With national accreditation from the Physical Oncology Rehabilitation Institute (PORI), it comes as no surprise that Powers Health – formerly known as Community Healthcare System – offers a variety of robust cancer care programs in Northwest Indiana.
These options utilize the latest technology to treat patients, such as SOZO® and the Ovation Interactive Treadmill System.
Occupational Therapist Daniel Osberg, a Therapy Services supervisor and clinical specialist in Oncology Rehabilitation at Powers Health, is proud to be part of a team that provides a rich variety of services and also seeks opportunities to grow.
“It has been a goal of ours, as a clinic, to seek out staff training and accreditations for our oncology rehab program,” Osberg said. “Being a Center of Excellence requires that certain therapists take several levels of courses. System-wide, we have Centers of Excellence – a result of therapists completing courses, taking on a certain amount of cancer-related cases and reaching specific levels of experience. We have a great group of therapists who have taken some, if not all, of these training courses.”
Powers Health offers three SOZO® devices system-wide. SOZO® is a device used for lymphedema treatment and management that is able to diagnose subclinical lymphedema sooner than other methods, enabling earlier treatment.
“With lymphedema, early detection is key. Being able to get the subclinical readings and provide early intervention has allowed us to prevent the development of those later stages of lymphedema,” Osberg said. “SOZO® has become the gold standard for early detection and early intervention.”
Cancer can affect many parts of the body and may lead to many challenges for patients, including lower body weakness, balance deficits and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
The Ovation Interactive Treadmill System is a piece of physical therapy equipment that helps amputees and oncology rehabilitation patients find their stride – safely and more comfortably – during rehabilitation sessions. This treadmill has a body weight support system that keeps patients safe and secure as they relearn how to walk and balance.
“With the body weight support system of the Ovation Interactive Treadmill, the likelihood of a fall is little to none, keeping our patients and therapists safer,” Osberg said. “It has vital tracking and virtual reality options that make it more enjoyable and also features a power wheelchair entry.”
SOZO® and the Ovation Interactive Treadmill System are just two of the many tools Powers Health uses in its multidisciplinary approach to oncology rehabilitation. Powers Health therapists assess patients’ conditions and abilities to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to the patients’ needs. To ensure the best results, the Powers Health team works together and communicates often.
“We evaluate patients on their individualized needs and then come up with a program that makes sense for them,” Osberg said. “We work well as a team here, with our other clinics and with the patients’ physicians. We’re constantly communicating and talking about our cases, keeping that open line of communication to make sure we’re looking at each individual as a whole and making sure we’re helping them in every way possible.”
For more information about Powers Health, visit PowersHealth.org.
