Dan is a man on the move. With his work regularly taking him as far away as Hawaii, occupational therapy isn’t something that fits easily into his busy schedule. But when he severed tendons in his left index finger while trying to open a package with a knife, he found himself under the care of the team at the UPMC Hand Clinic in Oakland.
“After my surgery to repair the damage, I was referred to Kim and the OT team at the Hand Clinic in Oakland. They are literally walking distance from my office so it was very easy for me to fit in therapy sessions during the day,” said Dan.
Knowing how demanding his schedule was, the team did everything they could to accommodate him and make sure he stayed on track.
“Everyone there was so nice and so accommodating,” said Dan. “Kim would give me exercises to do while I was out of town on business and she would continuously follow up via email to make sure I was staying with the program. It was very clear how all the members of the team - Kim, Marie, Scott and Val - were committed to my recovery and it showed in the way they tended to me.”
Dan said that their care and attention weren’t exclusive to his therapy. They went above and beyond in ways that he did not expect.
“One problem that was a direct result of my injury was that my fingers on my left hand became very swollen. Because of the swelling I wasn’t able to wear my wedding ring for several months,” he said.
"My wife got in touch with Kim and asked if she would measure me on the fly to get my ring resized and true to form, Kim found a way to work that into therapy so I wouldn’t be suspicious. Sure enough, for Christmas I got my ring back in a new size as a gift from my wife and I’m now able to wear it. I thought it was so nice what Kim did for me. I can’t imagine that very many healthcare providers would do that for someone. I really appreciated it more than they know.”
Dan, who has completed his therapy for his injury, credits the team at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute for helping him get back to doing the things that he loves, including riding his bike again. He highly recommends UPMC to any and all who are looking for exceptional occupational therapy care.
Read more stories from the Occupational Therapy Program patients.
