Instructors
- Sandra Artzberger, MS, OTR, CHT, CLT
- Shrikant J. Chinchalkar OTR, CHT
- Elaine Ewing Fess, MS, OTR, FAOTA, CHT
- Martin J. Kelley, PT, DPT, OCS
- Judith Bell Krotoski OTR, FAOTA, CHT
- Susan Baum Locker MSEd, OTR/L, HTC, PAM
- Helen Marx, OTR, CHT
- Jill Peck-Murray, MOT, OTR/L, CHT
- Alicia Perez, DPT, CEES
- Sara Shapiro, MPH, PT
- Rosemary Schrauth, OTR, CLT, CKTI
- Elizabeth Spencer Steffa, OTR/L, CHT
- Joanne Wagenbrenner, PT, MOMT, CHT
Sandra Artzberger, MS, OTR, CHT, CLT
is a private practice hand
therapist, graduate level college instructor, and
national/international lecturer in the field of hand therapy and
lymphedema. For 24 years she practiced as a hand therapist for a group
of plastic surgeons in the Milwaukee area. Prior to working for the
hand surgeons, Sandra and another therapist did the pilot for what
became the Froedtert Hand Rehabilitation Clinic in Milwaukee. She is a
Charter Active Member of the American Society of Hand Therapists and
past Educational Division Director for ASHT. Ms. Artzberger presents
several workshops nationally and internationally including: Argentina,
Turkey, South Africa, Denmark, Canada, Scotland, Australia and New
Zealand. She has received awards for pioneering in Hand Therapy in the
Milwaukee area and the Henrietta McNary Award for significant
contributions in continuing education from UWM. In 1995, Ms.
Artzberger was certified in Manual Lymphatic Treatment and
established, with two other therapists, the first lymphedema clinic in
Wisconsin. Combining her knowledge of the lymphatic system with years
of hand therapy experience, the technique of Manual Edema Mobilization
evolved and continues to evolve. She has authored numerous
professional publications.
Shrikant J. Chinchalkar OTR, CHT
is a hand therapist at the Hand & Upper Limb Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Centre in London, Ontario, Canada. He has 30 years of clinical experience in treating upper extremity conditions. He has developed four hand therapy programs at the leading centers in Canada.
Shrikant has conducted instructional courses on "Biomechanics of the Hand" at the American Society for the Surgery of the Hand, the American Association of Hand Surgery, the American Society of Hand Therapists, Australian Hand Therapy Association, South African Society of Hand Therapists and Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists’ annual meetings. He has presented papers and has conducted courses on "Hand Rehabilitation" in Canada, USA, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Belgium, Italy, France, Greece, Finland, UK, South Africa, India, Spain and Turkey.
Shrikant was awarded the 2003 "Paul Brand Award of Excellence in Hand Therapy" at the 26th Annual meeting of the American Society of Hand Therapists. He received the "Best Clinical Paper" and "Best Poster Presentation" awards at the 17th and 18th annual meeting of ASHT and an "Award of Excellence" by the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario. He has published papers and abstracts in numerous journals related to Upper Extremity Surgery and Therapy.
Elaine Ewing Fess, MS, OTR, FAOTA, CHT is an occupational therapist specializing in hand therapy for thirty-seven years, and is an enthusiastic advocate of evidence-based-practice. She currently teaches and conducts independent research relating to hand rehabilitation. Elaine is a frequent faculty member on national and international symposia relating to hand rehabilitation.
Elaine Fess served as the first statistics editor of the Journal of Hand Therapy (1988-1998); received ASHT's highest honor--the Lifetime Fellowship Award (1999); and is the immediate past Chairman of the American Hand Therapy Foundation (1996-2004). She has authored over 90 professional publications. Elaine was lead author on all three editions of Hand and Upper Extremity Splinting Principles and Methods (Mosby/Elsevier, St Louis, MO (1981, 1987, 2005)
Martin J. Kelley, PT, DPT, OCS
Martin J. Kelley, PT, DPT, OCS is the Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist
and Musculoskeletal Team Leader at Penn Therapy and Fitness at
Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System.
He graduated from Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) in
1984; and received his clinical doctorate from Temple University in
2005. He is a member of the University of Pennsylvania Shoulder and
Elbow Service. Marty serves as an adjunct faculty for Arcadia
University. He lectures nationally and internationally on examination
and treatment of shoulder disorders, and has presented shoulder workshops at the Philadelphia Hand Symposium every year since 2001.
During Marty's 22 years of practice, he has co-developed an educational video on shoulder pathology and exercise, and has published over 28 articles or book chapters in multiple peer reviewed journals and texts, respectively. He is the past-president of the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists. He is also the co-editor of the textbook Orthopedic Therapy of the Shoulder.
