Saturday, April 30, 2022 - Sunday, May 1, 2022
8:00 am
Pacific Time
While our profession has been busy surviving the COVID curveball, the Hand Therapy Association of California has been upping our game, delivering virtual learning to your home, and keeping our members in good standing with high quality continuing education hours. Webinars allow us to tap speakers from around the world eager to share their research and treatment techniques.
The 2022 11th Annual Hand Therapy Conference will focus on the surgical repair of nerve lacerations, diagnosis of nerve injuries, supportive splinting and anatomical review of the brachial plexus, and treatment protocols used outside the U.S.A. Check out the speaker line up below.
Renew your membership, register, and tune in April 30. Get ready to “Reconnect with the World” and join HTA-CA for our 11th Annual Hand Therapy Conference!
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic concerns, this year’s Conference is virtual using Zoom.
Cost is $300 which includes both days.
Register for the Conference Here
This is a 2 day conference awarding 10 Contact Hours pending approval
New Rules for 2022. In order to earn CEU credits for this Conference:
- You must be a paid up 2022 HTA-CA member
- Pay the Conference fee
- Attend the Event
- Complete the Survey
Not a member or need to renew? Check out the Benefits and Join HTA-CA Here!
Click here to check out our supporting vendors!
Schedule and Speakers
Saturday, April 30
8:00 – Dr. Christopher Dy – Peripheral Nerve Transfers
Dr. Christopher Dy, MD, MPH, FACS – Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery – Division of Hand and Microsurgery of Washington Univ in St. Louis – Orthopedic Hand/Nerve Surgeon
Dr. Dy has traveled internationally to gain additional expertise in the treatment of brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries. He has learned treatment philosophies and surgical techniques from experts at:
- Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan (Professor David Chuang)
- Ganga Hospital in India (Professor Raja Sabapathy)
- Wenzhou Medical College in China (Professor Weiyang Gao)
- Stockholm Hand and Foot Center in Sweden (Professor Elisabet Hagert)
- Lerdsin Hospital Institute of Orthopedics in Thailand (Professor Somsak Leechavengvongs)
Learn more about Dr. Dy’s practice by listening to The Upper Hand Podcast.
8:00 – Jamie Findeiss OT CHT
Jamie Findeiss graduated with her Masters of Occupational Therapy from Maryville University of St. Louis in 2016. Since graduation, she has worked for Athletico Physical Therapy in St. Louis where she has gained experience and interest in treating complex nerve injuries. Jamie attained her Certified Hand Therapist credential in 2019.
9:00 – Alexandra MacKenzie OTR/L, CHT
Alexandra MacKenzie OTR/L, CHT is the Clinical Lead at Hospital For Special Surgery and she serves on the board of the American Hand Therapy Foundation. Her clinical passions are brachial plexus/ nerve injuries, flexor tendon rehabilitation, and mentorship. She helped develop an AOTA-accredited hand therapy fellowship program at the hospital and enjoys being the clinical mentor for that program. She has written chapters and presented nationally on a variety of hand therapy related topics. Global health and global healthcare education are interests of hers and she has participated in many short-term medical missions to Guatemala, Honduras and Fiji.
Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy Center
9:30 – Dr. David Ring – Getting the Diagnosis Right
David Ring, MD, PhD, FAOA, FAAOS – Upper Extremity Clinical Director, Musculoskeletal Institute Orthopedic Surgeon, Musculoskeletal Institute
David Ring, MD, PhD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and the Upper Extremity Clinical Director of UT Health Austin’s Musculoskeletal Institute. He specializes in hand to shoulder surgery, of which common problems include pain, numbness, injury, infection, or a bump. Additionally, Dr. Ring is a professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care and a courtesy professor in both the Dell Medical School Department of Health Social Work and the Dell Medical School Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He also serves as the Associate Dean for Comprehensive Care for the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care. Dr. Ring earned his medical degree from The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and his doctorate in psychosocial aspects of arm illness from the University of Amsterdam. He completed a residency in orthopedics at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program and a fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ring is nationally recognized and achieved the rank of Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He has more than 700 peer-reviewed original research publications and is a deputy editor for the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
https://uthealthaustin.org/directory/david-ring
10:00 – Live Q & A Panel Discussion
10:30 – Break
10:45 – Shrikant Chinchalkar OT, CHT – Free Muscle Transfer
Shrikant is a hand therapist with over 40 years of clinical experience in treating upper extremity conditions and over 30 years of teaching experience. He designed and developed Hand Therapy programs at four major teaching centers in Canada. He conducted many instructional courses on upper extremity rehabilitation in over 20 countries in the world and has won many awards for his presentations. He has over 250 presentations to his credit.
