Regional OTs bring a hands-on approach to the Australian Hand Therapy Association Conference
(L-R) Albany Occupational Therapist Catherine McCutcheon, Albany Occupational Therapist and Conference Convenor Lauren Irvine, Karratha Occupational Therapist and Conference Committee Member Amanda Heenan, WACHS Telehands Project Lead Barbara Hall, and Busselton Senior Occupational Therapist Jasmine Cameron]
It's OT Week (26 October - 1 November), giving us a chance for us to celebrate our occupational therapists (OTs) who represent close to 30 per cent of our allied health workforce, working across a range of areas including rehabilitation, aged care, hand therapy, paediatrics and home installations and modifications.
Highlighting the organisation’s commitment to continuous improvement, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Occupational Therapists recently helped to convene the annual Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) conference.
Proudly representing WACHS in key leadership roles were Albany Occupational Therapist and Conference Convenor Lauren Irvine and Karratha Occupational Therapist and Conference Committee Member Amanda Heenan – with the conference attracting over 500 hand therapists, in-person and virtually from across Australia.
The team’s commitment to professional development and excellence in patient care was on full display at the conference – taking the opportunity to expand their knowledge, network with peers from around the country, learn from leading experts and bring new insights back with them.
Conference Convenor - and recently awarded Allied Health Educator of the Year - Lauren Irvine said this year’s theme ‘The Future at Our Fingertips: Advancing Hand Therapy Across the Lifespan was aimed at highlighting hand therapy for patients of all ages.
“It’s about recognising innovation, research and best practice clinical care in hand therapy,” Lauren said.
“We want people to think about how hand therapy plays a vital role in the treatment of patients with a broad range of hand and upper limb conditions that can affect people at all stages of life.”
WA Country Health Service Director Allied Health Suzanne Spitz acknowledged the importance of providing hand therapy to rural and remote communities.
“Data shows that up to one in five presentations to our emergency departments involved hand, wrist or elbow injuries," Suzanne said.
“We are very proud of our Occupational Therapists who are leading high quality hand therapy services in country WA.”
“That means a significant number of country patients will require specialised assessment and treatment at some point in their life.