ASHT Gearing Up for Healthy Hands Week
The American Society of Hand Therapists is sponsoring Healthy Hands Week, June 8-12, an event designed to increase recognition of the benefits of hand therapy and the importance of hand injury prevention.
Previously called Hand Therapy Awareness & Injury Prevention Week, this event is an opportunity for hand therapists and health care professionals to raise awareness of how hand therapy prevents and ameliorates disability due to hand injury or disease, ASHT says. The event is celebrated through community and local media outreach, promotional events at local clinics, partnerships with hand surgeons and hospitals, dissemination of information to patients, and special recognition of hand therapists at clinics.
"Hand health and injury prevention is crucial for individuals in all walks of life, especially in this digital age where many of us use hand-operated electronic tools to perform so many tasks of work and daily life," says ASHT President Joy MacDermid, BScPT, Ph.D. "As hand therapists, we do more than treat injuries--we help people with hand problems resume health and meaningful activities. This new event name will help underscore the value of specialized care provided by this outstanding group of professionals and the importance of maximizing hand function to keep people healthy."
ASHT is a not-for-profit organization seeking to advance the specialty of hand therapy through communication, education, research, and the establishment of clinical standards. The society's 3,300 members in the United States, Canada, and around the world strive to be recognized leaders in the hand therapy profession. For more information about Healthy Hands Week or to find a professional hand therapist in your area, visit www.asht.org.