SBANE Member Named to Mass General Hospital Cancer Center’s The One Hundred

June 13, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leslie Wolfe Arista617-713-4130


ONCOLOGY REHAB PARTNERS’ FOUNDER DIANE STOKES NAMED TO MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL CANCER CENTER’S THE ONE HUNDRED FOR PUTTING CANCER REHABILITATION ON THE MAP THROUGH STAR PROGRAM® CERTIFICATION

BOSTON, June 2012—Diane Stokes, cofounder of Oncology Rehab Partners, has been named to Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center’s THE ONE HUNDRED, an award given to the top 100 people in the U.S. who are making a difference in cancer care. Oncology Rehab Partners’ STAR Program® Certification, a cancer rehabilitation training and certification program for clinicians and healthcare facilities, has been the catalyst for the implementation of hundreds of cancer rehab programs across the nation, enabling thousands of survivors to recover from debilitating treatments.

Ms. Stokes said, “Cancer rehab has been a missing part of the survivorship puzzle. Being named to THE ONE HUNDRED for STAR Program Certification is evidence of how much closer we are in this country to solving that puzzle. The opportunity to be involved in work that makes it possible for cancer survivors to heal fully after treatments is thrilling for me.”

The fifth annual THE ONE HUNDRED was the Cancer Center’s fundraiser, honoring 100 individuals and groups whose diligence and discoveries, philanthropy and passion have helped advance the fight against cancer. The gala, hosted by Matt Damon, whose father survived multiple myeloma thanks to a successful stem cell transplant undertaken at Massachusetts General Hospital, was held in Boston on June 6th. Proceeds will support research, patient care, education, and community outreach programs.

Oncology Rehab Partners is an innovative healthcare company, based in Northborough, Massachusetts, with a mission to make cancer rehabilitation the standard of care in hospitals, cancer centers, and rehabilitation practices so survivors can recover from the side effects and aftereffects of cancer treatments. The STAR Program Certification, a unique model of evidence based cancer rehabilitation, has been adopted by healthcare facilities in more than 30 states across the country and is anticipated to reach more than 100 sites throughout the U.S. by the end of 2012.

STAR Program Certification provides clinicians and medical institutions with tools (education and training, and evaluation and treatment protocols) to develop and deliver specialized, best practices rehabilitation services for survivors of all types and stages of cancer—whether they are in remission, living with cancer or cured. All of the services integrated into the program, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health counseling, and consultations with rehabilitation physicians (physiatrists) are typically covered by health insurance.

Last October, Oncology Rehab Partners partnered with The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation to implement a cancer rehab initiative in Rhode Island that brought cancer rehab services to more than 20 healthcare facilities and thousands of survivors in that state. Ms. Stokes has just announced that Oncology Rehab Partners has enlisted The Friends of Mel Foundation to partially fund a statewide initiative in her own home state of Massachusetts.

“Healthcare providers are responding to the call for improved cancer care. They’re committed to providing state-of-the-art rehab services so patients can recover and get back to their lives, and it’s great to be able to help them do it. There is so much to be gained—by survivors, their families, and society as a whole.”

Diane Stokes:

Diane Stokes, MBA is cofounder of Oncology Rehab Partners with Dr. Julie Silver (named to THE ONE HUNDRED in 2010 and just honored as a Globe 100 “Top Innovator in Medicine 2012”).  Ms. Stokes has been instrumental in creating a profitable business model for healthcare facilities that seek to develop or expand their cancer survivorship services, making the STAR Program Certification a win-win for patients and hospitals. In addition to her role as social entrepreneur, Ms. Stokes is a certified personal trainer and triathlon coach and develops fitness programs for breast cancer survivors. She holds an Industrial Technology engineering degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and a Master’s in Business Administration from Clark University.

LINKS:

 

CONTACT: Leslie Wolfe Arista, (617) 713-4130, leswolfe@mediabuzzpub.com

SBANE Partner Profile