In hospital rooms, community gyms, classrooms, and clinics, physiotherapists are helping people move, not just physically, but forward. In this story, we shine a light on two exceptional professionals within NL Health Services whose careers exemplify how physiotherapists move communities through compassion, connection, and care.

Andrea’s journey from curiosity to community impact

For Andrea Hann, physiotherapy has always been about more than muscles and movement. It’s about potential. A lifelong athlete and natural helper, Andrea’s passion was sparked as a teenager through her love of sport, wellness, and working with others. That early sense of purpose led her to Halifax for her education, before returning home to Newfoundland and Labrador—a decision that anchored her work with the province’s people and communities.

In her nearly 30-year career, Andrea has touched lives across every age and stage. From cheering toddlers through their first steps in early intervention, to supporting adults managing complex health challenges, her approach has always centred on empathy, education and equity. She says that early roles in rural clinics and outreach programs opened her eyes to the importance of accessibility. She saw firsthand how health care isn’t just delivered—it’s lived, together.

Andrea’s clinical contributions are as impactful as they are innovative. She spent a decade supporting patients in an Eating Disorder Program, deepening her understanding of the mind-body connection and exploring therapeutic movement like yoga. One of her proudest achievements is the Janeway Alignment Clinic, which brings together physiotherapists, orthopedic surgeons, orthotists, and prosthetists to provide comprehensive, inclusive care to neurodiverse children with gait issues—proving that multidisciplinary teamwork can transform lives.

Beyond the clinic, Andrea’s commitment continues. She volunteers with the iBike program, helping children and adults alike experience the freedom of riding a bike. She teaches yoga, not just as physical practice, but as a form of healing, community, and self-discovery. For Andrea, physiotherapy is about creating space—both literal and emotional—for people to feel safe, supported and strong.

Now, her clinical focus is shifting toward stroke and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, where she continues to be inspired by the human spirit’s resilience. “The journey of healing through movement is never just physical,” she says. “It’s deeply human.”

To those considering the profession, Andrea offers this advice: “Physiotherapy is a field of endless growth. You’ll not only learn about the human body, you’ll learn about humanity. You help others move forward, and in doing so, move yourself.”

Judy’s story: A lifelong passion sparked by a simple conversation

Judy Kay‘s journey into physiotherapy didn’t begin with a grand plan—it began with a simple question on a tennis court in St. John’s. Asked what she wanted to do after high school, she admitted she didn’t know—only that she loved teaching, helping others, and staying active.

The senior player smiled and said, “You should become a physiotherapist—like me.” Judy had never heard of physiotherapy. But that spark lit a fire that’s been burning for decades. After taking her first step into the field, she has not looked back.

Now with over three decades of experience, Judy is a leading voice in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy. Her specialty lies in the high-pressure world of intensive care unit (ICU) care—working with critically ill patients whose lives often hang in the balance. For Judy, complexity is part of the appeal of the job. “Helping someone regain their breath and mobility, even in the most fragile moments, is an incredible privilege,” she says.

Her commitment to excellence was recognized nationally when, in 2012, she became one of the first three physiotherapists in Canada to earn the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Clinical Specialist designation in Cardiorespiratory Practice. It was a rigorous, multi-year process—one she says was “absolutely worth it.”

But it’s the personal connections that keep Judy inspired. She recalls one patient who entered the ICU with severe respiratory failure and almost no chance of survival. Over time, with relentless support and care, she progressed from being unable to move to challenging herself during diaphragm training, watching her progress on the ventilator screen like it was a scoreboard. “That moment,” Judy recalls, “was when she believed she would make it.”

Judy is equally passionate about mentorship. She’s helped guide countless students and staff, often through moments of struggle and transformation. “Helping people come into their ownis incredibly rewarding.”

She’s also a true innovator. Partnering with a nurse practitioner in ICU, Judy helped integrate bedside ultrasound into diaphragm assessments, reshaping how respiratory training is done. “Sometimes,” she says, “you just have to throw a question out to the universe and be ready to reimagine everything.”

To new physiotherapists, Judy offers simple but powerful advice: be open. Explore every facet of the field. What seems like a temporary detour might just become your lifelong passion—as it did for her.

One profession, one shared purpose

Andrea and Judy are two distinct voices in a shared mission—to help people move, heal and thrive. Their stories reflect the evolution of physiotherapy itself: once seen as narrowly focused on physical rehabilitation, it is now a holistic, evidence-based practice rooted in collaboration, mental health and community connection.

Together, their work spans from infants to intensive care, from yoga mats to ventilator monitors, from bike paths to operating rooms. And always, at the heart of it, is the patient.
NL Health Services celebrates and values the physiotherapists who move our communities—not just through treatment plans, but through empathy, innovation, and the belief that everyone deserves to move forward with dignity and strength.

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This story was written by Jon Oake, a communications officer with NL Health Services. Based in Grand-Falls Windsor.