The Hand to Shoulder Podcast

Today we are spending time with Rachel Pigott, the chair ofthe planning committee for the ASHT annual meeting, as she discusses the ins and the outs of the conference! She explains the process of how to become a committee member, submitting to be a speaker, and what to expect when attending the annual meeting. Listening to this episode will get you even more excited about the big event!! About our guest: Rachel Pigott, MPH, OTR/L, CHTRachel Pigott works as an occupational therapist and servesas the Director of the Hand Therapy Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. In 1999, she received her bachelor’s in occupational therapy from Towson State University and in 2016 she completed her Master’s in Public Health at The University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is currently pursuing her PhD inHealth Sciences from NOVA Southeastern.  Rachel is both a certified hand therapist and certified lymphedema therapist. She has served on a volunteer basis with the American Society of Hand Therapists since 2009 in many roles and currently serves on the ASHT DEI Committee, ASHT IndependentFinance Committee, and serves as the Chair for the ASHT Annual Meeting. Rachel is also a past president of ASHT.  How to reach Rachel: Email: [email protected] or [email protected]: linkedin.com/in/rachel-pigott-13b5895b

Join us as we explore work rehabilitation with Mitchell Vossfrom Green Bay, WI. Mitch discusses the perfect candidate for work rehab post ortho injury and walks us through a case study what a patient experiences in a work rehab setting. Pay attention to clinic pearls to give the patient the best simulation to return to work safely and more efficiently post acute care. Hope you enjoy the show!Mitchell Voss’ biography:  Mitchell Voss, PP-OTD, MBA, OTR/L, earned both his Master’sdegree in Occupational Therapy and his Post-Professional Doctorate from Mount Mary University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Sciences at NorthernIllinois University. Mitchell practices at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he specializes in work rehabilitation and the treatment of upper extremity conditions in an outpatient orthopedic setting. In additionto his clinical responsibilities, he serves as the coordinator of the facility’s fellowship program.How to contact him:Mitchell Voss’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin/com/in/mitchellvossEmail address: [email protected] for more information:https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2021.0303https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3233/WOR-193012https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10519815251394708Position paper from APTA:https://www.orthopt.org/uploads/content_files/OHSIG_Guidelines/Work_Rehab_Guideline_Final_Draft_4_1_11.pdfLink to the Return to Work flowsheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-8qDZJDu6ukomGj_Bo3BfGF5rYzzSNcx/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112512481172286106586&rtpof=true&sd=true

Our 50th podcast episode!!Sit up tall, stand up straight? Don’t you feel like a squeaky wheel with your shoulder and thoracic outlet patients? Join Ann, Cassie and Joan Vicente as we comb through cutting-edge research regarding the relationship between the thoracic spine and shoulder. Joan discusses physical performance between symptomatic and asymptomatic adults including posture and mobility in relationship to t-spine rotation and shoulder movement. Here’s a little bit about our guest! Joan Vicente, PT, DPT, PhD, is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist and a fellowship-trained Movement System practitioner. She earned her physical therapy degree in the Philippines in 2004 and completed her PhD in Health Sciences with a concentration in Orthopedic and Sports Science at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2025. Her research focuses on the thoracic spine and its role in movement and function throughout the body.Dr. Vicente serves as a Rehab Clinical Educator at UCLA Health and as adjunct faculty at Hawaii Pacific University, where she teaches musculoskeletal and movement science coursework. She previously mentored clinicians in the Movement System Clinical Fellowship at Washington University and continues to teach courses on Movement System Syndromes.She is actively involved in national and state professional leadership. She serves on the APTA Frontiers in Rehabilitation Science and Research and Technology (FiRST) Steering Group, is a mentee in the APTA Orthopedics Mentorship Program, and is part of the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education Onsite Review Committee. At the state level, Dr. Vicente contributes to the California PT Association (CPTA) Continuing Education Review Committee and Research Council. Joan can be reached at: E-mail address: [email protected]

