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The Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital and Body Destinations LLC, a Tyngsborough-based integrative therapy business, announce the successful completion of a year-long, grant-funded oncology survivorship program, Bridge to Wellness™.

Integrative care provides a host of therapies and practices designed to meet the needs of the individual patient. This can include but is not limited to physical therapy, massage therapy, meditation, yoga and exercise.

“Through this collaboration with Body Destinations and a grant from the Yankee Cancer Coalition, we are excited to offer a comprehensive, year-long survivorship program at Lowell General Hospital,” says Claudia Antolini, recently retired operations director for cancer services at Lowell General Hospital. “The first year after conventional cancer treatment is a critical time. Providing well-established education, resources and facilitators is crucial. It is our belief that cancer patients are more likely to report a greater sense of well-being with fewer complications when enrolled in this comprehensive program.”

As part of its promise to provide complete connected care, Lowell General Hospital offers this survivorship program to cancer patients free of charge, supported by funds from its annual TeamWalk for CancerCare fundraiser.

Elisa Shanahan, current operations director for the cancer services, states, “I’m so happy to join the team to give local oncology patients this much-needed program in partnership with the Body Destinations team.”

It is commonplace that cancer patients to experience problems with functional ability, sleep, rest, strength and fatigue, unmanaged nausea and pain, constipation and neuropathy.

Custom-built by Body Destinations, The Bridge to Wellness™ program offers a patient-centric approach to the continuity of care on behalf of oncology patients. It creates an enhanced experience by utilizing integrated therapies before, during and after cancer treatment.

“This continuity of care for oncology patients enhances communication among providers while creating a template for managing integrative survivorship programs,” says Brandi Giles, founder of Body Destinations and its affiliate company Mendwell, a company focused on oncology care and treatment. “Isn’t it about time that cancer patients are given a better quality of life?  After all, it’s not just about survivorship; it’s about what we call Wellship™.”

The American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer  will require all major healthcare facilities to provide an active cancer survivorship program in place to promote patient-centered cancer care once their acute treatment commences. This standard is still being written, but will require U.S.-based oncology facilities to have a survivorship program in place by January of 2019.

The Bridge to Wellness program is now available to license and use in oncology and medical facilities and hospitals nationwide this year.