STAR Program®

Bassett Cancer Institute STAR Program® in Oncology Rehabilitation

We are committed to bringing you the highest level of survivorship services
In recent years, there has been much talk about creating survivorship as a distinct phase of cancer care and providing each patient with a survivorship care plan. At Bassett Cancer Insitute we are committed to offering the best available survivorship services. This is why we have implemented the STAR Program®, which includes training our staff in the latest oncology rehab care and implementing research based protocols that have been proven to help cancer survivors heal and function optimally.

We offer comprehensive care that is covered by health insurance
As one of the country’s first STAR Program® Certified health care facilities, we are uniquely qualified to offer premium oncology rehabilitation services to cancer survivors undergoing treatment or living with its aftermath. Our program has been created to help survivors physically and emotionally heal from the side-effects of treatments. We provide our patients with the most comprehensive rehabilitation care available and all of our services are reimbursable by health insurance providers. Having access to world-class follow-up care, without added medical costs, will allow survivors to regain their health and get their lives back on track.

We are committed to helping you reach optimal recovery
A cancer diagnosis can be traumatic, and so can life-saving treatments. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery can harm health and cause serious medical problems that interfere with daily function and well-being. Survivors are commonly plagued with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, insomnia, memory loss, fear, anxiety and depression. Bassett Cancer Institute STAR Program® offers important physical and psychological rehabilitation to survivors so they can recover more quickly and more completely than they would otherwise. Feeling well and being able to resume normal day-to-day activities is essential to enjoying a good quality of life for survivors and their families.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or long finished with treatment, we can help
We serve all survivors in need, whether they are beginning treatment, finished with treatment, or experiencing late effects or unresolved issues from long-ago treatment. Our program is open to everyone no matter the prognosis, cancer stage or phase of recovery. Newly diagnosed patients may want to increase their strength and endurance and prevent future medical problems; survivors living with cancer as a chronic disease may come to us for help managing treatment-related conditions; and individuals who are cured or in remission may enroll in our program with the goal of boosting their immune systems so that they can heal as well as possible.

Our highly trained medical staff awaits you
Our rehabilitation care, based on conventional medicine, is offered to patients by a knowledgeable and sensitive medical staff, specially trained to treat survivors of all forms of cancer. They are medical experts at the top of their fields and comprise a variety of disciplines:

• physicians
• physical therapists
• occupational therapists
• lymphedema therapists
• speech and swallowing therapists
• registered dieticians and nutritionists
• mental health professionals

When evaluating your needs we look at the “big picture”
Rather than using a “problem-oriented” approach and tackle each health issue as it arises, we address the full spectrum of post-cancer care. When evaluating a patient, in addition to focusing on his or her health conditions and symptoms, we take into consideration: diet, sleep issues, existing pain, endurance, strength, exercise habits and emotional outlook. All of these factors have an important effect on physical healing.

We offer you a personalized rehab plan with an interdisciplinary approach
After undergoing a thorough evaluation by a physician, a team of medical specialists is assigned to each patient according to his or her individual needs. The health care team creates a personalized rehabilitation plan, with the goals of increasing strength and energy, alleviating pain, improving physical functioning, achieving emotional balance and boosting the immune system. Each team member provides his or her expert medical guidance, training, encouragement and support, for the duration of the program.

Our STAR Program® Survivor Guidebook Kit is designed with you in mind

To fully engage survivors in their recovery process and encourage focus and motivation, we offer a complimentary STAR Program® Survivor Guidebook that consists of:

• a journal and guide; with exercise and goal-setting tips; and sections for patients to write down short and long-term healing goals, log their activities and exercise, and document their progress
• a pedometer; so patients can begin a walking program and track their steps daily, as well as measure increases in their endurance

We are proud to be STAR Program® Certified
We received our STAR Program® Certification from Massachusetts-based Oncology Rehab Partners (ORP), whose unparalleled development, training and support products in oncology rehabilitation give health care facilities the capacity to offer quality survivorship care to their patients. Bassett Cancer Institute STAR Program® successfully executed ORP’s evaluation and treatment procedures, and our medical staff underwent rigorous rehabilitation training by ORP experts. ORP provides us with ongoing continuing education, so we are always up-to-date on the latest in rehabilitation research and care.

To learn more about the program contact Cynthia Boisen by calling 607-547-4807 or 607-547-6737.