Clinical Profiles

Kate Harkin

Manager EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Unit

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Kate is a Hand Therapist and Manager of the EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Unit. She has 19 years experience in managing upper limb injuries. Kate was accepted as a full member of the AHTA in 1995 and has served on the National Executive. Kate has lectured extensively both in Australia and overseas. She was a 1997 Churchill Fellow, undertaking a six month training fellowship in Hand Therapy in centres of excellence in the USA. She has also undertaken post graduate studies in Hand Therapy through Curtin University (WA) and is actively involved in research on tendon injuries. She is published in the American Journal of Hand Therapy on Compliance to Hand Therapy Programs.

EMMA SCHULZ

Ipswich Clinic Coordinator

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Emma graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2004 from the University of Queensland. She has 5 years experience working in hand therapy private practice in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. Emma joined the EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Unit in 2008. She is a full member of the AHTA and is the AHTA Special Interest Group Co-ordinator for Queensland.

Leesa Gilkey

Spring Hill Clinic Coordinator 

Occupational Therapist / Certified Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Leesa is a Certified Hand Therapist trained in America. She graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 1991 and has specialised in hands since 1994. Leesa has spent the last three years working as a hand therapist in Australia—first in Newcastle with the public sector and now as a part of the EKCO team in Brisbane. Leesa is a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (2003) and a full member of the American Society of Hand Therapists (2001). She passed the Hand Therapy Certification exam in 2002. Leesa is the Hand Therapy Interest Group Coordinator for Queensland, and coordinator of the EKCO Spring Hill clinic.

Kate Diggles

Chermside Clinic Coordinator

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Kate graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2001 with a Deans Honour Role listing for Academic Excellence. Since graduation, she has worked in a variety of Acute Hospital settings throughout Queensland. She has also had the opportunity to work in a respected hand unit in the United Kingdom. Kate commenced her training in hand therapy in 2002, when she commenced employment at the Mater Public Hospital, Brisbane. Kate joined the EKCO team in 2004, and became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association in 2006. Kate has coordinated the Chermside EKCO clinic for the past two years.

Christina Harwood

Mater Clinic Coordinator

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Christina Harwood graduated from the University of Queensland in 2001 with a post-graduate Masters of Occupational Therapy after completing a science degree in anatomy and physiology. Christina became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association in 2006 and currently serves on the AHTA committee as Membership Secretary. Chris has worked in a variety of public and private settings in both the UK and interstate. She has completed research into the effects of silicone on scarring and more recently on dynamic splinting for forearm rotation, which she has presented at both state and international conferences. Christina is currently the Clinical Coordinator for the Mater clinic.

Lisa Copland

Occupational Therapist / Associate Member of the AHTA

Lisa graduated as an occupational therapist in 2001 from the University of Queensland. She has since worked within a variety of adult physical caseloads, including burns and plastics in Brisbane and the United Kingdom. Lisa’s interest and experience in hand therapy commenced in a specialised orthopaedic and plastic hospital in London, and she has furthered her skills during 2005 at the PA Hospital in Brisbane. She joined EKCO in 2006 and is an Associate Member of the AHTA.

Jackie Oldham

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Jackie graduated in 1992 and became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) in 1995. Jackie has held a position on the National AHTA executive and also been the Queensland AHTA State Representative as well as the Queensland State Co-ordinator. She has worked in both public and private Hand Therapy and Burn settings in Australia and the United Kingdom, including her own private hand therapy practice on the Sunshine Coast. Jackie has lectured at an undergraduate and post-graduate level at the University of Queensland and James Cook University and has presented many workshops for therapist training. Jackie has been a Hand Therapist at EKCO since 2002.

Åshild Sleire

Occupational Therapist / Associate Member of the AHTA

Åshild graduated as an Occupational Therapist with Honours from The University of South Australia in 2003. She first developed an interest in hand therapy when, as part of her studies, she completed a placement at the Bergen hand clinic, located in her home town in Norway. She proceeded to conduct her Honours study on "Core Skills in Hand Therapy". She commenced her hand therapy training at a private practice in Adelaide and moved to Brisbane in 2005 where she continued working in the private sector. Ashild joined the EKCO team in 2007 and she is currently working two days a week at the Chermside clinic.

Lisa Nicholls

This is an accredited Physiotherapist who graduated from the University of Queensland in 2003.  Since graduation she has worked as a physiotherapist in the ares of paediatric neruological rehabilitation and in orthopaedic implants and devices before discovering an interest in hand therapy.  Lisa has also studies at the San Fransico State University majoring in Psychology with a minor in holistic health and philosphy.  Lis brings a wealth of knowledge from her physiotherapy training to the team, and has a special interest in managing soft tissue injuries and conditions.

SARAH PENNYCUICK

Accredited Occupational Therapist / Associate Member of the AHTA 

Sarah graduated as an occupational therapist with honours from James Cook University in 2003. She worked in a variety of acute and rehabilitation caseloads in Geelong before commencing in hand therapy in 2005.  She has continued to specialise in hand therapy from this time working at the Geelong Hospital and joining the EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Unit in 2008.

celeste glasgow

Research Coordinator

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full Member of the AHTA

Celeste Glasgow is a Hand therapist with over 18 years experience. She has been an active member of the National Australian Hand Therapy Association for many years and is a past President of the Association (2004-2006). She is currently completing her PhD part time through the University of Queensland. The title of her PhD project is “Dynamic Splinting the Stiff Hand; Improving Evidence to Optimize Clinical Outcomes”. Celeste has published extensively in both the American and British journals of Hand Therapy. She has a special interest in the management of joint stiffness in the hand, evidence based practice and clinical research.

Katie Anderson

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full member AHTA / CHT 

Katie is a Certified Hand Therapist who has specialised in upper limb rehabilitation since 2000. She has been a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association since 2006 and currently holds the position of Education Officer on the Management Committee. Katie tutors in splinting at the Sunshine Coast University. She graduated from the University of Queensland with a degree in Occupational Therapy in 1995 and since that time has worked in a variety of settings in Australia, the UK and Ireland where she was a member of the Irish Association of Hand Therapists. She passed the Hand Therapy Certification exam in 2007.  

Jenny Bozhoff

 Accredited Occupational Therapist / Associate  member of the AHTA 

Jenny graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2004. Since graduating, she has worked in a variety of acute and rehabilitation adult physical caseloads. This has included hand therapy and upper limb management at Ipswich Hospital. She is an associate member of the AHTA. Jenny joined the EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Unit in 2010.

Terra Branton

Occupational Therapist / Hand Therapist / Full member AHTA / CHT 

Terra is a Canadian trained Certified Hand Therapist who has worked throughout various hand therapy clinics in Canada and the US. She graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1996 and has specialised in upper extremity rehabilitation since 1999. She passed the Hand Therapy Certification exam in 2002 and became a full member of the American Society of Hand Therapy (ASHT) in 2002 as well as a member of the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists in 2005. Terra is also the former Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter of the ASHT. She immigrated to Brisbane and joined the EKCO team in 2009 at which time she became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association.

Lisa Turner

Occupational Therapist/ Associate Member of AHTA/ Member of BAHT

Lisa graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Qld in 1999. Since graduating Lisa has spent 6 years as an Occupational Therapist living and working in London. She specialised in hand therapy for 4 years in London where she managed a team of 5 therapists. She is a member of the British Association of Hand Therapists. Since returning to Australia, Lisa has been based in Sydney where she has worked for the past 3 years as a Senior Hand Therapist in a private practice. Lisa joined the EKCO Hand and Upper Limb Unit in 2010 and is currently an Associate member of the AHTA, working towards full membership.