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About Judy C. Colditz, OT/L, CHT, FAOTA

Judy ColditzAs an occupational therapist with more than 40 years’ experience, Judy Colditz is acknowledged as a master clinician, a skilled teacher, and an expert orthotic maker. Her special interests are anatomy and biomechanics, treating hand stiffness, orthotic skill building, and clinical reasoning. 

TEACHING
Through HandLab, Ms. Colditz provides multiple possibilities for continuing education for hand therapists: 

  • HandLab online video courses allow convenient and accessible learning. The content challenges the participants' understanding of the hand while providing thought-provoking insights into the why and how of treatment.

Ms. Colditz is a yearly faculty member at the Rehabilitation of the Hand meeting in Philadelphia as well as a frequent speaker at the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) Annual Meeting and other hand therapy meetings in the US and abroad.

Recognized as an intuitive and innovative teacher, Ms. Colditz was the first non-physician awarded the 30th annual Dorothy B. Kaufmann Lectureship Award in 2006 from The Hand Rehabilitation Foundation in Philadelphia. In 2001 she was recognized as an Honored Senior Professor at the Rehabilitation of the Hand meeting in Philadelphia. Ms. Colditz gave the Nathalie Barr Lectureship at the 1999 American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) Annual Meeting, and has been awarded the best Clinical Paper Award by ASHT three times. In recognition of her professional contributions, she became a fellow in the American Occupational Therapy Association in 1996.

Ms. Colditz has taught workshops and lectured throughout the United States, Canada, and 26 countries worldwide. She is an honorary member of the Argentina, New Zealand, French, and Venezuela Hand Therapy societies.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Ms. Colditz holds two patents for hand therapy products and served as a design consultant to Nea International (Netherlands) in the design of the innovative Push® MetaGrip® orthosis for thumb CMC joint osteoarthritis. The Push MetaGrip has met with great favor from patients and medical professionals.

CLINICAL PRACTICE

From 1982 to 1996, Ms. Colditz owned and managed the largest privately owned therapy practice in North Carolina, which included hand therapy, physical therapy, and work hardening. Following the establishment of HandLab in 1996, Ms. Colditz continues to provide consulting services to other practices and organizations.  

PUBLICATIONS

Ms. Colditz has published numerous articles and chapters on therapy topics for the book Rehabilitation of the Hand and the Journal of Hand Therapy. She co-authored the unique CD-ROM: The Interactive Hand - Therapist's Edition, which was one of the first computer-based anatomical learning programs, providing clinical information in relation to a three-dimensional anatomy model. Ms. Colditz also authored a home study guide published by the American Occupational Therapy Association which used the CD-ROM as a companion.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership positions held by Ms. Colditz include serving as president of both the International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapists and the American Society of Hand Therapists. She was instrumental in the passage of the occupational therapy licensure bill in the state of North Carolina and served eight years on the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy, four of which she served as chair.