…I wish you the very best for being such a wonderful group of professionals, who care about your patients. You are all one in a million. Keep it that way, you make a difference in other people's lives…" - letter from a recent patient
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At Hand Therapy Specialists, we know that in addition to our years of experience and education, providing a warm, supportive environment is a critical part of your treatment. Our well-qualified staff is renowned for its ability to connect with patients and help them maximize the results of their therapy. By forging solid relationships with our referring physicians, Hand Therapy Specialists becomes a key part of each patient's continuum of care, from evaluation and development of a treatment plan through the return to a productive lifestyle.
Director Fran Berger Kahn is proud to lead this team of professionals and invites you to review their backgrounds and special areas of interest:
Jeanette Haughton, OTR/L CHT, Assistant Director
Education: BS Occupational Therapy, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, 1989
Jeanette has been a therapist with Hand Therapy Specialists since 1994 and became a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) in 1995.
Jeanette appreciates the close relationship between HTS and its referring physicians. She feels it is largely due to the trust and reputation that HTS has with the medical community. She also gets great satisfaction from working one-on-one with patients and formulating treatment plans and home programs according to each patient's diagnosis, living and working situations, and level of understanding.
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Deidre Falls, OTR/L, CHT
Deidre graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with a degree in Occupational Therapy in 1985. She has been a Certified Hand Therapist since 1991. Her experience in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation includes both outpatient and hospital based care. She has also worked with a hand surgeon in his office as an integral part of patient care and rehabilitation. Her experience also includes working with Smith and Nephew Rolyan as a splinting and orthotics specialist, providing training to other OT's in the construction and use of upper extremity static and dynamic splinting.
Deidre is thrilled to be working with Fran and the other staff members at Hand Therapy Specialists. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher and and is pursuing an advanced certification in yoga therapy. She has an extensive background in classical ballet, having danced professionally before becoming an OT. She holds certifications in teaching the Cechetti method of ballet. She also directs a small performing group that is church-based and provides outreach performances to nursing homes, schools and churches in the local area.
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Michelle DelFavero, MOT, OTR/L
Education: Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2008
Michelle has been practicing hand therapy since 2008 and is working towards her certification in hand therapy. She spent the first two years of her career practicing as a hand therapist in Westminster, Maryland. She moved to Alexandria, Virginia in July of 2010 and joined the Hand Therapy Specialists team.
Michelle hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a die-hard Steelers and Penguins fan.
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Julie Brody, M.S., OTR/L, CHT
Education: BS in Occupational Therapy, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, 1993.; MS in Occupational Therapy, Boston University, Boston, MA- 2006.
Julie has been an Occupational Therapist since 1993 and became a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) in 2008.
Julie's experience in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation is extensive and has included practice at a Level I trauma center, a burn center, with a hand surgeon within an orthopedics practice, and in private practice. Prior to her relocation to Northern Virginia, Julie has lived and worked in Pennsylvania, New York, and California. She has expertise in static and dynamic custom splinting. She enjoys the challenge of working with so many different patients with complex injuries and diagnoses.
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