Mission Statement:
The mission of the Capital Hand Therapy Association is charitable, educational and scientific. We aim to promote education, research, and advocacy by cultivating interest in the advancement of our field through networking, professional development, and community involvement. We seek to bring hand therapists and colleagues together to collaborate with physicians, scientists, and secondary education organizations to fulfill unification of best practice methodology and enhance the treatment of patients within our community.
CHTA by the Numbers:
The CHTA connects about 165 hand therapists across Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia through in-person and virtual educational and social networking forums and events.
– In 2021, we offered 2 events with speakers from 3 states with a total of 80 attendees.
– In 2022, we offered 5 events with speakers from 3 states with a total of 88 attendees.
– In 2023, we offered 11 events with speakers from 7 states and more than 170 attendees.
The CHTA has featured speakers from Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Speakers have discussed unique topics such as prosthetics, orthosis fabrication, pain management, clinical tools, burnout, and ways to improve treating the hand, elbow and shoulder using best practices and evidence based treatment.
We have delivered events totaling 15 hours of continuing education this year and 20 since 2021. To our members we have awarded 80 hours of continuing education in 2021, 178 hours in 2022, and 261 hours in 2023.
Activity on our Facebook group has multiplied with 145 posts, 145 comments, and 954 reactions over the past 12 months from 119 unique members. Our Instagram has grown to more than 50 posts and 91 followers.
Over 34 local and national therapists have been named in 10 newsletters since 2021.
More than 56 hand therapists have been featured in member spotlights on Facebook and Instagram -introducing the great diversity of hand therapists in the local region.
We’ve expanded relationships with local educational institutions to include George Washington University and facilitated a research group linking community based therapists to academia. We’ve cooperated with state and national governing groups for occupational, physical, and hand therapy. We anticipate further advocacy of the hand therapy profession as the needs arise.
The CHTA has cultivated relationships with local hand surgeons at two Annual Hand Therapist and Hand Surgeon Dinners with over 50 physicians and hand therapists in attendance at each event. These dinners featured individual and collaborative presentations on patient case studies from both therapist and physician perspectives.
Meet the CHTA Board
President: Julie Brody, MS, OTR/L, CHT
Julie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania in 1993. She returned for her Post-professional Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University in 2006. Julie attained the Certified Hand therapist (CHT) credential in 2008. Julie spent five years as a travel therapist, and she was able to see much of the United States as well as experience practicing in everything from acute/subacute care, burn center, spinal cord injury program, home health, public schools, and early intervention. It was during her travel experiences that she had her first opportunity to work in hand therapy, and found her clinical niche. Professionally, she enjoys manual therapy, splinting, and problem-solving complex cases. She has also been a mentor to junior therapists, COTAs and students, throughout her career. She currently works with Select Medical in Burke, Virginia. Outside of the office, she enjoys yoga, running, reading, good food and craft beer, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
VICE PRESIDENT: Tom Stormer, PT, DPT
Tom Stormer is a physical therapist and hand therapist practicing at Virginia Sportsmedicine in Arlington Va. He graduated with his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Marymount University in 2016. He received his Bachelors of Art in Fine Art from Christopher Newport University in 2005 and prior to becoming a physical therapist he spent several years working in graphic design, photography, and public relations. He is a native of Northern Virginia and in his free time, Tom enjoys running, strength training, hiking, and kayaking.
TREASURER: Stephanie Katz, OTR/L, CHT
Stephanie Katz is an occupational therapist, and recently certified hand therapist. She obtained a dual bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From there, she went on to pursue her master’s degree in occupational therapy at New York University. She was offered a full time position during her last clinical rotation at George Washington University Hospital and has been working in the outpatient rehab department since graduating in 2019. She is now pursuing a doctoral degree in health science at GW as well as working as a lab instructor for the new GW OTD program. In her (limited) spare time, you can find her behind a pottery wheel, at the pickleball courts, or walking her German shepherd, Gatsby.
SECRETARY: Heather Weesner, OTR/L, CHT
Heather Weesner graduated from the University of New Hampshire and has been a CHT for 10 years and an Occupational Therapist for 20 years. She currently works for the John’s Hopkins’ Rehabilitation Network in their outpatient department and treats a variety of hand and upper extremity injuries and works as their Hand Fellowship Coordinator. She has guest lectured at the Philadelphia Hand Symposium on topics regarding pediatric upper extremity injuries and recently co-authored a book chapter on pediatric upper extremity trauma in the 7th edition of Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity. She is an active member of the ASHT’s Education Division and the chair of the Upper Extremity Institute and assists with the Webinar Committee. She also serves as ASHT’s Board Intern. When she is not volunteering for ASHT, she can be found on the soccer field coaching one of her daughters.
Education Chair: Shyamala Gopalan, MS, OTR/L, CHT
Shyamala (Shy) Gopalan grew up in India and moved to the United States for her graduate studies. She graduated from Tufts University in 2003. After a brief stint in pediatrics and acute care, Shy started working in hand therapy at the outpatient department of The George Washington University Hospital in 2007. She subsequently obtained her certification in hand therapy (CHT) in 2009. She currently works at the Office of Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D.C. She values collaborating with her patients to design goals and treatment based on their lifestyle and priorities. She enjoys working with a variety of upper extremity conditions with particular interest in the wrist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering her time for organizations that work on social justice and in that capacity has served on the executive and advisory boards of a few organizations/ campaigns.