Donna Hart Goodson OTR/L, CHT has worked at Premier Physical Therapy from the first days the doors opened. She brings to Premier the expertise of hands and an art of healing others. Today I was able to sit in with Donna for an exclusive interview:

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: I graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and a minor in Art in 1985.

Q: How did you get into such a niche practice of working only with hands?

A: I did my internship at the Mayo Clinic in MN.  At that time there wasn't such a thing as a Certified Hand Therapy but after shadowing an OTR who treated mainly hand injuries, I decided that I wanted to specialize in hand therapy.  Six years later the ASHT certified the 1st Hand Therapist and two years later I became certified in 1993.  I feel like I’m a pioneer in the Hand Therapy world.

Q: When did you start working at Premier Physical Therapy?

A: I moved to MO from MN in 1985: worked as an OT, Owned a out-patient hand clinic for several years, married a local man and had three wonderful kids and then decided to be a stay-at-home mom for 2 years.  After my baby started school I decided to start working again. Dennis asked me to join him in starting a new business 9 1/2 years ago and I've been here at Premier Physical Therapy ever since.

Q: What do you love about working at Premier Physical Therapy?

A: I love working with Dennis because he puts God and his family 1st.  I love working with a team who prides themselves in giving 110% in their therapy sessions.  I love working with area physicians, (hand surgeons and general physicians) who are very knowledgeable and skilled in what they do. But most of all, I love working with patients in our area who I get to see in the community even after their therapy is done.

Q: What do you enjoy best about being a hand therapist?

A: I really do love the complexity of hands and I get to provide one to one hand therapy to my patients here at Premier. Hands are so important and you need them to do so many things in life. I get great joy in getting people the use of their hands back so that they can get back doing what they need and love to be doing.

I really enjoy that I get to talk and work with some really awesome people who have hand injuries. I learn a lot from my patients because we discuss a lot of different things. I become very close to my patients.  In today’s medical world, there is always so much more to learn about hand injuries, surgery, and therapy, and I find that very exciting.

Lastly, I get to talk about God and all of his blessings with many of my patients. I love that I work in a Christian atmosphere.

Q: I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of your work and also to be a patient of yours. I would call what you do an art! It is amazing to see the custom splints that you make and to see the level of difference you make in a patients life.  Tell me a little about the artist in you.

A: When I make an orthotic (otherwise known as a splint), there is a certain function and goal for that orthotic.  I have to apply my physics knowledge to design this orthotic to accomplish these specific goals along with my 3D artistic perception of what I want accomplished to make the orthotic.  And having an orthotic that is unattractive or ill-fitting won’t be tolerate or worn by a patient.  I want to fabricate an orthotic to be as comfortable and as attractive as possible to help encourage the patient to wear it as recommended by the physician.  I’ve had patients have family and friends sign their orthotics or bling up the splints I’ve made for them.  This makes them more tolerated and fun!

Q: Anything else you would like to add about being a hand therapist?

A: I really am thankful that God lead me to Cape Girardeau and Jackson.  I love providing Hand Therapy to the people in this community and I am excited to see what new techniques and surgical procedures are being developed.  I’ve had the opportunity to work with tendon and nerve repairs, multiple fractures; crushes; finger, wrist, and forearm re-attachments; toe to thumb transplants; tendon and nerve transplants; but haven’t gotten to work with a hand transplant (I hope to be able to have the opportunity to assist someone with therapy who has had this procedure done before I retire.)