HealthPoint Occupational Therapy
The occupational therapy delivered at HealthPoint aims to help those who have experienced a change in their ability to perform self-care, homemaking, work, or leisure tasks due to neurological, orthopedic, or other disease-related issues.
Therapists will identify patient goals following a thorough initial evaluation and work with the patient to develop an intensive, individualized treatment program to meet these goals. Successfully regaining lost skills will provide greater independence and an improved quality of life for our patients and their loved ones.
Our occupational therapy services include:
A certified hand therapist has a minimum of 3 years of clinical experience including 4,000 hours in direct practice of treating hands. In addition, they must have successfully passed a comprehensive test of advanced skills and theory in upper quarter rehabilitation. Every CHT is required to demonstrate continued professional development and competency by recertifying every 5 years. Only about 6,600 of these exist of these in the United States as of 2022 and we have one of them at HealthPoint. A CHT specializes in the treatment of hand and upper extremity conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, stroke, accident, or trauma.
Our therapists can help you with pain management, nerve desensitization, sensory reeducation, conditioning, home exercise programs, splint fabrication, and the retraining of performance in daily life skills.
Have you or a loved one suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI)? HealthPoint occupational therapists can help you or your loved one regain independence. Our therapists focus on fine motor skills, functional improvement in activities of daily living, and upper extremity strengthening with a goal of returning you to your previous self. You can expect to be challenged in order to help correct areas in need of improvement. We can also recommend appropriate assistive devices if needed.
Functional Capacity Evaluations are tests of physical performance to help determine one's capabilities after injury. They are often requested by doctors to help determine limitations in an employee returning to work or the need for disability.
Whether you are experiencing increased swelling in your extremities as the result of cancer treatment or another condition, our therapists have the skills necessary to help you control and manage the problem.
Our therapists can help with exercises, massotherapy, and wrapping to bring down the swelling. We can fit you with the right type of compression garments and teach proper skin care, as well as additional precautions that can help you quickly resume your normal activities.
Occupational therapists will treat many orthopedic conditions, including: amputations arthritis, crush injuries, cumulative trauma disorder, tumors, dislocations, fractures, and infections. Of course typical musculoskeletal conditions like ligamentous injury, muscle strains, and tendinopathies are part of our specialty.
The HealthPoint Occupational therapy staff works with infants through school-aged children to improve fine motor development and sensory integration. Any child whose motor development has been impacted by medical or environmental factors may benefit from occupational therapy. We also provide therapy to infants and children with special needs. Our goal in all cases is to partner with parents to help each child reach his or her maximum potential. Parents are encouraged to participate in the sessions when appropriate. Therapy is typically provided in a play-based setting and is tailored to each child's specific needs. We have pediatric treatment rooms stocked with toys, games, and fun equipment. We also work with a variety of specialty services, including orthotic and medical equipment providers, who come to HealthPoint for added convenience. In addition, we can coordinate the services of physical therapists and speech therapists should they be required.
Our therapists are skilled in constructing specialized splints, which are vital to the success of rehabilitation after many injuries and surgical treatments. Splints are used to immobilize the area and correct/prevent deformity to ensure proper healing and function.
Meet the HealthPoint Occupational Therapy Team
Our staff is comprised of board-certified specialists and therapists with advanced credentials. Many of our staff members have presented at national conferences and are very involved in the latest research to improve patient outcomes.
Veronica Crites, COTA
Specialty: Sensory integration, functional adaptations, strengthening based treatment approaches, neurological disorders, play based treatment integrations and child development.
Education: Associates degree in Occupational Therapy Science from Stark State College.
Cassandra Kuhn, OTR/L, CNS
Specialty: Neuromuscular
Education: Bachelor in Health Sciences, Master's of Occupational Therapy from West Virginia University
Michelle Kunkle, OTR/L, CHT
Specialty: Certified Hand Therapist: Orthopedic hand/wrist/elbow injuries, sports injuries, neuromuscular and oncology diagnosis.
Education: Cleveland State University 2001. Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences Occupational Therapy. Certified Hand Therapist 2017
Taylor Lewis, MOT, OTR/L
Specialty: Pediatrics
Education: Master's of Occupational Therapy - Eastern Michigan University; Bachelor's of Science - Eastern Michigan University
Amanda Steidl, COTA/L
Specialty: Pediatrics, rehabilitation and works closely with the Certified Hand Therapist.
Education: Associate's degree in Occupational Therapy Science from Stark State College.
For more information about the occupational therapy services provided at HealthPoint, Wooster Community Hospital’s health and wellness facility, call (330) 202-3300.