Hand Therapist-Occupational Therapist

About the role

Administers medically prescribed evaluation and treatment programs to restore lost function, adapt activities when appropriate, prevent disability following disease/injury, and help patient achieve maximum functional level of performance. Assists in mentoring of staff in hand and upper extremity diagnosis.

Major Responsibilities

• Performs accurate, comprehensive, and concise patient assessments within policy timeline. Evaluates a patient's level of function, and then develops and implements a treatment program in collaboration with the patient.
• Plans for and completes patient discharge, including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, referral for community services and ordering equipment.
• Completes all required documentation following department policy, including patient progress notes, team conference reports, and discharge summaries as appropriate, to record patient care and progress of each patient assigned as well as daily statistics, billing, and scheduling.
• Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits.
• Responsible for clean up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly.
• Manages assigned caseload, including scheduling and informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover the same; assists with coverage, based on department and site specific needs.
• Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcome and to improve quality of care.
• Performs various patient positioning and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required

• Physical Therapist license issued by the state of Wisconsin, or
• Occupational Therapist license issued by the state of Wisconsin, and
• Hand Therapist (CHT) certification issued by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC).

Education Required

• Associate's Degree in Occupational Therapy, or
• Associate's Degree in Physical Therapy.

Experience Required

• Typically requires 5 years of experience in physical therapy and/or occupational therapy, as well as 4,000 hours of direct practice experience in hand therapy.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Must have the ability to work independently and have great verbal and written communication skills.
• Good human relations, organization, problem solving, and decision-making skills required.
• Displays initiative, versatility and positive interpersonal skills.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday.
• Must be able to: lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist; lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead; lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance.
• Must be able to: push/pull with 30 lbs. of force; perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
• Position requires repetitive use of hands: simple grasping - 5-15 lbs. - 20% of the workday; pushing/pulling - up to 75-100 lbs. - 10% of the day; fine manipulation of hands during massage and joint mobilization.
• Must have good vision, speech, touch, smell, and hearing.
• Will be exposed to infectious diseases as well as blood and body fluids and thus must wear protective clothing, i.e., Universal Precaution or Isolation Procedures as needed.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.
• May be exposed to electrical and chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids and therefore must have ability to wear protective clothing as needed.
• Position may require travel to off-site clinics, and therefore there is exposure to road and weather hazards.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Schedule Details

Days, 40 hours per week.

Department 05607 HC Rome MOB 1825 Martha Berry Blvd - Therapy: Physical and Occupational: Hand Center. This position is sign on bonus eligible. Pay Range $41.10 - $61.65.