As spring approaches, our patients are excited to return to some of their long-awaited outdoor activities! Today we are joined by Ryerson Stinson, a hand therapist and golf expert from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland as he discusses the importance of individualizing programs for patients as they return to their sport.Here's a little background about our guest!: Ryerson is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) who holds multiple advanced specialty certifications, including TPI M3, SFMA Level 2, and KVEST 3D. His clinical expertise spans hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, sports performance, and motion analysis. He has served as a guest lecturer and presenter for occupational therapy programs at Quinnipiac University and Iona College, and has presented nationally at conferences including the ASHT annual meeting, Georgia Hand and Upper Extremity Special Interest Group(GHUESIG), and APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CSM).At Johns Hopkins, Ryerson is a Clinical Specialist andfaculty member for both the Hand Therapy Fellowship Program and the Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency Program. He also serves as a lead clinical instructor for the Johns Hopkins Hospital Orthopedic Certification Program.Ryerson is also the director of the new Johns Hopkins GolfRehabilitation/Performance Program.Beyond his clinical role, Ryerson is the founder ofOutPerform Golf LLC, a sports performance consulting company. Through this work, he frequently travels to golf performance facilities to evaluate athletes and collaborates on golf- and athlete-specific technology research and product development.An accomplished competitive golfer, Ryerson continues to compete as a mid-amateur, qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and winning the 2019 Southern Maryland Amateur. He enjoys skiing in the winter months with his wife, Jillian. Originally from Hanover, New Hampshire, Ryerson was a three-sport varsity athlete in golf, hockey, and lacrosse, and was recognized as an academic All-American.How to reach Ryerson:Clinical/Johns Hopkins: [email protected] Consulting/Sports Performance: [email protected] Linkedin:linkedin.com 

Mike Lennie, OTR/L, ATC, CHT has an undergraduate degreeand certification in Athletic Training from Southern Illinois University. Rehabilitating overhead athletes with the baseball and softball programs drove his interest to pursue a career in rehab for the UE. In 2011, he graduated from Midwestern University with his OT degree and has been working as an orthopedic OT since that time. He became a CHT in 2018. Currently he works as an OT coordinator @ Illinois Bone & Joint in the western suburbs of Chicago focusing most of his time on patient care and clinical education.Link to the following free full text articles Mikediscussed during the episode: Data-basedinterval throwing programs for baseball players - PubMedData-BasedInterval Throwing Programs for Collegiate Softball Players - PubMedMike can be reached at: LinkedIn:  Michael Lennie OTR/L, ATC, CHTInstagram:  UpperExtremityRehabEmail:  [email protected]

Hand therapy isn’t limited to the outpatient setting—many patients begin their recovery in the hospital. Join us as we interview Adrienne Tesarek, OTR/L, CHT from San Diego, CA, who began her career working in the acute care environment then became a CHT in an outpatient setting.  Adrienneshares her insights on working with patients during the early stages of recovery and highlights the key elements needed to prepare them for a successful transition to outpatient care. She also discusses the course she developed to help acute-care therapists sharpen their clinical problem-solving skills and better support hand therapy patients as they move from hospital to home and beyond.Adrienne Tesarek is a graduate of Louisiana StateUniversity in New Orleans, Louisiana and moved to California after graduation. Her career started at UCSD Medical Center which was the first Level I trauma center in the area. She was an inpatient therapist before transitioning to the outpatient department where she mentored to sit for the hand exam. She became a CHT in 2005. Since that time, she has done teaching at Grossmont Community College in their OTA program and presented at OT conferences on custom orthotic fabrication and conservative management of thumb CMC OA and conservative management of carpal tunnel syndrome. In 2013 she moved to Los Angeles to work at UCLA and was a member of the Rehab Services Education Committee coordinatingcontinuing education for her fellow OT’s. Also, during her time in Los Angeles, she joined the non-profit Hand Therapy Society of Greater Los Angeles, serving as their secretary and is currently the president. She moved back to San Diegoin 2021 and currently works for Palomar Health in Poway, CA.  She has taken the position of president of the San Diego Hand Special Interest Group and formed a new education committee at Palomar Health. She is currently gathering information on post-op complications following distal radius fractures for a study she is conducting as well as teaching a course on RehabEd on Managing acute hand injuries.Adrienne is married and has 2 Greyhounds who have beenrescued from a racetrack that closed in neighboring Tijuana Mexico. She enjoys yoga, being outdoors and traveling. Contact via- LinkedIn and email address: [email protected] 

