Mercy Fort Smith has announced it is the only certified cancer Survivorship Training and Rehab (STAR) program in Arkansas.
Through the Mercy Oncology Rehabilitation certified Survivorship Training and Rehab (STAR) Program, patients are cared for by rehabilitation specialists who provide methods to help them achieve the highest level of healing and function.
Mercy’s specialists include: medical oncologists, a patient navigator, massage therapists, pastoral services, psychiatrists, physical, occupational and speech therapists, personal trainers, dietitians, and general surgeons.
The specialists work to address balance, walking, strength, fatigue, pain, cognitive and emotional function, sleep changes, headaches, and the inability to perform daily living activities.
Dr. Julie Silver, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a cancer survivor, and her team of clinicians developed the STAR Program. Following her treatment of cancer, she realized there was a gap in helping survivors of numerous diseases to heal after treatment.