On behalf of the 2018 ASHT Annual Meeting Committee, I am proud to welcome you to the 41st Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Hand Therapy: The Key to Optimizing Patient Outcomes,” and you will see this theme intertwined throughout the program. Demonstrating the value of hand therapy is essential as the future of healthcare is moving toward value-based reimbursement.
The meeting begins on Thursday with four Pre-Conference Institutes that have been designed as hands-on, clinical skills workshops. Conveniently located in the middle of the country with excellent airport lift, participants will be able to arrive on Thursday morning for Pre-Conference Institutes or in the afternoon for the opening of the meeting. The opening plenary session includes two keynote presentations: “The Unforgiving Elbow” given by Bernard Morrey, MD, and “The Role of Ligaments in Wrist Stabilization,” given by Marc Garcia-Elias, MD, the ASHT Presidential Invited Lecture. The evening will conclude with the grand opening of the exhibit hall including a reception and American Hand Therapy Foundation Silent Auction.
The programming for the remaining three days includes a variety of one-hour and two-hour instructional courses. Speakers range from those who have helped to create the foundation of hand therapy practice to those who are just beginning to impact the future, from highly researched conditions and interventions to the newest techniques to complement our rehabilitative repertoires. Your educational choices will be paired with thought-provoking scientific sessions, keynote lectures and panels. Elizabet Hagert, MD, PhD, is the ASHT International Invited Lecturer, and Andrew Lee, MD, the AAHS Invited Presidential Lecture. ASHT is also fortunate to have Don LaLonde, MD, FRCSC, Honorary Member and 2018 Annual Meeting Committee member, provide a flexor tendon update with Lisa Flewelling, MSc, OT, demonstrating the interprofessional collaboration needed to optimize patient care. Each keynote presentation by a surgeon will be immediately followed by a panel of therapists discussing patient cases relevant to the topic to further address the value of hand therapy in patient outcomes.
Some unique features in the program is that we are ending the program on Saturday with a plenary session focused on peripheral nerve injury. This knowledgeable panel includes Elizabet Hagert, MD, PhD, Susan Stralka, PT, DPT, MS, ACHE, Lorna Kahn, PT, CHT, and Amy Moore, MD. Programming will end Sunday with two-hour instructional courses on popular topics that were worth repeating. AHTF, the ASHT partner for advancing the research mission of hand therapy, is sponsoring two events in which participants may earn CEUs, including a grant-writing workshop and AHTF’s annual fundraising reception with keynote speaker. There will also be time for fun! After the success of the 40th Celebration at last year’s Annual Meeting, ASHT leaders decided to continue the nighttime social event for attendees. This will be a ticketed event that will allow you to celebrate and network with hand therapy colleagues and friends.
On behalf of ASHT and the 2018 Annual Meeting Committee, I look forward to having you join us for an outstanding program to update and expand your clinical practice.
Sincerely,
Jane Fedorczyk, PT, PhD, CHT
2018 ASHT Annual Meeting Committee Chair