STAFF
Stacy Cook, OTR, CHT
Stacy graduated from Colorado State University in 1986. After working 2 years at Encino Hospital in rehabilitation, Stacy became the Director of Occupational Therapy at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica. During her 5 years as director, Stacy developed the Hand Therapy Department and co-developed an outpatient work hardening and outpatient arthritis program. She then became supervisor of hand therapy in a private practice for 9 years before starting Healing Hands in 2003. She served as the Vice President of The Hand Therapy Society of Greater Los Angeles (HTSGLA) from 2011 to 2013 and currently holds the position of President of HTSGLA (2013 to present).
Stacy is a native Californian and enjoys spending time outdoors when she is not working. Hiking, mountain biking, traveling, and photography are her favorite outdoor activities. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Paige Handy, MOT, HTC, PAMS
Paige graduated from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana in 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology. Paige’s initial interest in hand therapy began when she received therapy at Healing Hands in 2010 after sustaining a distal radius fracture with external fixation. Upon graduation from undergrad, Paige’s interest in hand therapy grew as she worked as an aide at Healing Hands before beginning grad school. She graduated with a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2019. Paige received her advanced practice credentials in Physical Agent Modalities (PAMS) and Hand Therapy certification (HTC) in 2021 and is working toward her CHT credentials. Paige is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Paige loves riding & racing road bikes, track bikes, and mountain bikes. She enjoys spending time hiking and playing with her dog.
Lauren Hawkins, MOT, CHT
Lauren graduated from University of California Irvine in 2005 with a BS in biological sciences. She then went on to University of Southern California to earn her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy in 2009. Lauren has worked solely in the outpatient hand therapy setting and earned her Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credential in 2018. She enjoys helping others restore hand and upper extremity function following an injury.
When not working Lauren enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Dasha Peshcherova MOT, CHT
Dasha obtained both her Bachelors Degree (2010) and Master's Degree (2012) in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. She worked for 1 year in pediatrics and has been working in hand therapy ever since. Dasha‘s hand therapy career developed at Kaiser West LA for 7 years before moving to the San Fernando Valley. Dasha got her Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) certification in 2018 and continues to strive to grow her knowledge in the field everyday. Whether you are recovering from a surgical procedure, dealing with a sports injury, or battling chronic pain, Dasha is dedicated and eager to restore your hand function.
In her free time Dasha loves to lift weights, hike, hang with friends and have lots of adventures with her husband and two little boys.
Jennifer Putterflam, MS, OTR
Jennifer graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2020 where she received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and Colorado State University in 2022 where she received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy. Her interest in hand therapy initially began when she volunteered at Healing Hands in 2019 before attending grad school, and was solidified during her fieldwork at UCLA. Her favorite part about hand therapy, and Occupational Therapy in general, is building rapport with her patients and watching them make functional gains during their therapy journey, allowing them to return back to meaningful activities.
In her free time she enjoys going on walks with her two dogs Shadow and Charlie, ice-skating and snowboarding during the winter months, and spending summer days at the lake or a dodger game.
John Stokes, MS, OTR
John graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2016 with his B.S. in Kinesiology: Exercise Science. John then graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with his MS in Occupational Therapy. John's interest in hand therapy began when he received physical therapy for his various leg injuries and enjoyed the atmosphere in the clinic. His interest was solidified when he worked as an occupational therapy aide for an outpatient hand therapy clinic and subsequently completed his internship in a hand therapy clinic while receiving his Master's. When John is not at work, he volunteers at his church to teach kids Greek dance. John enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring new restaurants, traveling, hiking, swimming, and watching baseball, basketball, and football games with friends.