“The long bone is connected to the short bone”, remembersinging that song? Well, it’s true in our everyday life! Everything is connected and should be addressed when seeing as hand therapy patient. Mike Mueller, OTR, CHT joins us from Rothman Orthopaedics from Philadelphia,Pennsylvania to discuss the kinetic chain with an upper extremity hand patient and how looking at the whole picture will change the outcome. Mike elaborates on his care with professional athletes and how connecting the kinetic chain early on will improve performance and function. Please join us as we talk with Mike on “Addressing the Kinetic Chain in Your Hand Therapy Patient”. A little bit about Mike:Mike Mueller OTR, CHT is a staff hand therapist at RothmanOrthopaedics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has over 30 years of experience in upper extremity rehabilitation in a variety of settings.  He is an occupational therapist, certified hand therapist and an exercise scientist with extensive experience utilizing the kinetic chain approach and its application to upper extremity rehabilitation and performance.  He has a special area of interest in the management of the athlete’s upper extremity injuries and has extensive experience with athletes from the youth to the professional levels. Mike has presented on multiple topics at state, national and international conferences.  He is a member of The American Society of Hand Therapists, American Occupational Therapy Association, American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and American Baseball Biomechanics Society.He can be reached at: Instagram: @mueller7487Email:  [email protected]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to practice in a different country? Or perhaps what hand therapy practice looks like in Northern Ireland? Today we dive into the day and life of Karen Murphy, MS, OTR, CHT, AHT as the owner and director of Health Pub Professions. Karen's explores hand therapy in Northern Ireland and the differences from the US. She shares her passion for hand therapy and give us an inspiring episode.Karen graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Occupational Therapy from the University of Ulster in 2000. After 2 years in traveling posts in the UK and Northern Ireland, Karen moved to upstate New York. Her practice there involved neurological rehabilitation within a hospital setting, and in outpatient clinics.In 2004, Karen began her Hand Therapy journey culminating in gaining her CHT qualification in 2007. In that time, she also completed her MSc in Advanced Occupational Therapy at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Arizona.In 2009, Karen moved home to Northern Ireland and became the sole founder of the practice of Hand Therapy in the Northwest of the Island. She built a team and developed the provision of specialist services in the area. In 2013 she began working in a Private Hospital and became Director of Health Hub Professionals NI Ltd in 2018, where she built a multiprofessional team of specialists in Private health care.In recent years, Karen has joined the Global Partnership Committee of the British Association of Hand Therapists, who work to provide free upper limb therapy along with surgeons in low- and middle-income countries.  Presently Karen has visited and worked in Phnom Penh, Cambodia twice, and has plans to work on other projects in the future.Karen enjoys the intricacies of the upper limb and loves to see her patients satisfied through their entire recovery and management. As one of the very few CHT’s working in Private practice in Northern Ireland, as the healthcare system in the country is rapidly changing, Karen’s caseload is busy and varied!You can find her at:www.healthhubprofessionalsni.comEmail: [email protected] Hub Professionals NI/www.healthhubprofessionalsni.com

