How can community leaders help create supportive environments to ensure the health and safety of their communities?
HAND THERAPY AT CVIM
"Until recently, the Hand Therapy volunteers at CVIM have only had the very basic material to make the most simplest of orthotics, and we've had no evaluation tools except our own hands and heads."
- JILL TOWNSEND, PT, CERTIFIED HAND THERAPIST; CARES GRANT RECIPIENT
Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) provides medical care for the working poor in Chester County. Clients must either live or work in Chester County. They or someone in their household must work a certain number of hours but be below a certain income with no medical insurance. CVIM is providing care for those whose options are limited through the dedication of clinicians who volunteer their time, knowledge and medical skills. Jill Townsend, a certified hand therapist for Chester County Hospital's Physical Therapy Department, is one such volunteer.
CVIM has had one Certified Hand Therapist volunteer, Gita Masters, for several years; however, there has always been a need for additional help. In 2013, Townsend began volunteering her time as their second hand therapist. Of special interest to her is having an alternative way to provide hand therapy to people who could not otherwise afford it. Together, Townsend and Masters provided hand therapy to 23 CVIM patients, accounting for 42 visits in FY2014.
"Because of the $700 Penn Medicine CAREs grant, we can purchase a Hand Therapy Evaluation kit and further tools for fabricating orthotics. This will allow us to provide improved evaluative techniques prompting improved care to the Hand
Therapy patients at CVIM," said Townsend.