Meet our Hand Therapists
Lisette Cheng
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist
With broad hand therapy experience from both hospital and private settings, Lisette has a strong foundation in treating a wide variety of hand and arm injuries including trauma, post-operative, osteo- and inflammatory arthritis, nerve injuries, repetitive strains and sports injuries. Lisette shares her time with the Vancouver Hand Clinic and the Outpatient Rehab Department at Vancouver General Hospital, where she both treats patients and holds the role of physiotherapy team lead. She has excellent skills in fabricating custom splints, manual therapy, post-operative care, wound care, and exercise prescription tailored to the individual’s recovery level and relevant protocols. She is also well-connected with the hand surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and rheumatologists in Greater Vancouver. She is a strong believer in helping patients become active participants throughout their rehabilitation and recovery.
Before joining the Vancouver Hand Clinic, she worked with OASIS, the Mary Pack Arthritis Program, alongside the rheumatologists at Artus Health and InReach Physio providing telerehab for rural areas in BC. Lisette graduated with a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) from UBC in 2015, building on her Kinesiology degree from UVic. She has since developed a special interest in upper body conditions and obtained her Certified Hand Therapy designation in 2019.
In addition to being a clinician, Lisette is also an educator. She assists with the practical labs in the Masters of Physical Therapy program at UBC, teaches and supervises UBC masters students at VGH and invigilates the UBC clinical exams.
Outside of work, Lisette enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, weight training and improving her pottery skills.
Stephanie Chung
Registered Occupational Therapist, Certified Hand Therapist
As a Certified Hand Therapist, Stephanie prides herself in the ability to support clients to return to their optimal hand function following injury.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Simon Fraser University in 2000, she pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 2005. In 2013, her special interest in arthritis led to completion of the Advanced Rheumatology Course, a one year post-graduate training program through the American College of Rheumatology, and later earned a Certified Hand Therapist designation in early 2022.
Her professional experience has been in the setting of outpatient hand therapy at Vancouver General Hospital Trauma Center, Vancouver Coastal Health's OASIS Program (OsteoArthritis Service Integration System), Richmond Rheumatology Rapid Access Clinic in an advanced practice capacity, and outpatient inflammatory arthritis program and inpatient orthopaedics at Richmond Hospital.
She has treated all types of upper and lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, joint replacements, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, repetitive strain, burns, wounds, tendon repairs, nerve transfers, and fractures. She has a passion for making custom, hand-crafted splints of optimal function and esthetics.
Stephanie divides her clinical time between the Vancouver Hand Clinic, VGH, as well as UBC as a clinical instructor in the Master of Occupational Therapy Program on a sessional basis.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her son, cycling along Spanish Banks, and exploring new restaurants.
She offers service in Cantonese and English.
Alex Osatchuk
Registered Occupational Therapist, Hand Therapy Fellow
Alexandra (Alex) Osatchuk has been working as a Registered Occupational Therapist since 2012 and is originally from Ontario. She graduated from Dalhousie University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (2012) and holds an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from The University of Western Ontario (2009). She is committed to her professional development and is currently enrolled as a fellow within the Virtual Hand to Shoulder Fellowship and working towards obtaining her Certified Hand Therapist designation on completion of her fellowship.
Alex works both at the Vancouver Hand Clinic as well as Vancouver General Hospital, where she sees burn and trauma patients. Her professional experience includes both private practice and hospital settings across a wide breadth of upper extremity populations, including burns, trauma, amputee, orthopaedics and neurological rehab. She has honed her splinting and clinical decision making skills within the context of fast-paced plastics and orthopaedic surgery clinics, while carrying complex clinical caseloads.
Alex provides custom splinting and hands-on manual therapy with personalized treatment programs that emphasize pain self-management and improved function and consider the patient as a whole. She is also trained in manual edema mobilization and can assist with management of post-operative and chronic edema (swelling) to reduce symptoms.
Outside of work, Alex stays active playing soccer and rock climbing and enjoys helping athletes return to sport after hand and upper extremity injuries. She also plays guitar and enjoys live music.
Clare Palmer
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist, Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) Practitioner
Clare works as a physiotherapist and hand therapist treating upper extremity injuries including the neck, shoulder, arm and hand. Conditions treated include repetitive strain, acute trauma and acquired conditions such as osteoarthritis. Her hand therapy skills include custom splinting, wound care, scar management, burn care and early management of hand trauma. She also uses functional dry needling in her practice. Clare has a keen interest in the treatment of musician’s injuries and athletes.