Judith Bell Krotoski OTR, FAOTA, CHT
is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience including adaptive hand splinting for various disabilities. She is a strong proponent for a biomechanical approach to the remodeling of soft tissue and correction of the hand and upper extremity developed by Paul W Brand. Paul Brand has been recognized as the hand surgeon most responsible for the development of the concept of "hand therapy". She worked extensively with Dr. Paul Brand and the Rehabilitation Research Laboratory he established at the National Hansen's Disease Program, United States Public Health Service Hospital, formerly located at Carville, LA, and during the time he was a surgical consultant to the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital for seamen, formally in New Orleans, LA. She had the opportunity to work with Dr. Dan Riordan who was responsible for bringing Dr. Brand to the U.S., and served as a consultant to the Carville hospital for many years. She also had the opportunity for further specialization in hand therapy through working with Drs. James Hunter and Lawrence Schneider, and therapist Evelyn Mackin, at the Hand Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia during the early years of the establishment of this second "Hand Center" in the U.S.
Judy is known and respected internationally for her role in developing monofilaments to advanced levels as objective sensibility test instruments, and for her extensive research in the area of sensibility testing, objective measurement of peripheral neuropathy, validation of objective testing, biomechanics of deformity and correction, and disability prevention.
She is one of the original six organizers, past president, of the American Society of Hand Therapists, and a founding and current Board member of the American Hand Therapy Foundation. She was one of the early initiators and advocate of a journal for hand therapists, and served as a member of Editorial Board for the Journal of Hand Therapy for many years. Most recently she has been involved in encouraging evidence-based practice by developing a therapist research and education website for the American Hand Therapy Foundation (ahtf.org), and working with HANDSIGHTS, a special interest group of hand therapists attending the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Meetings.
Judy has published numerous articles and chapters in hand therapy and surgery literature, including chapters on splinting. She was a co-editor on the first edition of the book "Rehabilitation of the Hand", by Hunter et al, and has subsequent chapters in all further editions including the most recent "Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity by Mackin et al. She has writings in the books "Tendon Surgery in the Hand", and "Tendon and Nerve Surgery in the Hand, by Hunter et al. She has splinting chapters in the book "Hand Splinting" by Fess, et al, and has co-authored chapters in the book "Peripheral Nerve Injuries", by Omer et al. Her writings in journal publications include the Journal of Hand Surgery, and Journal of Hand Therapy. She lectures nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics related to the hand and to upper extremity rehabilitation and splinting, recently giving a two week lectureship series to hand centers through a grant sponsored by the Ministries of Health, in Singapore.
Susan Baum Locker MSEd, OTR/L, HTC, PAM
is an Occupational Therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience. She has worked in a variety of settings: rehabilitation hospital, acute care, home health, independent living center and out-patient hand therapy clinics. She has been a member of the American Society of Hand Therapists since 1982 and is board certified by the state of California as an advanced practitioner in hand therapy, and in the use of modalities.
Susan has been teaching splinting workshops since 1991. She has been a guest lecturer at ASHT (American Society of Hand Therapists), AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) and OTAC (Occupational Therapy Association of California), RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America) and Hand Therapy Special Interest Groups.
She remains clinically active as an occupational therapist (in home health and out-patient hand therapy settings) and as an educator for the therapy community. Due to her broad knowledge in UE management, and her love for teaching, Susan has been teaching and mentoring hand splinting throughout the United States since 1991. She provides workshops that facilitate an intensive, but relaxed learning environment. Topics include splinting for the orthopedic, neurological, acute and pediatric patient.
Helen Marx, OTR, CHT is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She has worked in varied settings: hospital, long term care, home health and out-patient rehabilitation.
Helen has been in clinical practice since 1968; she specialized in hand therapy in 1979, and became a Certified Hand Therapist in 1991. Helen worked with Hand Surgery Associates in Phoenix, AZ for more than 15 years-- where she developed a special interest in arthritis and splinting.
Helen has presented numerous workshops and lectures on hand splinting to ASHT (American Society of Hand Therapists), ASSH (American Society for Surgery of the Hand), and local, national and international groups.
Helen currently devotes the majority of her time to developing the easy-to-use, commercially available splint components used in her workshops. Helen and her engineer/husband have worked together since 1985 designing and manufacturing splinting components. Their designs include the Phoenix™ Outrigger, Phoenix™ Wrist Unit, Phoenix™ Elbow Hinges, and the Digitec™ (Base 2™) Outrigger System.
