On this episode, we are joined by Lisa Michael, the 2025 AAHS Vargas International Hand Therapist Teaching Award recipient. Lisa is an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who traveled to St. Lucia to share her knowledge and skills in an underserved area. She shares with us what it was like evaluating and treating patients in St Lucia, how she provided education to the local staff and is able to stay connected with them from afar and how support from AAHS made this trip possible.

Lisa Michael (Cyr), OTD, OTR/L, CHT graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, then returned to school in 2012 to attain her Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD). She has been a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) since 1996, and currently works in an outpatient satellite for Yale New Haven Health Services, helping to rehabilitate people who experience traumatic orthopedic related injuries to their hands, wrists, and elbows. She is adjunct faculty or SCSU.

Lisa is very active in the hand therapy community and is a member of AAHS, ASHT, and AOT. She has lectured both nationally and internationally on various hand therapy topics and has volunteered in 5 missions with the Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation to help treat Guatemalan children with hand or arm injuries. She also participated in professional surgeon/ therapist conferences and assisted with community outreach and teaching local therapists various hand therapy techniques while there.

In 2025, Lisa travelled with the Hand Help team to St. Lucia as the recipient of the AAHS Vargas Award. She treated post-op patients and educated and co-treated patients with the local hospital physiotherapists. She also led an orthosis fabrication and kinisiotape lab for local therapists. Lisa has published a book chapter and authored/ co-authored several peer reviewed journal articles.

In her spare time, Lisa loves to hike with her dog, bike, kayak, and travel.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed.

On this episode, we are joined by Sarah Doerrer, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who is devoting most of her time these days to academia and research. She shares with us how she is connecting with clinicians in the community to collaborate on community-engaged research. We discuss the benefits to these collaborations, but also some of the barriers to clinical research and how to navigate those barriers.

Sarah Doerrer, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, CLT graduated with her Masters in OT in 2001 from Misericordia University and her PhD in OT in 2019 from Nova Southeastern University. She is currently an assistant professor at George Washington University and worked in clinical practice for 22 years. She is a Certified Hand Therapist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Dr. Doerrer serves on the Research Division of the American Society of Hand Therapists and is the incoming Research Division chair and serves as the Education Chair for the Capital Hand Therapy Association. She has received two foundation grants for her dissertation research “The Impact of Shoulder Pathology on Individuals with Distal Radius Fracture” and received a grant from the American Hand Foundation for her clinical trial “Impact of Early ADL Participation on Functional Outcomes Post Distal Radius Fracture”. Dr. Doerrer has most recently been awarded the Hand in Hand Grant from AOTF-ASHT-AHTF and the Clinical Research Award from the American Hand Surgery Foundation for her work on post distal radius education. She is also a co-investigator on a Department of Education, Disability Innovation Fund grant. Dr. Doerrer has had multiple publications in the Journal of Hand Therapy and has published two book chapters. She is a reviewer for the Journal of Hand Therapy, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and OT Journal of Research.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed"

On this episode, we are joined by Saba Kamal, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who has taken a special interest in treating patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility. She shares with us how patients are diagnosed with EDS or hypermobility and how we as upper extremity therapists can educate these patients on joint protection, stability and lifelong management.

Saba Kamal is an occupational therapist and a Certified Hand Therapist. She graduated from OT School in India and is currently certified to practice in the US, UK and Europe. Saba currently resides and practices as a healthcare entrepreneur and hand and upper extremity therapist in the US. She has over three decades of experience spanning clinical practice, healthcare education and professional leadership. She has delivered talks at national and international conferences, collaborating closely with surgeons and therapists to advance the field of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation.

Saba’s contributions include leadership roles in professional societies (initiated and chaired HTA-CA conferences 2011-2019), the development of innovative treatment approaches, and dedicated mentorship to students and clinicians. Most recently, she sold her successful therapy practices and completed a Healthcare Leadership certificate at Johns Hopkins University. Saba has also written various articles and is the author of Treating Musicians as Athletes available on Amazon and B&N.

In addition to continuing to educate therapists through her Hand-On courses with Advanced Rehab Seminars, Saba is also working on several hand therapy-related inventions aimed at bringing innovative solutions to the market

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed"

We are joined by Stephanie Hassler, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Stephanie shares with us what lymphedema is and how she combined her background as a hand therapist to address the effects of lymphedema. We discuss early recognition and practical treatment strategies to integrate into practice.

Stephanie Hassler, MS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, CHT works as an outpatient occupational therapist in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. She earned her M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University in 2014. Stephanie began working in an outpatient orthopedic-based hand therapy setting following graduation. She went on to become a Certified Lymphedema Therapist in 2018, achieved Lymphology Association of North America certification in 2019, and became a Certified Hand Therapist in 2020. She continues to practice in an outpatient therapy setting, treating a mixed caseload of upper and lower extremity lymphedema as well as upper extremity injuries.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed.

On this episode, we are joined by Jessie Perchaluk, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who has taken a special interest in learning more about and implementing remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) into her practice. Jessie shares with us the various ways that we can utilize RTM as an adjunct to the care we currently provide and how we can stay connected to our patients.

Jessie Perchaluk, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CLT is an occupational therapist at NovaCare Rehabilitation (a division of Select Medical), and a core adjunct faculty member at Thomas Jefferson University in their hybrid MSOT program, as well as adjunct instructor at the Medical University of South Carolina’s hybrid OTD program. She is a board-certified hand therapist and lymphedema therapist specializing in upper extremity and oncological rehabilitation, balancing full-time clinical practice with graduate-level teaching in functional anatomy, clinical skills, and upper extremity rehabilitation.