Other professional commitments include teaching hand therapy for the UBC Physiotherapy Master’s Program and clinical lecturer for the BCIT Prosthetist/Orthotist Diploma Program. Clare is a past Vice-President for the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists (CSHT). She is currently the CSHT-BC Regional Rep and the hand therapy liaison for the BC Hand Society.
Clare graduated in 1992 with a grad Honours degree in Physiotherapy at the University of East London. Her career in hand therapy started in 1994 and she completed her Certified Hand Therapist designation in 1998.
Clare loves to be active with running, swimming, biking, skiing and hiking. Clare’s talents include playing the violin. You can see her regularly perform on stage with the Richmond Orchestra & Choral Association.
Ashley Plough
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist
Ashley is a Registered Physiotherapist and a Certified Hand Therapist. She grew up in Vancouver and completed her Masters of Physiotherapy at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2010. She completed her Fellowship in Hand Therapy and treats a wide variety of injuries and conditions of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. She has a keen interest in neurological populations and treatment techniques. She continues to expand her understanding of human movement and rehabilitation by taking post-graduate courses. Most recently she has completed the CPA Orthopedic Division Level 3 Upper extremity Course, Neurofit Changing Parkinsons, NOI Explain Pain, NOI Graded motor imagery, Kinetacore Dry Needling, Advanced Total-Joint Arthroplasty (replacement) Management, Advanced Rehabilitation for Lower Extremity Amputees and Bobath for Neurological Rehabilitation. She completed her Fellowship in Hand Therapy which
In addition to the Vancouver Hand Clinic, Ashley also works in the outpatient department at Holy Family Hospital in Vancouver. She works regularly with patients with lower extremity amputations, hip and knee replacements, post fracture and acute post stroke.
Outside of work, Ashley enjoys running after her two small children on the local playgrounds and jungle gyms. She stays fit swimming, skiing, hiking and biking whenever she gets the chance. Holidays are often spent exploring BC on family camping trips.
Stephan Vecsey
Registered Physiotherapist, Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) Practitioner
Stephan is a physiotherapist driven by his passion for helping clients achieve their full potential. With a strong foundation in orthopaedics, he is now focusing solely on hand therapy. He has specialized training and experience in manual therapy, dry needling, motivational interviewing and therapeutic exercise, allowing him to provide personalized care tailored to each patient’s unique needs. He is currently preparing for the hand therapy certification exam in order to attain the official title of CHT.
Stephan firmly believes in fostering therapeutic relationships with his patients, actively listening and empathetically communicating to guide them through physical and mental obstacles on their journey to recovery. Stephan is able to effectively reduce pain and optimize tissue capacity using joint mobilizations, functional release, and dry needling, enabling his patients to experience relief and regain their freedom of movement. Furthermore, Stephan’s knowledge and experience in strength and conditioning contribute to his patients’ rehabilitation. He facilitates tissue healing and enhances performance by employing targeted exercises and customized programs. Stephan’s commitment to continuing education and research ensures that his exercise interventions are evidence-based and impactful.
Stephan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health Studies from Queen’s University and a Master’s in Physiotherapy from Brunel University London. He is active and enjoys yoga, soccer, volleyball, rock climbing, alpinism, and snowboarding.
Kate Young
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist, Clinic Founder
Kate has been working as a Registered Physiotherapist since 2009 and a Certified Hand Therapist since 2017. With over a decade of experience, she has a wide range of skills and knowledge with respect to not only general physiotherapy, but also the specialized assessment and management of hand and arm injuries. She honed her hand therapy skills in both private and hospital settings, including the outpatient hand therapy department at Richmond Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) as well as Westside Physio & Hand Clinic. In these diverse settings she has gained the skills to not only treat traumatic and post-operative conditions but also chronic conditions such as sprains, strains, arthritis and nerve compression. She is a well-rounded hand therapist and has strong connections with the local hand surgeons. She owns and works full-time at the Vancouver Hand Clinic.
Kate has a keen interest in creating custom thermoplastic splints, exercise prescription and keeping treatment simple and relevant to her clients’ needs. She is most passionate about education and focuses on practical interventions that will prevent reoccurrence of pain for the long-term. Although she has an increased focus on the hand and upper limb, she integrates the entire body into her treatments when needed.
Kate is proud to have completed her education at McGill University (B.Sc. with Honours 2006) as well as the University of Toronto (M.Sc.PT. 2009). She played varsity basketball and continues to have an active lifestyle via cycling, skiing and playing volleyball.
Join the team
If you’re looking to join a team that values learning, teamwork and having fun, send us an email! We are also happy to provide mentorship to those looking to become a Certified Hand Therapist.