We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful JoAnne Clifford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JoAnne below.

JoAnne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

There was a moment in my professional journey that changed everything. It wasn’t marked by a promotion or a title—it was a quiet, internal reckoning.

After years of working my way up from therapy aide to therapy tech, and eventually graduating in 2017 as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from PIMA Medical Institute, I found myself in the thick of corporate healthcare. I was providing care, yes—but the culture around me was shifting. Patients were being treated like numbers. Therapists were pressured to prioritize productivity over people. The heart of healing was being replaced by profit margins.

I remember sitting in a staff meeting, listening to metrics and quotas being discussed with more urgency than patient outcomes. That was my defining moment. I realized I hadn’t devoted over a decade to this field to become part of a system that devalued the very essence of care.

So I made a decision that would change the trajectory of my career: I would open my own private practice.

It wasn’t the easy road. I faced countless loops and learning curves. But every challenge reaffirmed my purpose—to create a space where therapists could thrive and patients could receive the quality care they deserved. A place where work-life balance wasn’t sacrificed, and where healing was holistic and human-centered.

Now, as I pursue my doctorate in Occupational Therapy, I carry that moment with me. It taught me that sometimes the most powerful career move isn’t climbing the corporate ladder—it’s stepping off it entirely to build something better.

Lesson learned? Never underestimate the power of alignment. When your values guide your decisions, your career becomes a calling.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m JoAnne Clifford, and my journey in the therapy field spans over 15 years—rooted in purpose, resilience, and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. I began as a therapy aide, moved into a therapy tech role, and eventually graduated in 2017 from PIMA Medical Institute as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Today, I’m pursuing my doctorate in Occupational Therapy while leading my private practice, Premier Hand Therapy, an occupational therapy practice specializing in upper extremity rehabilitation. We provide personalized, evidence-based care that restores function, relieves pain, and empowers patients to return to meaningful daily activities. Our approach is rooted in clinical precision, compassionate care, and a commitment to treating the whole person, not just the diagnosis.

In a world full of cookie-cutter franchises and corporate therapy chains, Premier Hand Therapy is something refreshingly different. We’re not a brand stamped across dozens of locations. We’re a locally owned, heart-driven practice where the healing begins with connection—not quotas.

What makes us stand out isn’t a flashy logo or a national marketing campaign. It’s the faces of our therapists, the warmth in their voices, and the trust they build with every patient who walks through our doors. We believe therapy should feel personal, not procedural. Our patients aren’t shuffled through a system—they’re welcomed into a space where their stories matter and their recovery is deeply respected.

We’ve intentionally built a practice that rejects the corporate mold. No productivity pressure. No one-size-fits-all protocols. Just real people doing meaningful work with integrity and compassion.

At Premier Hand Therapy, we don’t chase numbers—we chase outcomes. We’re proud to offer care that’s rooted in evidence, delivered with empathy, and tailored to each individual’s goals. And we’re even prouder to do it in a way that honors the human side of healthcare.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that success in healthcare meant climbing the corporate ladder and fitting into the system. For years, I believed that if I worked hard enough, followed the rules, and hit the productivity targets, I’d eventually find fulfillment and impact. But the deeper I got into the corporate therapy world, the more I realized that the system wasn’t built for healing—it was built for profit.

I remember being in a clinic where the focus had shifted entirely to numbers. How many patients could we see in a day? How fast could we document? How much revenue could we generate? The human side of care—the part that drew me to this field in the first place—was slowly being pushed aside. I was providing therapy, yes, but I wasn’t connecting. I wasn’t healing. I was producing.

That disconnect gnawed at me. I had spent years working my way up—from therapy aide to tech to licensed OTA—and Doctoral student at Baylor University, I was proud of that journey. But I hadn’t come this far to become a cog in a machine. I had to unlearn the belief that success meant compliance with a broken system. I had to redefine success on my own terms.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My journey was anything but linear. I went to school on and off, navigating life’s curveballs—financial hardship, personal challenges, and the demands of working in healthcare while trying to build a future. There were times I had to pause my education, times I questioned whether I’d ever finish, and times I felt like I was falling behind. But I never stopped believing in the power of perseverance.

I kept showing up. I kept learning. I kept growing.
Now, in my early 40s, I’ve made another bold decision: I’ve gone back to school to pursue my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Baylor University. Some might say it’s late. I say it’s right on time.

Because growth doesn’t have an expiration date. Leadership doesn’t come with a deadline. And resilience isn’t measured by how fast you finish—it’s measured by how fiercely you keep going.

I want people to know: it’s never too late to get it done. Whether you’re 22 or 42, your dreams are still valid. Your goals are still worth chasing. And your story is still unfolding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://premierhandtherapy.net
• Instagram: premier.hand.therapy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19WLNhLkhV/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-anne-clifford-0a9335191/
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits

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