There is a high volume of trauma patients at KATH, and there are typically close to 200 orthopaedic inpatients. The vast majority of these have trauma-related problems, often with multiple injuries. The physiotherapy department - composed of twenty physiotherapists and two assistants - also sees a high volume of patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Working with physiotherapists, hand surgeons, fellows and residents, HVO volunteers will improve hand therapy practices and interdisciplinary communication among staff at KATH. They will improve therapists' use of modalities for hand cases, documentation practices, and treatments in a variety of areas related to the treatment of the upper extremity, as well as seek to enhance the knowledge and expertise of hand surgeons in referring hand rehabilitation treatments.

HVO will recruit highly qualified, active or retired certified hand therapists who are licensed in physical or occupational therapy. They will work with physiotherapists, hand surgeons, residents and fellows at KATH to train on current standards of treatment in hand therapy intervention. Training will be a combination of didactic and clinical instruction methods in the clinic. Useful instruction will include assistance in formulating proper assessment and treatment forms and reviewing skills for measuring and documenting objective findings in order to establish treatment plans. Three to five years of clinical experience is required and teaching experience is preferred. Assignments are two to four weeks.

Health Volunteers Overseas is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve global health through education of the local health workforce in resource-scarce countries. HVO volunteers build local capacity by empowering health care professionals in resource-scarce countries with knowledge and skills to address the health care needs of their communities. HVO volunteers are trained health care professionals - physicians, nurses, dentists, physical therapists and others - willing to donate their time and expertise to work side-by-side with their colleagues overseas. Since 1986, HVO staff and volunteers have collaborated with a variety of health institutions to design, develop and implement each HVO project, working toward better patient care around the globe in trauma care, child and maternal health, essential surgery, cancer care, rehabilitation, and more. Visit www.hvousa.org to learn how you can become part of our global health community.

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