Tidewater Hand Therapy

Hand Therapy at TOA consists of Occupational Therapists specializing in hand/upper extremiy diagnoses. The staff includes two Certified Hand Therapists, one Occupational Therapist, one Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and four Hand Therapy Technicians.

Our hand therapy department receives its referral base only from the Tidewater Orthopaedic Associate physicians. This consists of post-surgery and chronic conditions as well as splint fabrication and patient education as ordered by the patient’s physician.

Our physicians are in constant communication with the hand therapists regarding patient care and are readily available if needed during therapy visits.

Meet Our Staff

Terri Shipley, OTR/L, CHT-Hand Therapy Director

Terri is a native of Nebraska and a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha in Occupational Therapy. She also has a teaching degree from Chadron State in Nebraska as well as a Masters in Exercise Physiology from James Madison University. She previously worked at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News in acute, psych and outpatient settings before joining TOA in 2005.

Pam McHose, COTA

Pam is from Lancaster, PA and has attended Lancaster General School of Nursing earning a Registered Nursing degree. She then attended Jefferson College of Health in Roanoke where she graduated with an associates degree of certification of occupational therapy assistant. Pam’s therapy background includes work with pediatrics before joining TOA in 2006.

Aimee Hightower, OTR/L

Aimee graduated from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, LA. She has worked in pediatric, sports and rehabilitative settings. Aimee joined TOA in 2007 and is the primary therapist for the Williamsburg office.

Sara Cook, OTR/L, CHT

Sara is from Schennetady, NY and graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo. She has worked in rehab, acute care, psych and skilled nursing before specializing in hands in various settings. Sara joined TOA in 2007.

Hand Therapy Technicians

Amber Ferguson

Amber Ferguson: the Hand Therapy Technician Manager. Amber is a native of Ohio. She has been with TOA since 2005.

Danielle Nettles

Danielle is a native to the Hampton Roads area. She joined TOA in 2007.

Marsha Brown

Marsha is a resident of Newport News. She has been with TOA since 2007.

Dawn Ritton

Dawn is a resident of Newport News. She joined TOA in 2007 and is primarily at the Williamsburg Office.

What Our Hand Therapy Staff Has to Offer

Diagnoses Seen by Hand Therapy:

Fractures	Tendon Repairs	Amputations	Nerve Injuries
Nerve Compressions	Lateral/Medial Epicondylitis	Tendonitis	Replantations
Sprains or Strains of the elbow, wrist, hand or fingers

Services Provided:

Wound Care	Scar Management	Splinting	Use of Modalities
Edema Control	Pain Management	Range of Motion	Sensibility
Patient Education	Activities of Daily Living
Strength and Endurance Training

What is a Certified Hand Therapist?

A certified hand therapist (CHT) is an occupational or physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of hands. They must have a minimum of 5 years postgraduate experience with at least 4000 hours in hand therapy and have successfully passed the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) exam in order to obtain these credentials. CHT’s are dedicated professionals who have a commitment to meet the highest standards of their profession. For additional information on Certified Hand Therapists, contact: www.htcc.org