V
alleyCare Health System has launched a new program
for cancer survivors that will help them feel better and
improve their quality of life.
By providing the best, most personalized care possible,
alleyCare is always striving to improve our patients’ experience
and to assist in their quest for wellness. Because of this strong
commitment to our patients, we have teamed up with Oncology
Rehab Partners to bring the STAR (Survivorship Training and
Rehabilitation) Program
®
to ValleyCare and our community.
The STAR Program is a nationally recognized cancer
survivorship program that focuses on helping patients feel well,
both physically and emotionally. The STAR Program utilizes
an interdisciplinary approach in which caregivers from different
specialties team up to help patients increase strength and energy,
alleviate pain and improve daily function and well-being.
APPROACH
Cancer treatment can be very toxic and often causes signi cant
pain, fatigue and sometimes disability for survivors. Our goal is to
minimize these side effects and to encourage patients to have the
best quality of life possible.
For example, three of the most common diagnoses that
cause problems for cancer survivors are cancer-related fatigue,
chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and mild cognitive
impairment.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common
and disabling problems cancer survivors face. Research shows
that exercise is an excellent intervention for CRF. However,
it is important that patients with impairments be referred to
one-on-one physical therapy rather than group exercise so their
speci c impairments can be addressed, much like stroke patients.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is
also a common problem for many
survivors. To help keep CIPN
from becoming an impairment
or disability, physical and
occupational therapy can help
decrease that potential when
therapists focus on gait, balance
and footwear, for example.
In addition, physiatrists also
play an important role in
managing chronic pain through
interventions or medication.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or “chemo brain,” as many
survivors call it, can be helped by using various strategies to
assist with focus, concentration, memory and organizational
skills. Research shows that appropriate referrals for speech and
occupational therapy, as well as physiatry and mental health
therapy, have been enormously helpful for patients with MCI.
STAR PROGRAM AT VALLEYCARE
ValleyCare already offers a wide range of cancer support services,
including lymphedema therapy, nutrition support, a nurse navigator,
weekly support groups, the ValleyCare Health Library and Ryan
Comer Cancer Resource Center and educational seminars.
The STAR Program further enhances these services with
physical, occupational and speech therapy, along with targeted
exercise, pain management, balance and gait training and
emotional support.
Clinical staff has undergone extensive training in oncology
rehabilitation to further develop their expertise in the area of
cancer care. With this training, they are STAR Program certi ed.
This certi cation includes protocols that hospital teams can use to
provide optimal clinical care, as well as track outcomes.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM
The STAR Program is being utilized in some of the best cancer
centers in the country, including Johns Hopkins. STAR Program
certi cation was developed by Julie Silver, MD, and her team of
clinicians. Dr. Silver is an associate professor at Harvard Medical
School, a cancer survivor and author of several books on cancer
rehabilitation.
Dr. Silver developed the STAR Program after going through
cancer treatment herself, realizing that she desperately needed
rehabilitation in order to return to her former level of function.
She now says, “Survivorship services,
including oncology rehabilitation, are
imperative to cancer care.”
The development of the STAR Program
was also prompted by an eye-opening
Institute of Medicine report published in
2005 that highlighted the many de cits in
survivorship care and recommended that
survivorship become a distinct phase of
cancer care. As such, most of the survivorship
services integrated in the STAR Program are
reimbursable by health insurance providers.
CANCER
Rehabilitation
STAR Program rehabilitation
services are o ered on an outpatient
basis in the ValleyCare Dublin and
Livermore facilities. Physician referral is
required. For more information about
STAR Program cancer rehabilitation,
please call
925 734 3313
or visit
.
Helping Patients Feel Better During and After Cancer Treatment
It’s summertime, and the picking is easy—of
fresh fruits, that is.
Warmer temps and abundant sunshine
means you’ll find plenty of colorful and
flavorful fruit in the grocery store and at
farmers markets.
Eating a variety of these low-calorie treats is
a delicious way to help prevent cancer.That’s
because fruits boast a bounty of cancer-fighting
ingredients such as beta-carotene, catechin,
quercetin, ellagic acid, lycopene and resveratrol.
Researchers believe that many of these
compounds help fight the cell damage and
inflammation that can cause cancer.
So be sure to enjoy all the many fruits
on display this summer. Here is some
information, including serving suggestions,
on five common ones:
WATERMELON
TIP:
Pick ones that are heavy for
their size.
QUICK DISH:
Caramelize
wedges on the grill, drizzle
with honey and lime and add
a pinch of salt.
PEACHES
TIP:
Store unripe peaches in a
paper bag to ripen. Keep ripe
peaches at room temperature.
QUICK DISH:
Add diced
peaches to your favorite salsa.
STRAWBERRIES
TIP:
Don’t wash strawberries until
you’re ready to use them.
QUICK DISH:
Slice
strawberries into a fresh green
salad and add toasted walnuts.
BLUEBERRIES
TIP:
Wash blueberries before
using. But don’t try to remove their
silvery coating—it’s normal and
does not need to come off.
QUICK DISH:
Add
blueberries to pancakes
before flipping them.
GRAPES
TIP:
Store in the refrigerator
in a plastic bag for up to one
week.
QUICK DISH:
Cut chilled
grapes in half, add to low-fat
cottage cheese and top with
ground pepper.
Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; American Institute
for Cancer Research; Produce for Better Health Foundation
Seasonal Goodness
5 Fruits That
Fight Cancer
Summer 2014
SERV ING THE TR I VALLEY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNI T I ES WI TH MEDI CAL FAC I L I T I ES IN L I VERMORE, PLEASANTON AND DUBL IN
I N S I D E
2
LymphedemaTherapyHelps
Our specially trained therapists can
help you learn tomanage symptoms.
3
Good of theMany
Volunteers are an integral part of our
quality care—join them!
4
Stay on Schedule
Regular screenings can catch health
issues before they become serious.
Health
Ways
