Cancer Survivorship Services Continue Beyond Cancer Treatment
Survivorship is the experience of living with, through, and beyond a cancer diagnosis. At Premier Health, we want to ensure our patients have access to services throughout their cancer journey and when it best fits their needs.
“We offer these services to get patients back to the level they were living before being diagnosed,” says Amanda Musser, MSN, RN, system director, hospital operations outpatient oncology. “We treat both mind and body and ask ourselves what we can do to make sure patients are getting whatever they need, whether it’s emotional support, meals, supplements, nutrition, or counseling. This goes well beyond medical treatments.”
We offer these services and programs across our system — whether in person or virtually — no matter where you receive cancer care in the Premier Health system.
Cancer survivors work with their care team to create a Survivorship Care Plan, which provides a record of your cancer and treatment history. It documents needed follow-up appointments and makes recommendations for enhancing quality of life.
Services include:
- Exercise therapy
- Massage therapy
- Nutrition support
- Genetic counseling
- Social services
- Incontinence and pelvic floor physical therapy
- Resources for breast cancer survivors (e.g. Expressions of Hope)
- Support groups
- Weight management
“The typical patient gets a free three-month exercise program,” Musser says. Premier Health foundations cover the costs for the exercise program, as well as massage therapy, for select patients undergoing cancer treatment.