WashU Medicine Occupational Therapy Services

11/24/2025

Shoutout to Michelle – we see you out there absolutely rocking it! We’re so proud to have you on our team!" ✨🙌

Michelle Furman (PP-OTD '25) presented at the AOTA Education Summit in Salt Lake City this month on fieldwork educator needs for supporting neurodivergent OT students. Her doctoral work, mentored by Dr. Steve Taff, provides evidence-based strategies for inclusive clinical education.

As the Clinical Education Support Specialist at WashU OT Community Practice, Michelle now implements this research in her fieldwork program leadership role.

This is post-professional doctoral education in action: experienced clinicians developing expertise to drive change in OT practice and education. We are proud to have Michelle as part of our WashU Community!

11/21/2025

PSA: The only thing that should be getting carved on Thanksgiving is the turkey — not your fingers. 🦃🔪 Cuts from carving are a top five Thanksgiving injury!
Keeping knives sharp
Carving in a well-lit area
Not letting kids assist with carving

American Society of Hand Therapists - ASHT has a tip sheet with more safety tips to keep your hands gravy-ready.

https://asht.org/sites/asht/files/docs/2016/Turkey%20Carving%20Tips%202016.pdf

11/20/2025

✨ Recently, our therapist Jane Lavelle, OTR/L, and OTD student Melissa Troy had the pleasure of presenting to a wonderful group of parents on self-regulation for kids.

We always love the opportunity to share our expertise and empower families with tools that support their children every day! 💙🧠

11/12/2025

A peek inside a pediatric OT session! 👀💪
Playtime with purpose — helping little ones grow stronger mentally and physically, gain more confident, and ready for life’s adventures.

Come see our amazing pediatric OT specialist bringing fun and growth together every day! 🌟

10/31/2025

Our clinics were dressed to impress today with costumes, creativity, and plenty of Halloween spirit! 🎭
Wishing all the little ghosts, goblins, and ghouls a safe and fang-tastic night of trick-or-treating! 🍬🎃

10/31/2025

In recognition of Disability Employment Awareness Month, our very own Deb Turley participated on a panel alongside faculty and staff to discuss how disability and chronic conditions can impact one’s employment journey.

Deb specializes in helping individuals stay employed or return to work after a disability, collaborating closely with physicians and employers to support successful transitions back into the workplace.

We’re incredibly proud of the impactful work Deb does every day and grateful for the opportunity to share the Occupational Therapy perspective in such an important conversation! 💙👏

10/30/2025

🌟 Employee Spotlight: Kathy Dolan, OT/L 🌟

This month, we’re proud to highlight our very own Kathy Dolan! Kathy specializes in Neurorehabilitation, working with individuals recovering from stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy (adult), concussion, functional neurological disorder, long COVID, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and those participating in our pre-driving program.
Her dedication, compassion, and expertise make a lasting impact on her patients’ recovery journeys every day. We’re so grateful to have Kathy as part of our team! 💙

✨ Fun Facts About Kathy:
🍝 Favorite Restaurant: Trattoria Marcella
🎬 Favorite Movies: Moonstruck & August Rush
🌊 Never Again: Trying to swim in Hawaii-sized waves!
🏕️ Barbie Vibe: Outdoor Barbie — happiest when hiking or out on the water
🕸️ Favorite Marvel Hero: Spiderman

Thanks for all you do, Kathy — we’re lucky to have you! 💪💙

10/23/2025

🎃 Pumpkin Carving Safety Tips 🎃

Carving pumpkins is a fall favorite—but it comes with risks! Hand injuries from pumpkin carving are all too common. Here are some key safety tips to keep your carving fun and safe from the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT):

✅ Choose a well-lit, dry spot for carving — moisture makes tools slip and accidents happen.
asht.org

✅ Adults should handle the sharp tools. Let kids draw the design or remove seeds.
asht.org

✅ Use a pumpkin carving kit rather than a long kitchen knife—tools designed for pumpkins are safer.
asht.org

✅ Always cut away from yourself and keep your hand that holds the pumpkin out of the path of the blade. Small, controlled strokes are better.
asht.org

For more detailed tips and checklists, check out the full guide here: ASHT “Avoiding Pumpkin Carving Injuries” PDF
https://asht.org/sites/asht/files/docs/2016/Avoiding%20Pumpkin%20Carving%20Injuries%202016.pdf

Stay safe and have fun carving your masterpiece! 🕯️👻

10/21/2025

🌟 Proud Employee Moment! 🌟

We are so proud of our very own Macy Stonner, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, who recently traveled to Vancouver, BC, Canada to present at the 2025 ASSH Annual Meeting! 🙌

Macy presented on “Rehabilitation Following Nerve Reconstructions: Pearls and Pitfalls” and participated in an international panel discussion alongside surgeons from the U.S., Mexico, and Taiwan. She shared the therapist’s perspective on strategies for brachial plexus injury rehabilitation, contributing valuable insights to the global conversation.

Way to go, Macy — your expertise and dedication continue to inspire our entire team! 👏💪

10/17/2025

🌸 Honoring Ellen King 🌸
We take this time to honor our beloved colleague Ellen King, BSOT, OTR/L, CHT, who passed away on April 13, 2024, at the age of 62 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.

Ellen dedicated 16 years as a Certified Hand Therapist at WashU Medicine’s Milliken Hand Rehabilitation Center, making everyone she met feel seen, valued, and cared for.

It was a gap in breast cancer services that inspired Ellen to co-develop a program that became her lasting legacy. In 2017, she co-founded our Breast Cancer Program to help women prepare for and recover from breast reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiation.

A spiritual person, Ellen often shared that her own cancer diagnosis came when it did so she could walk that journey alongside her patients.

Ellen trained several Milliken therapists in what we now call The King Method, ensuring her compassionate approach to care lives on. She was not only a therapist but also an advocate and voice for her patients—fighting for access, resources, and support.

As we continue to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we remember and celebrate Ellen’s remarkable spirit, her healing hands, and the lives she touched. 💕

To read more of her story follow the link below
https://www.ot.wustl.edu/news/strength-for-the-journey-1541

WashU Medicine Program in Occupational Therapy is ranked as a top three occupational therapy program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

10/07/2025

We love a good celebration — especially when it’s for the amazing professionals we get to work alongside every day! 💙
October is Physical Therapy Month, and we want to send a huge THANK YOU to all PTs — especially those in our clinics who also work in hand therapy.

Shoutout to our Milliken Hand Rehabilitation Center PT's: Anita Uhlmann PT, DPT, Lorna Kahn PT, CHT, Leigh Wilson PT, DPT, CHT, and Tracy Keener PT, CHT for everything you do! 🙌
Your skill, compassion, and teamwork make such a difference.

If you know or have worked with these incredible women, drop a 👏 or 💙 in the comments and make sure to follow our page!

10/01/2025

🌸 "Wednesdays We Wear PINK!" 🌸
This Wednesday is especially important as it marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Today, we celebrate, respect, and honor all our patients on their breast cancer journeys—whether they are newly diagnosed, currently undergoing treatment, or are survivors. We are deeply committed to supporting the breast cancer community with our expertise in upper extremity rehabilitation and specialized rehabilitative breast cancer services.
This Wednesday, we also wear pink in memory of Ellen King OTR/L , CHT, a cherished colleague who played a vital role in establishing our breast cancer program and who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 2024. We will honor her profound contributions with a dedicated post in the near future.
Join us in celebrating and supporting this incredible community. 💕
Visit our website to learn more about our services: Breast Cancer Services