Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s hand therapy residency program – which trains occupational therapists from around the country in the most advanced hand-related treatments – has been named an approved residency site by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

The designation makes Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s program the only AOTA approved hand therapy residency program in Texas, and only the third to be credentialed nationally, along with the University of Michigan and Stanford University medical centers.

“This recognition is the culmination of many hours of hard work by our team to demonstrate to the AOTA that we meet or exceed all the qualifications necessary,” said Peggy Boineau, a board-certified therapist and coordinator of the program. “Our hospital is already seen as a leader in hand therapy training and this designation will strengthen our reputation for excellence in training occupational therapists.”

The hospital began offering the hand residency in 2013, and the program has grown significantly since that time. The fast-paced environment at Houston Methodist Sugar Land is ideal for ensuring that residents see a broad range of patient types throughout the 12-month program. Participants work side-by-side with some of the area’s leading therapists and will spend clinic hours with orthopedic surgeons to develop an understanding of current surgical and medical interventions, along with the rehabilitation implications. The program helps occupational therapists improve both their clinical reasoning skills and treatment approaches, and prepares participants to sit for their certified specialist exam.

“They leave here ready to make a difference in patients’ lives,” said Boineau.

In addition to the hand therapy residency, Houston Methodist Sugar Land is the only facility in the U.S. with fully accredited orthopedic physical therapy, sports physical therapy and athletic training programs in one location. The hospital’s athletic training residency program is one of just five programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) in the country.

To learn more about the hand therapy residency, go to houstonmethodist.org/hand-residency. Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.