Jill Peck-Murray, MOT, OTR/L, CHT
specializes in the treatment of pediatric handpatients. She has worked at Children’s Hospital of San Diego for 25 years and has been a certified hand therapist for 16 years. She has presented nationally on multiple topics including pediatric hand therapy, pediatric splinting, and treatment of specific diagnoses including Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, muscle diseases, brachial plexus injuries, congenital anomalies, arthrogryposis, and cerebral palsy. She teaches the course "Introduction to Hand Therapy" at Grossmont College in San Diego, CA.
Jill is active in multiple professional organizations and is president of the San Diego Hand Special Interest Group, and Public Relations Chair for the California Foundation for Occupational Therapy.
is a Physical Therapist and an Ergonomics/Injury Prevention
Specialist consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. She earned her
Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Puerto
Rico in 1985. She received her doctorate degree from Boston University
in 2005. Dr. Perez has also received advanced training in Functional
Capacity Evaluation and Ergonomics.
Dr. Perez has provided ergonomic and injury prevention services to clients in the San Francisco Bay Area, including: Alameda Hospital, Children's Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Mondavi Winery, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, American Airlines, Pac Bell, and the Pleasanton Fire Dept.
Dr. Perez has extensive experience with work-related injuries and injury prevention programs. She keeps abreast of new rehabilitation techniques and with current ergonomics issues by participating in many professional continuing education seminars.
Dr. Perez has lectured at the Healthcare Ergonomics Conference in Oregon, at the National Ergonomic Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, and for local ergonomic groups in the Bay Area on office and dental ergonomics. Dr. Perez contributed as a technical editor for the OSHA publication: A Safety and Health Guide for the Cleaning Industry. She has written articles for the local newspaper on back safety and injury prevention; and she has been featured in the PT News-line magazine.
Her professional memberships include the American Physical Therapy Association, Bay Area Ergonomic Roundtable, and the Bay Area Study Group.
Sara Shapiro, MPH, PT is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Graduate Program in PT at UCSF/SFSU, where she has been a faculty member since 1983. She is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo, and holds an MPH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has been practicing for 38 years, with certification in NDT and the Baby course.
Sara has joined the Extendicare network at the Crestwood facility in Port Angeles, WA. She continues to be a frequent speaker at conferences, and to have an active caseload, integrating her knowledge of electrical stimulation and ultrasound for wound care, pain management, and rehabilitation of facial paralysis.
Sara is the author of the Electrical Currents chapter in Physical Agents in Rehabilitation, 2nd Edition.
Rosemary Schrauth, OTR, CLT, CKTI
is a clinician and educator at CedarHaven Rehabilitation Services in WI. She specializes in myofascial
release and lymphedema treatment. Rosemary has taken many courses in
myofascial release, other soft tissue techniques and kinesiotaping and
successfully incorporates these techniques into the treatment of edema
and lymphedema. Ms. Schrauth became a certified kinesiotaping
instructor in 2003. She presents courses nationally on MFR, Manual
Edema Mobilization and Kinesiotaping.
Elizabeth Spencer Steffa, OTR/L, CHT
is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist in private practice; she is a clinical faculty member at the University of Washington.
Betty has been in clinical practice since 1969. She has been a member of the American Society of Hand Therapists since 1979 and a Certified Hand Therapist since 1991.
Betty is nationally respected for her workshops on hand rehabilitation, physical modalities, and splinting. She is coauthor of the chapter "Diagnosis and Rehabilitation of Peripheral Nerve Injuries" in Trauma Rehabilitation by Lawrence R. Robinson--Lippincott and Wilkins, 2006.
Joanne Wagenbrenner, PT, MOMT, CHT
received her certificate in Physical Therapy from Mayo School of Allied Health in 1981. For one year she was one of 2 therapists on the Evaluation Team at Mayo Clinic. In this capacity she worked closely with physicians in evaluating patients and developing treatment programs for them. In 1982 she returned to San Diego and spent the next 14 years specializing in Orthopedic Manual Therapy.
In 1992, Joanne successfully completed a two year, part-time clinical residency program with the Ola Grimsby Institute and received her Masters of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and certificate in Manual Therapy Part I. Valuing education, she has completed close to 100 continuing education courses in order to bring the best care to her patients.
Since 1995, Joanne has specialized in hand therapy and has successfully passed the Certified Hand Therapist exam. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States teaching continuing education courses to physical therapists/occupational therapists specializing in Hand Therapy.
Joanne has been active in the Arthritis Foundation serving on the Medical and Scientific Committee and offering numerous in-services related to arthritis and Fibromyalgia. She has a special interest in the use of soft tissue mobilization in treatment and has done her dissertation on this topic.