Alessia DiGennaro Kerner
OTR/L, CHT
President
Alessia has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist since graduating from Quinnipiac University. She began her specialization in hand therapy in 2001 and earned her CHT credential in 2005. Alessia currently serves as chair of ASHT’s Upper Extremity Institute and their mentoring program. As an ASHT Education Division member, she also volunteers her time on the student offerings committee, chairing and teaching at the Hand Therapy Review Course in Irvine, CA and teaching orthotics courses with “Hands On Orthotics”. Alessia currently works for Select Medical at their office in Anaheim, working closely with Dr. David Hay with the Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Institute.
Emily Block
OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Vice President & Treasurer
Emily graduated from USC with her master’s in 2015 and doctorate degree in 2016. Her doctorate studies focused on evidence based practice in hand therapy and as part of her capstone project she and her academic preceptor wrote a review article which was published in the Journal of Hand Therapy. Since getting her master's in 2015, she earned her CHT credential in 2018 and has been working in outpatient hand therapy in southern Orange County.
Janelle Freshman
PT, DPT, OCS, CHT
Joint Treasurer
Janelle graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 1994 with a BS in Physical Therapy. She has been a CHT since 2006. She completed her transitional DPT at Western University of Health Sciences in 2011. She has been an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist since 2002. She has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Long Beach in the PT department and currently is a guest lecturer. Janelle is employed in the hand therapy department at South County Orthopedic Specialists. Janelle has been involved in volunteer efforts in Nicaragua since 2012. When she is not working, Janelle enjoys traveling and living abroad with her husband.
Rachel Thomson
PT, DPT
Secretary
Rachel graduated from California State University Long Beach with her Doctor of Physical Therapy in May 2020 and immediately began pursuing a career in Hand Therapy. She has been observing as a student and an intern at South County Orthopedic Specialists since April 2019, and began practicing at SCOS immediately after graduation. She has also had the opportunity to do Hand Therapy for Kaiser Orange County. Rachel also works at Crystal Cove Care Center performing skilled Physical Therapy in a Skilled Nursing setting.
When Rachel was 4 years old, she sustained a supracondylar fracture of the humerus and instantly became fascinated and excited by x-rays, diagnosing fractures, orthopedic surgery, and the recovery process- which led her to her initial dream to become an orthopedic surgeon. At 16, Rachel was diagnosed with Spondylolysis, and now has a spinal fusion with instrumentation. This was a pivotal event for Rachel because she became inspired to pursue physical therapy to instill hope and provide patients with encouragement through education, hands on rehabilitation, reassurance, and an unbounding ability to relate to many orthopedic conditions.
She is looking forward to becoming a Certified Hand Therapist and wants to teach for a Southern California Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She has served as the Graduate Assistant for the CSULB DPT Anatomy coursework and already has experience as a secondary Clinical Instructor.