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.com

Email: [email protected]

Health 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]

LinkedIn: 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, MD

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22883906/

Sports Injuries of the Hand and Wrist, editors: Mike Hayton,Chye Yew Ng, Lennard Funk, Adam Watts, Mike Walton

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-02134-4

Please join Hand to Shoulder podcast members Ann and Cassie as they interview Kantessa Stewart out of Southwestern Ohio Orthopedics discussing a hand therapy technique called CMMS for addressing stiff joints. Kantessa talks through launching the program and how patients with stiff joints benefit from casting to relieve stiffness. Learn clinical pearls regarding materials and length of time in

Kantessa Stewart has been an Occupational Therapist since 1999 and a Certified Hand Therapist since 2007.  She received a Certificate in the Advanced Practice of Hand and Upper Quarter Rehabilitation from Drexel University in

Kantessa has worked diligently to expand the knowledge of Hand Therapy in western Ohio, develop sound programs with skilled therapists, provide continuous learning

Kantessa’s contact

www.linkedin.com/in/kantessa-stewart-otr-l-cht-853219235

Patients with hypermobility syndromes who present with shoulder instability have traditionally been told to go to therapy. But what if therapy is not enough?  Join Dr. Tamara Scerpella as she explains how she evaluates and treats this challenging issue. She goes into details regarding surgical procedure, sling use, protocol and rehabilitation post-surgically for capsular shift or tightening. Listen for key

Dr. Tamara Scerpella earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa, where she competed as a Division I gymnast, and her medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. In 1985 she first came to

Dr. Scerpella holds the AA McBeath Distinguished Professorship as Chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. She is also the Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine and Team Physician for UW-Madison Badger Athletics. Among other accolades, she has earned the UW-Madison Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring and the Woman in Science Award from the American Medical Women’s Association. Dr. Scerpella is a national expert in arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery. An accomplished

Dr. Scerpella strives to be a role model for women in medicine and advocates for gender diversity in the department and nationally, particularly in orthopedic surgery, which is the least diverse of all medical specialties. Only 6% of practicing orthopedic surgeons in the United States are women, according to data reported

Supercharged and ready for rehab! Are you working with a brachial plexus patient that had a nerve transfer? Well, listen up, this is the podcast for you!

Jen Dodson joins the Hand to Shoulder podcast team to discuss rehabilitation theories and principles as well as a timeline of what to expect.

Jen is a part of a qualitative research study involving rehabilitation processes with outcomes. We hope you enjoy listening to Jen as she educates us on rehabilitation following nerve transfer.

Articles she refers to in the podcast episode include:

Hill, J.L., Turner, L.C., Jone, R.D., Jimulia, D.

*Link to Hill’s et. al. 2019 article: https://journalmsr.com/the-stages-of-rehabilitation-following-motor-nerve-transfer-surgery/

Kahn, L. & Moore, A. (2016). Donor Activation Focused

Sturma, A., Hruby, L., Farina, D., & Aszmann, O. (2019).

Larocerie-Salgado, J., Chinchalkar, S., Ross, D.C., Gillis,

Jennifer "Jen" Dodson has been an Occupational

Jen has been a strong advocate for the profession and

She can be reached at:  [email protected].

Nerve transfer surgery involves reconnecting a functioning nerve fascicle to a damaged or lacerated nerve to restore connection to muscles with absent innervation. This is an extensive surgery that takes a lot of time and education with our patients before and after

Dr. Munaretto earned his Bachelor of Science degree, Magna Cum Laude from the University of Illinois and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin where he received the Gold Humanism Honor Society Award and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society as Junior Medical Student.   From there he completed his five-year orthopedic surgery residency at Mayo Clinic in

Dr. Nick Munaretto is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery with a specialty in hand and upper extremity surgery.  He has a special interest in peripheral nerve injuries, arthritic conditions of the upper extremity including shoulder and elbow replacement as well as arthroscopic procedures involving the shoulder to hand.  His practice philosophy emphasizes compassionate and expert care for every patient and utilizes the most advanced techniques and

 Wrist instability can be a difficult condition to treat.

Ann Porretto-Loehrke is a skilled clinician with a passion

Ann can be reached at:

Instagram: @anns_happy_hands 

Email: [email protected]

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-porretto-loehrke-dpt-cht-comt-cmtpt-1080b62a/

Somatosensory rehabilitation is a method of assessment and treatment for neuropathic pain developed in Switzerland two decades ago by Claude Spicher, a Swiss hand therapist. It draws on contemporary understandings

Dr. Tara Packham is an occupational therapist and assistant professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. She worked for over 25 years in hand and upper limb rehabilitation before completing a PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Joy MacDermid. Her research interests are at the intersection of persistent pain and

Dr. Packham can be reached at:

[email protected]

@TaraLPackham on X

Jyo Supnekar, OTR/L, OTD, CHT, CLT, C/NDT, COMT and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins Health

Jyo Supnekar is a clinical specialist at Johns Hopkins Health System. She has a doctorate in occupational therapy and specializes in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, lymphedema therapy and stroke rehabilitation. Jyo has practiced as a certified hand therapist since 1998 and enjoys learning new skills, techniques, technologies and innovative treatment solutions for rehabilitation.  Jyo has worked as a clinician at Johns Hopkins for over 12 years. She started the process of developing a hand therapy fellowship in 2016. They accepted their first fellows in 2017 and received a 10-year accreditation from AOTA. Jyo has a passion for learning, education and knowledge sharing. She has recently passed forward the Director’s role to an accomplished colleague so she can pursue other program initiatives. She is still involved in teaching didactics and hands-on skills training. Jyo is also a Fellowship Programs Review Committee member for AOTA.

How to reach Jyo: [email protected]