He was awarded the “Dr. Paul Brand Award of Excellence” by the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT), “Award of Leadership” by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), “Award of Excellence” by the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Hospital, “Best Educator” by the Western University and the “Lifetime Membership Award” by the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists. He authored five book chapters and has published 27 papers and 15 abstracts in numerous peer-reviewed journals related to Upper Extremity Surgery and Therapy.
11:30 – Dr. Tom Miller – A few things to know about Clinical EMG
Thomas A Miller, MD
Thomas A. Miller, is a graduate of medicine from Queen’s University (MD, 1989) in Kingston, Ontario. He subsequently trained in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (U of Ottawa) and completed a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology (University of New South Wales, Australia) as a McLaughlin Fellow. Tom is an Associate Professor in the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western, and the Co-director of the Peripheral Nerve Clinic St Joseph’s Health Care and the Consultant Physiatrist at the Roth/McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre.
He would like to conclude with a nugget of wisdom and a quote from the Canadian born Sir William Osler, which summarizes his attitude and the responsibility that is inherent to all in the health care profession.
“We are here to add what we can to life not get what we can from life”.
12:15 – Juliana Larocerie-Salgado OT, CHT – Perpheral Nerve Transfer Rehab
Juliana Larocerie-Salgado OT, CHT – Occupational Therapist – Hand Therapist at Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre
- Occupational Therapist – Hand Therapist – St. Joseph’s Health Care London
- Occupational Therapist – Hand Therapist – Hotel Dieu Hospital – Hand Clinic – Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery
- Term adjunct – Queen’s University – School of Rehabilitation Therapy
Juliana Larocerie is a certified hand therapist at the Roth-McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Center in London, Ontario. Juliana graduated in 2003 with a bachelor in occupational therapy from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, and completed a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from Queen’s University, Kingston, in 2006.
She has contributed to teaching clinical conditions in the hand and upper limb rehabilitation as a seasonal lecturer in the Queen’s University Occupational Therapy Program, volunteer lab assistant at the University of Toronto and Western University, and instructional courses at various Hand Surgery and Therapy meetings, including ASHT, IFSHT, CSHT and the Latin American Brachial Plexus Congress. She is also a co-instructor in the Chinchalkar Hand Therapy Fellowship Program at the Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre.
She has authored some peer-reviewed publications and a book chapter in Hand Therapy and Surgery, and has received Awards for Excellence in Research at Queen’s University, Best Poster at the 2018 and Best Scientific Session at the 2015 and 2021 CSHT Annual Conferences.
1:15 – Live Q & A Panel Discussion
2:00 – Adjourn Meeting
Sunday May 1
8:00 – Dr Polina Kiriaku – Carpal Tunnel Care in Russia
Dr. Polina Kiriaku
My name is Polina Kiriaku, I’m an ex-hand surgeon, now hand therapist. I’m chief of the hand therapy department in Moscow city clinic (Russia). I’ve always been passionate with hand anatomy, function and I loved being a surgeon but sometime ago I found out that there’s something even more important – rehabilitation. So here I am, helping patients to recover. And I love it even more with no regrets about changing my work life.
8:45 – Debby Schwartz OTD, OTR/L, CHT – Orthotic Options for Radial Nerve Palsy
Debby Schwartz, OT, CHT
Deborah A Schwartz, OTD, OTR/L, CHT is a hand therapist with over 37 years of experience in the field. She has worked for Orfit Industries America since 2007 to promote product awareness and education in orthotic fabrication. She has presented on a variety of hand therapy topics both at national and international conferences. Debby has also written a number of articles for hand therapy publications, including the Journal of Hand Therapy, the British Journal of Hand Therapy, ADVANCE for OT, OT Practice, HAND, and www.exploringhandtherapy.com as well as multiple book chapters in hand therapy reference books.
Debby completed her Clinical Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2010. Debby teaches about 12-15 orthotic fabrication workshops every year, this year switching to virtual sessions. Debby has recently published a new textbook on orthotic fabrication with her colleague, Dr. Katherine Schofield, available from Slack, Inc. It is called Orthotic Design and Fabrication for the Upper Extremity: A Practical Guide. Check out Debby’s virtual courses of orthotic fabrication on www.orfit.com/academy .
