Alex Higgins, COTA
Alex is a native to Richmond who grew up skateboarding and visiting the James River with friends in his spare time. He received a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from VCU in 2010. After spending time in the work force after graduation, he decided he wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. In 2017, he earned his Associate’s in Occupational Therapy Assistant. He spends most of his time outside of work with his Black lab mix, Ace, and working on amateur car projects. He enjoys the challenge of adapting activities so they can be safely completed with less effort and less pain.
Julia Holahan OTD, OTR/L
Julia is an occupational therapist who has worked at Comprehensive Hand Surgery Center since 2019. She attended Roanoke College and majored in Spanish with a concentration in Health Care Delivery. From there, she attained her doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing her Certified Hand Therapist certification. Julia has special interests in various upper extremity injuries and conditions as well as orthotic fabrication, and eagerly seeks opportunities to learn about recent research and new techniques to broaden her practice and skill set in the field of hand therapy so as to better serve her clients. Julia also speaks Spanish and uses her language skills often at Comprehensive Hand Surgery Center. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband, Shawn, and dog, Louie, and being outside- running, hiking, gardening, as well as cooking and baking.
Melinda Jermer-Gu OTR/L, MEd
Melinda is originally from Ohio but has lived in Virginia for over 20 years. She has been an Occupational Therapist for over 20 years, across a variety of medical settings. She has enjoyed helping her patients resume valued activities, and particularly loves getting the opportunity to work with musicians and athletes. She received a BA in Psychology from Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, as well as a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Occupational Therapy and a Master's in Education from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She enjoys doing a variety of things in her spare time and her interests range from: reading, textile arts (crocheting, sewing), playing piano, caring for a hodge-podge of pets, and cooking. She also enjoys travelling and visiting museums.
Katie Parker
Katie has been a medical assistant for Dr. David Galpern since 2017. Katie primarily deals with direct patient care in the office by triaging, taking x-rays, and scheduling surgeries. In her free time, Katie enjoys horseback riding and practicing aerial arts.
Denosha Shiimi
Denosha Shiimi is a Patient Administrator at Comprehensive Hand Surgery Center. Starting her healthcare journey in 2000, Denosha has provided not only first class, but stellar customer service to thousands of patients. She decided to dedicate her life to healthcare because it is her true passion, and leaving patients satisfied is truly rewarding for her. Her work ethic, ambition, and drive to succeed sets her apart from the rest. In her spare time, she likes to craft, cook, redecorate her home and spend time with her family.
Dana Dip
Dana joined our billing team in 2019. She enjoys helping patients navigate their insurance plans. In her spare time, Dana enjoys crafting, reading a best seller, and binge-watching Netflix. She is the proud mama of 2 girls, a teen and a toddler, and “furmama” to 2 crazy pups.
