ontario and maintains good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. Her commitment to excellence led her to successfully challenge and pass the US OT licensing board exam, where she practiced in the state of Florida for two years in neurorehabilitation. Recognizing the need for more comprehensive and specialized services for ABI survivors, Sheila founded Innovative Occupational Therapy Services (IOTS) in 2015.
Sheila’s exceptional contributions to the occupational therapy field have earned her the most prestigious recognition in her field. In 2024, she received the coveted Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists (OSOT) Award of Merit. This honor was preceded by her company receiving the Rehabilitation Company of the Year award from the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) in 2022.
One of Sheila’s most significant achievements has been successfully integrating private occupational therapy services into public hospital settings. Her vision was the transformation of healthcare delivery through merging the worlds of private and publicly funded healthcare delivery to achieve greater outcomes. Since 2024, under Sheila’s leadership, Innovative Occupational Therapy Services has opened locations inside the Marrotta Family Hospital, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, and Benton Medical Clinic. These locations created unprecedented access to brain injury rehabilitation services immediately following acute care. This innovative model ensures that ABI survivors receive seamless, continuous care from the moment of injury through community reintegration, dramatically improving long-term outcomes.
Recognizing the need for more readily available occupational therapy services for children with acquired brain injuries and the lengthy waitlists families were facing, Sheila spearheaded the expansion of IOTS into specialized pediatric services. She assembled and leads a dedicated team of therapists with specific expertise in pediatric acquired brain injury cases, understanding that children’s developing brains require fundamentally different intervention approaches than adult rehabilitation models. This pediatric expansion has achieved formal recognition by the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) and operates as a recognized provider for Urgent Response Services, specifically supporting children and youth experiencing behavioral crises related to their brain injuries.
Throughout her 18-year career, Sheila has consistently delivered measurable, life-changing results for acquired brain injury survivors through her evidence-based advocacy approach. Her comprehensive functional assessments address the full spectrum of challenges faced by ABI survivors, including cognitive rehabilitation, physical restoration, emotional adjustment, social reintegration, and vocational recovery. Her track record includes numerous successful return-to-work outcomes for ABI survivors, enhanced community integration achievements, and measurable improvements in client independence across all domains of daily living.
These consistent positive outcomes have led to her qualification as an expert medical witness in Occupational Therapy by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, where her expertise in acquired brain injury rehabilitation is regularly sought in complex legal cases. Sheila’s approach to acquired brain injury rehabilitation is distinguished by her integration of cutting-edge research with compassionate, individualized care, understanding that no two brain injuries are identical and meticulously tailoring treatment protocols to address each survivor’s unique pattern of strengths and challenges.
Sheila is dedicated to the ongoing evolution of occupational therapy service delivery, continuously integrating emerging research, innovative technologies, and progressive treatment methodologies to enhance care for acquired brain injury survivors.