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Rehab in general has seen remarkable shifts in the last few months, with oncology rehabilitation being pushed to the side & even shut down, as resources are redistributed to other patient population needs. But this leaves our oncology patient population in dire need - so how do we come back & recenter our patients at the core of what we do?

Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, FAPTA, gives a bombshell interview that covers not only how we as a profession have backed ourselves into a corner, but also how we can emerge as an integral part of the cancer care continuum & key players at the oncology table.

🎓 FREE TRAINING: From Confused to Confident — a 4-step framework (SCAN) for decoding any question on your oncology specialist exam. Free at TheOncoPT.com/scan

⏰ LAST CALL: Christmas in July pricing on the Complete Oncology Specialist Package ends at midnight, July 31st. Includes the Bootcamp, Case Report Writing Workshop, and the MOSC course free at launch — this bonus won't be offered again.

📝 Not ready for the full package? Start with the Practice Exam Bundle — 3 full-length exams, 150 original case-based questions, zero repeats, full rationale key. $249 for all three volumes: https://TheOncoPT.com/practiceexambundle

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As OncoPTs, we want what's best for our patients. We'll do whatever it takes to care for our patients, giving 100% to serve. But we can't do that if we're empty, worn out, burned, out, tired, stressed, & frustrated. Well, those have pretty much been my theme song during these past 4 months.

So what do we do to take care of ourselves in order to take better care of our patients? In this episode, we're going over 4 strategies to help you take care of you.

1. Take care of your body.
2. Take care of your soul/spirit/heart.
3. Take care of your mind.
4. Remember why you are doing this in the first place.

🎓 FREE TRAINING: From Confused to Confident — a 4-step framework (SCAN) for decoding any question on your oncology specialist exam. Free at TheOncoPT.com/scan

📝 Not ready for the full package? Start with the Practice Exam Bundle — 3 full-length exams, 150 original case-based questions, zero repeats, full rationale key. $249 for all three volumes: https://TheOncoPT.com/practiceexambundle

Follow TheOncoPT on Instagram.
Follow TheOncoPT on LinkedIn.

In my interview with Lisa VanHoose last week, we discussed disparities in oncology patient populations. We touched on financial toxicity, but Lisa really got me thinking about how it affects our patients. Interestingly, this past week I saw an tweet about parking costs & oncology centers (tweet here; article here). This all really got me thinking: are we missing some VITAL info from our patients?

Financial toxicity is a very real & very terrible issue that many of our patients face.  But do you know how it's affecting your patients right here, right now?  And what are you going to do about it?

Do you ever feel small, like there's no way you could possibly make a dent to clean up the mess we've made? Lisa VanHoose, PhD, MPH, PT is on the podcast today to talk about how racial & socioeconomic disparities affect the oncology patient population & how WE (yes, YOU & ME) can be a part of the grassroots change that will literally make our world a better place for our patients.

We learn in school that race & socioeconomic status are social determinants of health, but what does that actually mean for our patient care? In short, a whole lot; in fact, it can mean everything for some of our patients.  

When I started as a brand new #OncoPT, I knew some stuff. But there was a whole lot more I didn't know, & I struggled through many patient cases trying to get my feet under me. Looking back, I wish I had a guide who knew the ropes to take me through what I needed to know about the ins & outs of treating patients with oncology diagnoses. I've made it through my first two years of OncoPT practice, but I've made tons of missteps & straight up face plants to get here.

Does this sound like you? Don't stumble through like I did. Your guides are here to help you get started.

There are some real giants in the field of oncology rehab - there's probably a few that just popped into your head. It can be really hard to imagine how we're going to get there, with all their expertise & knowledge. But they had to start somewhere once upon a time.

Friend of the podcast, Shai Sewell, stopped by today's episode to discuss how he navigated oncology rehab as a student, is educating fellow students & peers, & changing the world as a new professional. He provides great strategies to become the oncology professional you want to be, no matter the stage you're in right now!

Patients who finish their treatments & are cancer-free receive a cancer survivorship care plan. This plan helps patients navigate what comes after treatment & for the rest of their lives. But what's an often missing & crucial part of this plan? Cancer rehab!

Scott Capozza & his team at Smilow Cancer Hospital Survivorship Clinic are rewriting these plans to care for patients more wholly & holistically. In the process, they're also educating pros like us to start doing this in our own backyards. And yes, yes we can!

The one thing I wish I had when I was job searching & starting to work in #OncoPT was a community I could rely on for help. Feeling supported & heard is so important when starting your career - good thing for us, The Academy of Oncology PT's Student & New Professional Subcommittee is taking the reins on this, with tons of new initiatives & goals to help us! Steve Wechsler, Emma Schaburg O'Brien, & Shai Sewell stopped by TheOncoPT Podcast to share some of the great things the Subcommittee is working on for you & me!

Since the beginning of the COVID crisis, healthcare has dramatically shifted, with decreased in-person visits & increasing Telehealth usage dominating lymphedema treatment. It's safe to say that there's a lot of things that won't be returning to "pre-COVID, business as usual" anytime soon. But is that actually a bad thing?

Maureen McBeth, MPT, CLT-LANA; Linda Hodgkins, MS, OTR, CLT-LANA; Kimberly Miller, FNP-BC; & I were a part of a recent Tactile Medical webinar that discussed how COVID is forcing us to rethink how we are treating our patients with lymphedema & empowering them to take charge of their health & wellness. These ladies are POWERHOUSES of information, & you are going to love this episode!

Today is going to be a short episode because you don’t really need to be hearing my voice right now.  

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police.  His tragic death amongst many others has sparked protests across the country & now world.  Some of you might be wondering what this has to do with oncology physical therapy or why I’m discussing this.  

What’s been happening right now, for the past few years, & for the past hundreds of years directly affects our roles as physical therapy professionals & students & affects our effectiveness & efficacy of treating patients who are people of color.  It especially affects us in the oncology rehabilitation world.  As Kelly Reed of the Cancer Rehab PT instagram account so eloquently stated: “Cancer isn’t discriminating.  Our healthcare access, support, & education are.”    

As with other topics relating to oncology rehab, I’m working to bring experts on to discuss this further.  I’m just releasing this short episode today because the world needs more of the voices in the throes of it all.  You don’t need my attempts at bumbling through this on my own.  So stay tuned, & thanks for listening.