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Cancer Wellness Program provides 'layer of support' for patients
Piedmont Cancer
Cancer patients participating in music therapy as seen in Piedmont's cancer support resource guide. - photo by Submitted Photo

COVINGTON, Ga. - The Cancer Wellness Program, launched by Piedmont Newton this month, will help provide a community of support for cancer patients.

The program is offered to patients who are actively receiving treatment or have finished treatment. The program will offer classes such as yoga, cooking demos, expressive art classes, massage therapy and support groups during different times and days throughout the week, every month.

The program was created to treat the patients - mentally and physically - as they battle cancer.

Piedmont Newton Cancer Navigator Wendy Hankins, RN, stated that Piedmont tries to "treat the whole patients, not just the disease."

"When you're going through treatment, it puts a lot of strain on your physical health and your mental health, so if you can do things to help you relax and keep your muscles tone, that's going to help you heal," she said.

The program will provide "a layer of support and build a bigger community" for patients, according to Sarah Teach, Piedmont Newton public relations and communications.

"They are not going through a journey by themselves," she said. "This is another tool in the toolbox to help them." 

The program is open to all patients, regardless of whether or not they are treated at Piedmont Newton. 

"We're trying to meet all the needs of everyone in the community, who's been touched by cancer, whether you are a Piedmont patient or not," Hankins said.

For breast cancer awareness month, Hankins expressed how important it was for women, over 40 years old, to receive yearly mammograms because "that's how we catch early breast cancer."

"If you are consistent with having your annual mammograms every year, we are able to catch subtle changes early," she said. "We have the benefit of 3D mammograms here at Newton, which helps us catch things earlier, especially in women with dense breast tissue."

For questions about Piedmont Newton programs and services, contact Hankins at 770-385-7826 or via email at wendy.hankins@piedmont.org. 

To view the class schedule for the Cancer Wellness Program at all Piedmont locations, visit piedmont.org/cancerwellness.