9:30 – Eugenia Papadopoulos OTD, CHT – 3D Printing in Hand Therapy
Eugenia Papadopoulos OT,CHT
Eugenia Papadopoulos is an Occupational Therapist-Certified Hand Therapist with 28 years of experience. She graduated from NYU in 1992 with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and in 1995 with an Advanced Master’s in Arts in Occupational Therapy. In 2014, Eugenia earned her clinical doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, UT and has recently enrolled in Northwestern Pritzker School of Law seeking a Master’s of Science in Law degree.
Eugenia’s expertise lies in the area of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, with special interests in complex hand injuries, innovative orthotic and prosthetics fabrication as well as 3D Printing. She has written two chapters in Occupational Therapy text books and has lectured at national and international conferences such as ASHT and IFSHT in Berlin on the topic of 3D Printing.
https://www.hss.edu/rehab-staff_Papadopoulos-Eugenia.asp
10:00 – Dr. Harrison Solomon MD – Radial Tunnel Syndrome
Dr. Harrison Solomon, MD F.A.A.O.S is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing
in hand and upper extremity surgery in Chevy Chase, MD. He attended the prestigious NYU
Langone School of Medicine. This was followed by an orthopaedic surgery residency at the
University of Maryland and a hand fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Solomon is a
perennial top doctor in the field of hand surgery as rated by his peers in Washingtonian
Magazine and Castle Connolly.
10:00 – Chavi Perelman MS, OTR, CHT – Radial Tunnel Syndrome
Chavi Perelman is an Occupational Therapist specializing in hand therapy. She earned her Bachelors degree in Science and Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2014 from Touro College in New York City. She co- founded HOOK SPLINT, which launched in 2021.She currently practices as a CHT at Montgomery Orthopedics in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and three daughters.
https://capitalhandtherapy.org/board/
11:00 – Saba Kamal OTR, CHT – Management of Essential Tremor
Saba is a Certified Hand Therapist and was the American Society of Hand Therapists – California Chapter President for 2010, 2011 and 2018 and recipient of 2010 and 2011 National Chapter awards. She now serves as the Annual Program Chair for the Hand Therapy Association of California conferences.
She is a member of American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists. ASSET is a group of multidisciplinary professionals in the area of shoulder and elbow rehabilitation who place a high value on efficacious exemplary patient care. The membership criterion reflects the expectation of the highest quality research, scholarship and patient care. ASSET membership is by invitation only.
She is also a member of American Association of Hand Surgery (AAHS) She was invited to a round table discussion of Emerging practices in Dupuytrens Disease and has written an article for them on this topic and on Management of Dystonia via Taping. She was invited to speak at the 2018 AAHS conference in Arizona on Neuropathic Pain. In 2019 she is invited to host a panel discussion at the International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapists in Berlin, Germany. She is also invited to speak at the American Society of Peripheral Nerves (ASPN) meeting on the latest in modalities when treating nerve injuries in Palm Desert 2019. She will also be speaking at the American Society of Surgery of Hand (ASSH) at a panel discussion on wrist fractures in Las Vegas 2019
She has written a chapter on Reasoning and Critical thinking in Hand and Upper extremity Rehab for a textbook “Fundamentals of Hand Therapy”
She is the Partner/Principal of Advanced Rehab Seminars, providing specialized continuing education for the Upper Extremity to therapists all over United States of America and Overseas. All the courses taught are from Shoulder to Hand.
11:30 – Jennifer Chan OTR, CHT – Brachial Plexus Birth Injury
Jennifer Chan, OTR/L Stanford Children’s Health – Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford…
Certified Hand Therapist – CBOT Advanced Certification in Hand Therapy – CBOT Advanced Certification in Physical Agent Modalities – Saebo Certified – Bio Concepts Compression Garment Certified
Areas of expertise: congenital hand disorders, epidermolysis bullosa, neurological rehabilitation
Jennifer Chan OT,CHT is a certified hand therapist with specialty education in treating children’s hand injuries including congenital hand disorders, epidermolysis bullosa, neurological rehabilitation. Ms. Chan has been working in Pediatric therapy since receiving her OT degree 1986 from University of Washington. She has a wide range of experience spanning school-based occupational therapy to County children’s services, to her current position at Stanford Children’s Hospital from 2008 to present where she works on a multi-disciplinary team treating congenital disorders to post operative care. She has provided many presentations, and has published several articles on Pediatric congenital problems.
12:00 – Live Q & A Panel Discussion
1:00 – Board Meeting
2:00 – Adjourn Meeting