With over eight years of experience, Jessie is passionate about delivering personalized, evidence and data informed care in order to restore function and improve quality of life. She is equally dedicated to advancing the profession through education, mentorship, and research. Jessie leads student fieldwork and capstone initiatives across Pennsylvania and Delaware for Select Medical, to which she has been nationally and locally recognized for her work.

Jessie also serves on AOTA’s Commission on Education as the fieldwork educator representative, contributing to national education policy and best practice initiatives. She combines her clinical knowledge and passion for furthering evidence and data informed care by continuing to be actively involved in ongoing research projects. Jessie is further advancing her knowledge in healthcare at Brown University in their Masters of Healthcare Leadership.

When she is not working, Jessie enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed.

We are excited to welcome our guest on this episode, Danielle Sparks. Danielle is our 2025-2026 ASHT president. During her incoming presidential address at the Annual Meeting, Danielle challenged us to consider how we can be advocates for our specialty and our patients. There are many challenges we face daily, but she shares with us how small, atomic changes can have a lasting effect.

Guest Bio:

Danielle Sparks, DHS, MOT, OTR, CHT is a highly experienced occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist with a strong clinical background in upper extremity rehabilitation. With over 15 years in the field, Danielle has spent her career at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center, where she has served as the Director of Therapy since 2017.

Danielle graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2007 with a Biology degree. She earned a Master of Occupational Therapy in 2009 and then post professionally a Doctorate of Health Science in 2017, both from the University of Indianapolis. Danielle earned her Certified Hand Therapist credential in 2015.

Passionate about advocacy and legislative and regulatory aspects of practicing hand therapy, Danielle has been a member of the American Society of Hand Therapists since 2012 and has been a volunteer in the Practice Division since 2017, serving as the chair from 2020-2023 and currently is serving in the ASHT Presidential line 2023-2027. Currently, Danielle is the current President for ASHT.

Danielle enjoys attending courses related to upper extremity rehabilitation and the opportunity to learn from and interact with colleagues. When not involved in work related activities, Danielle enjoys traveling, kayaking, hiking, golfing, and spending time with family and her two German Shepherds.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed.

On this episode, we are joined by Tara Packham, an occupational therapist who has worked for many years in upper extremity rehabilitation and is now educating the next generation of occupational therapists. Tara recognizes the impact social media has had on knowledge mobilization and she shares with us how clinicians, researchers and educators are utilizing social media and other digital platforms to educate their colleagues, patients and students.

Guest Bio: Tara Packham, PhD, OTReg(Ont) is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience in hand and upper limb rehabilitation, and an associate professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario Canada. Tara’s program of research focuses on assessing and addressing persistent pain, and continuing to advance the global field of hand rehabilitation. She is passionate about moving evidence into practice and helping therapists to adopt and apply new research to advance clinical care. Tara has published and presented extensively for both hand rehabilitation and pain management audiences on persistent pain conditions impacting the upper extremity. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Special Interest Group for CRPS at the International Association for the Study of Pain, on the editorial board of the Journal of Hand Therapy, and as Editor-in-Chief at Hand Therapy (official journal of the British Association for Hand Therapists and European Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy).

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed.

On this episode, we are joined by Marty Walsh, Keri Landrieu and Karol Young to discuss the HTCC Practice Analysis. The examination to become a Certified Hand Therapist isn’t put together overnight. There is a lot of work that goes into developing the examination questions, ensuring they are testing knowledge and application of practice standards in hand therapy. Marty, Keri and Karol share with us how HTCC develops the exam blueprint from feedback received from hand therapists, how questions are developed and evaluated for their rigor, accuracy and consistency, and how the examination is maintained year after year.

Guest Bios:

Martin Walsh, OTR/L, CHT has been the Executive Director of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) since 2013. He joined the HTCC staff in 2004 as the Manager of Examination Services. He has been involved with HTCC as a volunteer since 1998, serving several terms as an item writer and then as an item writer mentor. Marty was appointed to the Examination Committee in 2002 and has been actively involved in all aspects of examination development. A Certified Hand Therapist since 1992, Marty received most of his training and experience in hand therapy at a regional trauma center in San Francisco working with patients with complex injuries to the hand. Marty has also volunteered his time working with patients and teaching therapists in South America. He has traveled to Colombia, Bolivia and Peru and has been active with the organization Resurge. In 2010 Marty received the Paul Brand Award of Professional Excellence from the American Society of Hand Therapists.

Keri Landrieu, LOTR, CHT became an occupational therapist in 1989, leading her to a hand therapy fellowship and her Certified Hand Therapist certification in 1994. Her experience in hand therapy includes working with her mentor surgeon in his practice and 15 years as a partner in a private hand therapy practice. Her dedication to the field extends to the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC), spanning nearly three decades, starting as an item writer in 1996, leading to a board membership six years later, and various leadership roles. For the past 14 years, Keri has directed HTCC’s exam operations, managing the item bank and exam processes. This year, she is honored to serve as HTCC's President.

Karol S. Young, OTD, OTR/L, CHT has been an occupational therapist since 1990 and a Certified Hand Therapist since 1997. After working in a variety of outpatient settings, her passion for lifelong learning led her to the OT program at Thomas Jefferson University where she completed her doctoral degree in 2015. Karol has authored publications for the Hand Therapy Certification Committee and the American Society of Hand Therapists, contributed to several textbooks, and is an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer in several graduate level occupational therapy programs. Karol is an active member of the American Society of Hand Therapists and is a board member for the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, serving as the Chair of the Practice Analysis Committee. Karol currently is in private practice outside of Asheville, NC.

The views and opinions expressed in the Hands in Motion podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASHT. Appearance on the podcast does not imply endorsement of any products, services or viewpoints discussed"