Welcome to
Hills Norwest Hand Therapy
Looking for a New South Wales hand and upper limb therapist near you? Hills Norwest Hand Therapy is conveniently located in Bella Vista, proudly servicing its local community as well as the neighbouring suburbs of Glenwood, Kings Langley, Castle Hill, Lalor Park and Seven Hills. All of our practices are committed to the best possible patient outcome. Our practices work closely with many hand units and surgeons across Sydney and are proud of these strong relationships.
Our Team
Alisa Knight
Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (AHTA), Certified Hand Therapist (USA)
BPhty
Alisa is a physiotherapist who has developed a keen interest in Hands While working at The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Alisa has worked in multiple large trauma hospitals and hand units. Alisa comes with a strong interest in acute hand trauma injuries. She enjoys teaching and mentoring in hand therapy. She is also a self-taught oil painter and indoor plant lover.
Alisa is an Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the AHTA) and Certified Hand Therapist (USA).
Alisa consults at Macquarie Hand Therapy and Hills Norwest Hand Therapy.
Alisa can offer consults in Thai.
Hannah Azzopardi
Occupational Therapist
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
Hannah’s passion for hand therapy started following the completion of an 8 week placement within a public hospital hand therapy clinic during her final year of university. Following the completion of her degree, she has become an associate member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) and has completed the Fundamentals of Hand Therapy and Closed Trauma course facilitated through the AHTA. She is motivated working within hand therapy as she thoroughly enjoys splint fabrication, wound care and treating a diverse range of upper limb conditions.
Hannah currently consults from Hills Norwest Hand Therapy.
Ivy Wu
Physiotherapist
BPhty
Ivy graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2021. She gained experience in a variety of clinical areas including musculoskeletal, acute inpatient and rehabilitation.
Since 2022, Ivy has been a part of the hand therapy team at South Western Sydney Hand Centre at Fairfield Hospital, which allowed her to gain experience in a wide range of acute and complex traumatic hand injuries.
Ivy is an associated member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association. She is actively working towards becoming an accredited hand therapist.
Ivy is also proficient in Mandarin. She is currently consulting from Hills Norwest Hand Therapy.
Joel Valentine
Hand Therapist
Hi, I’m Joel, a Hand Therapist who loves helping people feel their best. I am a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and an Associate member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association. I love the complex anatomy of the fingers, and enjoy helping people get back to what it is they love to do. When I’m not at work, I’m usually on the tennis court or in the park reading a book..
Jonathan Kuan
Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (AHTA), Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)
BHumanSc, DPT
Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor of Human Sciences in 2016 and a Doctor of Physiotherapy in 2020, both at Macquarie University. He has gathered experience in a range of clinical settings including musculoskeletal, sports, ICU and rehabilitation. Jonathan completed his final placement at Macquarie Hand Therapy in May 2020 prior to his graduation and commencement with the Hand Therapy Group.
Jonathan undertook a one-year sabbatical from the Hand Therapy Group in 2024 to work in a busy hand unit at Launceston General Hospital. He has gained extensive exposure in managing traumatic and complex upper limb conditions, ranging from fractures, tendon repairs and burn related injuries.
Jonathan is an Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the AHTA), Certified Hand Therapist (USA) and is a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association.
Outside of work, you can find Jonathan on the water, either kayaking or fishing in his tinny!
Jonathan is proficient in Malay and has basic proficiency in Mandarin and Vietnamese.
Lina Hwang
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (AHTA), Certified Hand Therapist (USA)
BAppSc(OT), AHT, CHT
Lina completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Sydney in 2018. She gained experience in a range of clinical settings including rehabilitation, paediatrics, community services with NDIS participants and hand therapy.
Lina fell in love with hand therapy from her placement in Westmead Public Hospital and started working exclusively in hand and upper limb therapy in private clinic where she expanded her knowledge in managing acute, chronic and traumatic injuries. She joined Hand Therapy Group in 2023 and enjoys working closely with highly experienced Accredited Hand Therapists and hand surgeons in the team. She has a special interest in hand trauma and tendon injuries.
Lina is an Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the AHTA), a Certified Hand Therapist (USA), and a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association.
Outside of work, Lina enjoys playing tennis as well as reading a book with a lovely cup of coffee.
Lina is proficient in Korean and English. She currently consults from the rooms at Hills Norwest Hand Therapy and Macquarie Hand Therapy.
Mark McCormick
Physiotherapist
BPhysio BAppSc (Sport and Exercise Science)
Mark completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2020 and has gained extensive experience in the musculoskeletal setting working with a broad range of people and their injuries. Mark developed a keen interest in hand therapy working in a private clinic and joined the Hand Therapy Group in 2023 to help towards becoming an Accredited Hand Therapist.
Natalia Piet
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (AHTA), Certified Hand Therapist (USA)
BAppSc(OT), PostGradDip(Hand Therapy), CHT
Natalia graduated with a degree in Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) from the University of Sydney in 2012. Since graduating, Natalia has been working in hand therapy in the Sydney Hospital Hand Unit, gaining extensive experience in acute, chronic and complex traumatic upper limb injuries. In 2015, she completed the Sydney Hospital Hand Therapy Clinical Fellowship with a project on the effectiveness of hand therapy intervention following the release of Dupuytren’s contractures. Natalia also completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Hand Therapy through the University of Derby in the UK in 2017.
Robbie Milford
Occupational Therapist, Hand Therapist
Occupational Therapist, BAppSc (OT)
Robbie graduated from The University of Sydney in 2022, after completing his Bachelor degree in Occupational Therapy. He started in hand therapy as a new graduate, working regionally at Bathurst Hospital completing a mixture of outpatient hand therapy, fracture clinic and acute inpatient care. Robbie is committed to ongoing learning & professional development – he is an associate member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) and is currently completing the AHTA-endorsed Hand Therapy Fellowship to further his knowledge & practice. He has an interest in sports related injuries, from sprains to fractures and dislocations, and loves helping people to get back on the sporting field. When he’s not in our Hills Norwest or Macquarie Clinics, you’ll find him running, cycling, hiking and camping.
Hills Norwest Hand Therapy is located in Norwest Private Hospital.
Looking for a New South Wales hand and upper limb therapist near you? Hills Norwest Hand Therapy is conveniently located in Bella Vista, proudly servicing its local community as well as the neighbouring suburbs of Glenwood, Kings Langley, Castle Hill, Lalor Park and Seven Hills. All of our practices are committed to the best possible patient outcome. Our practices work closely with many hand units and surgeons across Sydney and are proud of these strong relationships.
We pride ourselves in offering patients the latest evidence-based treatment approach in hand therapy, information, equipment and administrative services.
The practice is considered a centre of excellence for hand therapy, receiving referrals from consultant hand surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, general practitioners and physiotherapists.
In 2016, we opened rooms on the ground floor of Norwest Private Hospital. Our Hills Norwest practice is accredited with Physiotherapy Accreditation with QIP (2017).
