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With Hand Therapy Week less than a month away, we hope you'll check out some of the fun initiatives ASHT has planned for our annual celebration of the hand and upper extremity specialty!
What is Hand Therapy Week?
Hand Therapy Week is an integrated national program established by ASHT. Throughout the week, members of the hand and upper extremity therapy community sponsor and organize events and celebrations in an effort to raise awareness among various audiences, highlight the benefits of the specialty and educate the public. Hand Therapy Week is held each year during the first full week of June (beginning on a Monday).
How can I get involved in Hand Therapy Week?
We hope you'll take time to recognize the work you do as hand therapists and join ASHT in celebrating Hand Therapy Week (June 7-13, 2021). There are countless activities you can do to celebrate the work you love, and at the same time, bring awareness and appreciation to the field of hand and upper extremity therapy. Promote the specialty in your clinic and community using some of the ideas here. Or check out some of our 2021 initiatves below. However you celebrate, be sure to share it with us on social media by tagging ASHT and using #HTW2021.
ASHT Photo Contest
Send your hand- and upper extremity-related photos to ASHT@asht.org by May 28, 2021 for the chance to win ASHT prizes and bragging rights. And thanks to this year's sponsor, Naked Prosthetics, the top-three images will receive a wine gift basket (white or red). Please include your name and brief description of the image. Voting will take place on ASHT's Facebook page during Hand Therapy Week. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.
This contest is open to ASHT members only. Multiple images may be submitted. Limit one prize per person. Winner will be contacted to select gift basket of choice. (If the winner does not want wine, they will receive a gift basket of equal value.) Contest submissions become property of ASHT, and may be used in future marketing materials.
NEW: Daily Challenges
ASHT has created new daily challenges to make it even easier for you to participate in Hand Therapy Week. Start planning now and get creative!
- Monday (6/7) — "Tell me you're a hand therapist without telling me you're a hand therapist" (e.g. photos of your desk, hand-themed items, art, accessories, etc.)
- Tuesday (6/8) — Participate in AHTF's Virtual Run/Walk (details below) — show off your spirit with selfies in your running gear, photos of your run/walk crew, etc.
- Wednesday (6/9) — Promote how hand therapists treat more than just hands!
- Thursday (6/10) — Students: Let's see your tips and tricks for studying hand and upper extremity anatomy!
- Friday (6/11) — Blindfolded fabrication challenge — blindfold yourself or a colleague and fabricate an orthosis; post a video or photo of the end result!
Coming Soon: Telehealth Video
ASHT is excited to release a new video on telehealth as part of our hand and upper extremity safety and injury prevention series. The video will be live on our website and social media channels June 7.
Be sure to like our Facebook page and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We encourage you to share this video and the others in our series with your patients, colleagues and social media followers to promote the specialty.
NEW: Facebook Profile Frame
Show your Hand Therapy Week spirit by adding our custom Facebook frame to your profile! The frame will be available June 4-13, 2021. To use, go to your Facebook profile, click "Edit" on your profile photo and select "Add Frame." Search "Hand Therapy Week 2021" and select "Use as Profile Picture." (You can also use this link starting June 4.)
AHTF Virtual Run/Walk — Join Team ASHT!
Participate in the American Hand Therapy Foundation's 6th Annual Virtual Run/Walk! Complete a 5K run/walk by the end of Hand Therapy Week and support AHTF's research and education grants. This year, AHTF encourages you to create teams, and will provide special recognition to teams with the most participants, greatest spirit and greatest amount raised! Follow these steps to sign up for Team ASHT! You can also invite colleagues and friends to participate using this email template. Be sure to show off your spirit with selfies in your running gear, photos of your run/walk crew, etc. as part of our daily challenges, tag ASHT and use #HTW2021!
Patient Education Resources
Utilize our vast library of Patient Education Resources, including new Spanish translations of our most popular topics. These resources provide information on common diagnoses and the role a hand therapist plays in treatment.
Promote the Specialty
Take advantage of ASHT's hand and upper extremity therapy flyers. We've made available different versions of the flyers for you to tailor your message to surgeons, primary care providers, the public, etc. Feel free to personalize the flyers by including your clinic's contact information in the space provided.
Celebrate and Win!
Do you have an event or project planned to promote the hand and upper extremity therapy specialty? Send a photo, video or link of your 2021 Hand Therapy Week celebrations to ASHT@asht.org, and you'll be entered to win ASHT prizes, as well as a wine gift basket from our sponsor, Naked Prosthetics. Participants and their submissions will be acknowledged on the ASHT website and social media channels. Contest submissions are due June 25, 2021.
This contest is open to ASHT members only. Multiple images may be submitted. Limit one prize per person. Winner will be contacted to select gift basket of choice. (If the winner does not want wine, they will receive a gift basket of equal value.) Contest submissions become property of ASHT, and may be used in future marketing materials.
Share Your Story: Patient Testimonials
Hand and upper extremity therapy can change lives, and who better to share the importance and impact of the specialty than our patients? During Hand Therapy Week — and throughout the year — encourage your outstanding patients to submit a testimonial about the impact hand therapy had on their lives. Visit our Patient Testimonials page, and access the patient and therapist webforms at the bottom of the page to submit your success stories!
Note: Your story may be featured on our website or in upcoming campaigns.
Get Social!
If you're celebrating Hand Therapy Week, we want to know about it!
Share your Hand Therapy Week ideas and photos on our Facebook page.
Use #HTW2021 and mention @HandTherapyASHT in your tweets to interact with ASHT and fellow therapists before and during Hand Therapy Week 2021.
Join your fellow therapists in the ASHT group on LinkedIn.
About Our Sponsor: Naked Prosthetics
It’s all about function. We provide custom, high-quality prosthetic devices specifically for finger loss. Our solutions are engineered with strength and environmental resistance in mind. Designing and manufacturing products isn’t all we do; we get people back to work and back to doing the things they love. Learn more