Our Team of Certified Hand Therapists
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, playing tennis and volleyball. She also enjoys cooking, drawing and spending time with her daughter.
Kate is currently on mat leave until spring 2025.
Kate Young
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist, Clinic Founder
Stephanie Chung
Registered Occupational Therapist, Certified Hand Therapist
As a Certified Hand Therapist and Registered Occupational 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.
Lisette Cheng
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist
Originally from Victoria, 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. Lisette provides care for a variety of upper and lower extremity injuries including acute orthopaedic trauma, post-operative and acquired conditions (osteo- and inflammatory arthritis). Lisette primarily works out of Vancouver General Hospital, where she is a member of the outpatient rehab team. There she treats patients who have sustained orthopaedic or hand trauma. Her hand therapy skills include wound care, fabrication of custom thermoplastic splints, manual therapy and exercise prescription. She believes patients should be an active participant throughout their rehabilitation and recovery.
Her professional experience includes working at OASIS, Mary Pack Arthritis Program, with the rheumatologists at Artus Health, and telerehab with InReach Physio, a clinic that provides services to remote/rural areas of BC. 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.
Shirin von Mende
Registered Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist
Shirin grew up on the North Shore and loves the beauty of British Columbia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 2004 and has completed her Certified Hand Therapy designation in 2022. She has worked both in hospital and private practice settings. Her special interests are arthritis management and care as she also works part time at the Mary Pack Arthritis Program seeing a variety of conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. She is one of the clinical practice leaders at the Mary Pack Arthritis Program. In her role she teaches an annual professional course on management of the Rheumatoid Arthritis hand.
Shirin is passionate about providing education, self-management strategies, and exercise prescription to manage upper extremity conditions.
In her free time, Shirin likes to travel and hike with her family.
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.
Stephan Vecsey
Registered Physiotherapist, Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) Practitioner
Stephan is driven by his passion for helping clients achieve their full potential. 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. His expertise from years of physiotherapy practice lies in general orthopaedics with special interest and experience in hand therapy and the upper extremity. 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 and aspirations. 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 has worked
Stephan is active and enjoys yoga, soccer, volleyball, rock climbing, alpinism, and snowboarding. This personal connection to activity allows him to better understand and empathize with his patients’ experiences. Whether you are active or not, Stephan’s dedication and expertise will support your journey to better health.
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.