We are Women’s offers the WCH community a chance to get to know each other and share our stories.
Name: Gitta Ankomah
Pronouns: (She/Her/Hers)
Title & Department: Occupational Therapist, Rheumatology and Osteoporosis
On the WCH team for: 3 months
1. What does your typical workday look like?
On a typical workday, I meet with patients, one-on-one to provide occupational therapy services. For patients who have challenges with their joints due to arthritis, I offer splint services, hand therapy education and exercises, education on joint protection, and strategies for modifying and adapting their activities of daily living (ADLs) using assistive devices to allow them to participate in the activities that they love.
For patients who have challenges due to osteoporosis, I offer balance training exercises, education on minimizing their risk of falls, education prevention of vertebral compression fractures, safe lifting, and spinal sparing strategies to enable them to participate in ADLs. An assessment of their mobility is completed to determine their needs to minimize their risk of falls and need for mobility aids.
2. What excites you the most about working at WCH?
Working at WCH is exciting because of the dedicated clinicians and staff that have welcomed me into this community. The patients are excited to participate in occupational therapy interventions and put forth great effort.
3. How does your work contribute to creating a positive patient experience?
Occupational therapy interventions and services contribute to creating a positive patient experience by minimizing and eliminating the everyday barriers that prevent patient participation in activities they love. By working with patients to problems solve these concerns we increase their sense of personal freedom and independence.
4. Tell us one to three things that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you!
- I am a twin
- I enjoy walking
- I love mystery stories of any kind