Experts in Hand Care
The Hand Center of Bienville Orthopaedics is dedicated to providing patients with leading treatments and advanced medical care for conditions and injuries of the hand, wrist and upper extremities – delivered by fellowship-trained, board-certified hand specialists. Our Center includes Certified Hand Therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and technicians – a highly skilled, comprehensive team our patients can depend on at each stage of care.
Our board-certified, hand surgeons use specialized skills in diagnosing and treating a broad range of conditions, diseases and injuries of hands, wrists and upper extremities to help patients get back to their daily lives. When a surgical approach is needed, our doctors deliver the high-level technical expertise required for very complex or delicate hand surgeries and specialized post-surgery care.
Our hand therapists are certified by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission. The Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credential designates excellence in the field of hand therapy. For over three decades, it has been recognized as a benchmark for excellence in advanced specialty credentialing in health care. Hand therapy certification is voluntary and difficult to attain. It involves meeting rigorous standards, developing a long-range career path, and acquiring the advanced study and training required to pass the certification examination and earn the CHT credential.
Our hand and wrist specialists provide advanced surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for a range of hand, wrist and upper extremity issues, including the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Digital tendon entrapment
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Fracture
- Ganglion cyst
- Mallet finger
- Trigger finger
- Nerve injuries (can extend to the elbow and wrist)
- Popped blood vessel
- Tendon issues
- Sports-related injuries
- Work-related injuries
When It’s Time to Seek Hand Care
When you have pain or reduced use of your hand, wrist or upper arm, the board-certified provider team at the Hand Center of Bienville is focused on understanding your symptoms, identifying the condition and recommending a treatment plan that best fits your health needs and personal treatment goals.
Taking good care of yourself means seeing a hand specialist and taking action sooner rather than later. In doing so, you may be able to avoid your condition worsening, increased pain or the need for surgery. The medical team at The Hand Center of Bienville provides treatment for a wide range of conditions including those associated with the symptoms below.
- Bone-on-bone sensation
- Clicking sound when using your hand
- Daily use of wrist or hand causes pain
- End of the finger bends inwards
- Forearm pain
- Lump felt on the hand
- Wrist pain that extends to the hand
Experience Leading Hand Care at Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists
At the Hand Center of Bienville, our board-certified and fellowship-trained hand surgeons partner with patients through each step of the treatment journey. A core component of care is ensuring that patients understand their condition and diagnosis, treatment options available and what to expect after treatment. Collaborating with each patient, our doctors listen to questions, offer expert recommendations and guide patients through treatments available.
Our hand specialists are committed to pursuing nonsurgical options whenever possible, offering treatments including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, or injections. When a surgical approach is necessary, our hand surgeons have the extensive medical training to offer the leading treatments to restore proper function and reduce pain.
At the Hand Center of Bienville, we offer a full spectrum of hand, wrist and upper extremity care to get patients back to doing the activities they enjoy; from restoring or improving range of motion to preventing or slowing the spread of disease -we provide the therapeutic treatment right for each patient’s unique needs.
Our full range of care includes the following options:
- Applications of heat, cold applications
- Custom splinting
- Electrical stimulation
- Range of motion and strengthening exercise
- Scar management
- Ultrasound
- Work conditioning
- Wound care
Hand Therapists
Melissa Nolan Hartsfield, OTR/L, CHT
Melissa is a National Board-Certified Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) and National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) who is licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi. She has over 32 years of experience in Occupational Therapy and 30 years of experience in Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, Louisiana in 1988. In 1992, she completed a three-month hand therapy fellowship with Arizona Hand Therapy Specialists. In November 1994, she met the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) requirements and became a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). She has been employed as a Hand Therapist with Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists since September 1999. Melissa has presented a variety of topics at the local and state level. She has attended over 30 continuing education courses related to treatment of treatment of the upper extremity. She is an active member in the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) and is currently an Annual Meeting Committee Member. She is a native of Monroe, Louisiana but has lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since graduating from college in 1988. In her free time, she enjoys working out, cooking and spending time with her husband and college-aged daughter.
Ophelia Abrahams, OTR/L, CHT
Ophelia graduated from the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa. She began practicing as an Occupational Therapist in 1994 and has been a Certified Hand Therapist since 2007. Ophelia joined the Hand Center of Bienville in July 2008. She is a member of the American Society of Hand Therapy and American Occupational Therapy Association and the Mississippi Occupational Therapy Association. Ophelia works primarily in the Orange Grove Clinic.
Carolyn "Callie" Signorine, OTR/L, CHT
Callie is a National Board-Certified Occupational Therapist Registered and licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi (OTR/L) as well as a National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). She attended Mississippi State University and majored in Kinesiology. Callie attended occupational therapy school in Jackson, MS at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Callie is a native to the gulf coast and returned home after completing occupational therapy school in 2014. Callie worked as an OT in a variety of settings including acute care, skilled nursing, and mixed outpatient until she joined Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists, LLC in September 2018. In November 2020, she met the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) requirements and became a National Board Certified Hand Therapist (CHT).
Clarissa “Casey” Picard, MSOT, OTR/L, CHT
Casey is a National Board-Certified Occupational Therapist Registered and licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi (OTR/L) and a National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) with over 7 years of experience in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. She attended the University of South Alabama, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Professional Health Sciences degree in 2012 and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree in 2013. In November 2020, she met the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) requirements and became a National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). She has been employed with Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists, LLC since September of 2014. Casey is originally from Southwestern Pennsylvania and relocated to the coast in 1999. She enjoys the beach, traveling, and spending time with family.
Dalton Frederick OTD, OTR/L
Dalton is a National Board-Certified Occupational Therapist Registered and licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi (OTR/L). He attended Mississippi College and majored in Kinesiology. Dalton attended occupational therapy school in Jackson, MS at the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he graduated with his Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) in May of 2023. Dalton is a native to Memphis, TN, but fell in love with the Mississippi Gulf Coast after he met his wife who is a native to the coast. Dalton worked as an OT student in a variety of settings including in-patient rehabilitation and outpatient orthopedics while in school. He joined Bienville Orthopaedic Specialists, LLC in June 2023. He intends to meet the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) requirements and become a National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT).
Olivia Hoffman, OTR/L
Olivia is a National Board-Certified Occupational Therapist Registered and licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi (OTR/L). She attended The University of Southern Mississippi and graduated with a degree in Exercise Science in 2015. Olivia attended occupational therapy school in Mobile, AL at the University of South Alabama. Olivia is a native to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She returned home to join the Bienville Orthopaedic Hand Therapy team upon completion of her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree in December 2021. Olivia is working towards meeting the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) requirements to become a National Board-Certified Hand Therapist (CHT).