Many of you are studying for the CHT exam or have already put many hours into passing the specialty hand therapy exam. Don't you wonder how this exam came about or even how hand therapy became a subspecialty? Well, today we talk with Wisconsin native Mary Dimick, who previously served as the president of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, also known as the HTCC. She gives us a background of how HTCC and the practice analysis developed as well as how the CHT exam continues to reflect current hand therapy practices.Mary Dimick, OTR, CHT graduated in occupational therapy from the University of Wisconsin and has been a Certified Hand Therapist since 1991.  Mary’s passion for hand therapy developed early in her career while treating level-one trauma patients for 20 years at the University of California San Diego.  This experience in the very early days of the hand therapy profession shaped the entirety of Mary’s career.   Mary spent the next 20 years in clinical practice and management positions supporting hand therapy practice.  She also taught seminars and published scientific articles and book chapters on hand therapy.  Mary served in leadership roles for the American Society of Hand Therapists from 1982-1992.  As chair of the Task Force on Legal Issues, which eventually became the Certification Committee, she helped lead ASHT toward certification.  When Mary left her position on the ASHT board, it was to serve on the board of the newly formed Hand Therapy Certification Commission. Mary has been involved with the CHT credential since its inception.  In 1985, she led the ASHT task force that tookthe first step toward establishing the standards of hand therapy practice by conducting an empirical study to delineate the role of a hand therapist.  The results of this study, published as the lead article in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Hand Therapy (10/1987), produced the original Definition and Scope of Practice of the Profession of Hand Therapy (adopted by the ASHT membership in April 1987).  This practice analysis formed the blueprint for the first Hand Therapy Certification Examination (HTCE).  Mary has been involved with each of the 6 practice analyses over the past 40 years and is currently participating in the seventh which will be performed this year (2025).Mary just completed her term as President of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission.  As a founder of HTCC, she remains on the board and plans to continue to serve the profession she loves. 

For those of you who work in hand therapy clinics, it can be intimidating to see high- level athletes.  This population has specific demands above and beyond the regular day-to-day activities of daily living.  Join us as we discuss what typeof issues affecting these patients with Jean-François Ouellet, BSc (OT), CHT! He works with a team of physicians and therapists who specialize in treatment of these conditions. In addition, he provides key concepts to get athletes backto their sport with less downtime. Please join us as Jean-François provides a fascinating discussion on how to address this population!Jean-François Ouellet graduated from McGill University with a B Sc. (O.T.) in 2003 and holds a current registration to practice in the province of Quebec (Canada) as anOccupational Therapist.  He has been working in private practices since 2003 exclusively treating elbow, wrist and hand injuries.  He has been a Certified Hand Therapist since 2009.  He was coordinator of the Montreal Hand Interest Group for 8 years.  He worked as an assistant-teacher fororthotic labs at McGill University from 2009 to 2014.  He has been an invited speaker at numerous Quebec Hand Surgery Conferences (ASCPEQ) as well as for the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists (CSHT).  He served as President forCSHT from 2021 to 2024.  During his term, the executive committee was able to connect with therapists from all around the world while developing links with different societies such as the American, the French and the Australianones.  Jean-François has been mentoring other therapists and has a passion for sharing his knowledge.  He regularly teaches wrist and hand examination courses to GPs. Over the last ten years of practice, he has developed expertise in the treatment of sport-related wrist and handinjuries.  He works with professional athletes from various fields and associations (NHL, PWHL, MLS, UFC, CFL, Olympians, performing artists, tennis Canada, QMJLH,…).  He joined Kinatex Brossard in 2023 where he works full-time as an O.T. and a mentor for his colleagues.    He can be reached at:email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-fran%C3%A7ois-ouellet-72667029/ Here are the 2 references he discusses during the podcast episode: Elite Athlete’s Hand and Wrist Injury in Hand Clinics, 2012;guest editor: Michelle G. Carlson, MDhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22883906/ Sports Injuries of the Hand and Wrist, editors: Mike Hayton,Chye Yew Ng, Lennard Funk, Adam Watts, Mike Waltonhttps://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-02134-4