START Wellness Center

Care and Healing for the Whole Person

The START Wellness center is set to open later this year. The center will offer patients a serene retreat where they can find treatments to relieve the pain associated with cancer and cancer treatments.

The Wellness Center will offer treatment options from the five National Institutes of Health (NIH) defined domains of complementary medicine: manipulative therapies, such as massage; energy therapies, like reiki; biological therapies, which include nutrition-related treatments; mind/body intervention, including psychotherapy, guided imagery and meditation; and whole medical systems, such as acupuncture.

All of the modalities offered at the center are evidence-based, meaning that they have been shown to be effective for reducing patient side effects and increasing the patient’s sense of well-being. “These are very well-researched, government approved therapies. We want to focus on treatment modalities for which there is good evidence of benefit for cancer patients,” says Dr. Amy Lang, an oncologist with 13 years of service at STOH at the START Center. “Everyone knows that cancer patients feel terrible a lot of the time, but people that can access complementary treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture can greatly enhance their quality of life.”

The center is a new venture for START physicians, added in response to patient interest. It will be a unique offering in San Antonio’s medical community, and open to anybody in the community, not just START patients and not just cancer patients. All practitioners affiliated with the center will be pre-screened and credentialed to work with cancer patients, according to Kemmy, an oncology nurse with certification in energy therapy as well as training in spiritual direction. The Wellness Center is an important part of the START Center’s offerings because when patients feel better, they often get better.