Lynchburg, Virginia-based Centra is the first health care system in the country to earn national STAR Program Certification for rehabilitation care for cancer survivors from the Massachusetts-based Oncology Rehab Partners (ORP), leading consultants in the field of survivorship care.
This certification demonstrates Centra’s commitment to cancer survivorship care. With the program, Centra offers state-of-the-art comprehensive oncology rehabilitation to cancer survivors as a continuum of care. Central Virginia physicians, Centra rehabilitation and cancer professionals have completed a rigorous evidence-based course of study that includes topics ranging from specialized physical rehabilitation to emotional health and wellness.
The national program was developed by Julie Silver, M.D., a Harvard Medical School faculty member who is a breast cancer survivor. Dr. Silver came to Lynchburg to personally oversee the STAR Program training and development at Centra.
STAR Program Certification uniquely qualifies facilities like Centra to offer premium oncology rehabilitation services to help survivors manage their health through their treatment and recovery process.
“We are very excited to be working with Oncology Rehab Partners and Dr. Silver to develop this national program,” said George W. Dawson, Centra president and CEO. “This program leads the way in cancer care services for the future, and we are pleased to be the first in the country to offer this innovative program.”
“Dr. Silver is renowned for her vision in cancer survivorship rehabilitation,” said David Adams, Centra senior vice president, who oversees Centra rehabilitation and senior services. “We are honored that she chose Centra as a partner for developing and implementing her program.”
Centra’s cancer care services are nationally recognized with full accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.Centra’s comprehensive breast cancer program recently earned a top national accreditation from The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and it is the first cancer service in central, southside and western Virginia to earn this honor.
“Our focus over the past year has been on ensuring that we are addressing all the needs of cancer patients, and this certification is further national recognition of the comprehensiveness of our cancer program,” said Curt Baker, Centra vice president of cancer care services. “Few cancer centers across the country are offering survivorship programs that include oncology rehabilitation, and we are proud to bring a program of this caliber to the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center.”
Dwight Oldham, M.D., associate medical director of the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center, and medical oncologist, said: “I know many of our patients will benefit from this new program for cancer survivors, and the many health care providers it brings together to meet the ongoing needs of our patients.”
To receive STAR Program Certification, Centra established ORP’s unparalleled STAR Program, a conventional medicine and evidence-based standardized model of oncology rehabilitation service delivery, successfully implementing the program’s evaluation and treatment protocols and rehabilitation training.
Specialty caregivers, including physicians, nurse navigators, physical and occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians and social workers, collaborate on a personalized rehabilitation plan to increase a patient’s strength and energy, alleviate pain and improve daily function and quality of life.
STAR Program Certification from Oncology Rehab Partners provides hospitals and cancer centers with the tools needed to expeditiously develop and deliver quality oncology rehabilitation services, including:
ORP founder Julie Silver, M.D., assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and herself a cancer survivor, said: “With its STAR Program Certification, Centra is committed to helping survivors heal and recover. Similar to cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart disease, oncology rehab should be the standard of care in all hospitals that treat cancer patients. Through this program, patients can reduce symptoms like pain, fatigue, weakness, memory loss and depression, which will greatly impact the lives of survivors and their families. By becoming STAR Program Certified, Centra has made survivorship a distinct and important component of cancer care. With this program, Centra is providing cancer patients with the most comprehensive medical care available, and the best possible outcomes for recovery.”
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