Where are you going? Where have you been? The Journey and the Future of Oncology Massage Lauren Muser Cates, CMT President, Society for Oncology Massage

1. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
The Journey and the Future of Oncology Massage
Lauren Muser Cates, CMT
President, Society for Oncology Massage

3. Oncology massage is still in its infancy, but an understanding of the
need for and value of this work is growing.
The need for an international network of experienced massage therapists
who can work safely and effectively with people affected by cancer is clear.
A living education standard is the cornerstone of meeting that need.

4. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
A roadmap…and a new era
of specialty practice were born…

5. Growing Knowledge, Growing Resources
2009
2004 2010
2001

7. Tracy Walton
MacDonald
Isabel Adkins
Cheryl
Chapman
Martha
Menard
Wendy Miner
Jamie
Elswick
Gayle
…countless others known and unknown.
Eleanor
Oyston

8. ONCOLOGY MASSAGE
IS A LIVING THING.

9. WORK TO DO
Australia
• 30,000 (known) practicing MTs
• OMT has trained 800 nationwide
• 160+ registered with OMT
• 775,000 Australians living with cancer
United States
• 280,000 (known) practicing MTs
• 8,000 have *some* oncology training
• 350 registered with S4OM
• 13.7 million Americans living with
cancer
It’s time for a bigger umbrella!

10. S4OM VISION
anyone (anywhere) affected by cancer (even remotely)
knows about oncology massage and has a resource to
refer to and/or knows where to find oncology massage
locally
people who want oncology massage have access to it
oncology massage therapists feel supported, respected,
challenged, educated, prepared
other allied health professionals look to the S4OM
community as a resource and authority

11. CURRENT S4OM LEADERSHIP
Martha Menard,
PhD, LMT
Vice President
• massage therapist
• researcher, author,
educator
• Georgetown
University Adjunct
Faculty
VANCOUVER/
SOUTH CAROLINA
Stacy Barden, LMT
Treasurer
• massage therapist
• private practice
• KinesioTape & MLD/CDT
• Nat’l Lymphedema
Network
• Peregrine Institute
graduate
ILLINOIS
Lauren Cates, CMT
President
• massage therapist
• private & hospital
practice
• educator
• Hospice practice
VIRGINIA
Executive
Committee
Julie Streeter, LMT
Secretary
• registered nurse
• massage therapist
• educator
• NWHSU adjunct
professor
• Summit Committee chair
MINNESOTA

12. CURRENT S4OM LEADERSHIP
Dale Healey, DC, PhD
• chiropractor
• massage school
administrator, educator
• COMTA Commissioner
• Best Practices Cmte;
Massage Therapy
Foundation
MINNESOTA
Wendy Miner, LMT
• massage therapist
• Hospital-based practice
• Research participation
• Yoga Student (lifelong)
NEW YORK
Patti Corscaden, LMT
• massage therapist
• private practice
• MLD practitioner
• CranioSacral practitioner
• hospice practice
MAINE
MK Brennan, MS,RN,
LMBT
• Reg. Nurse (Masters)
• massage therapist
• Past AMTA Nat’s Pres
• Past ED Amer Polarity
Therapy Assn
• Clinical Work Group
Hospital-based MT WG
• (ACCAHC)
NORTH CAROLINA

13. S4OM COMMITTEES
• Education
• Outreach
• Social Media
• Website
• Governance
• Finance
• Development & Fundraising
• Summit

14. 2013 & 2014
website grows with resources & private community areas
Preferred Provider numbers approaching 400 with clear regional strongholds
committees grow
LinkedIn & Facebook groups with thousands of fans and followers worldwide
3rd Healing Summit over 200 attendees from 5 countries
National Visioning Conference
(Hooray!)
2010
new website
membership 200+
REPs & committees
cumbersome membership process discussed
2008
board continues to grow and change
continue to recognize MTs who come through alternate training routes
non-profit charter
membership opens
2nd Healing Summit 180 attendees from 3 countries; more than half are new to S4OM
9 founding directors (MTs)
limited website
training + write-ups
“write us a letter”

15. MANAGING PROGRESS

17. AN ARMY OF LOVE

18. FOUNDATIONS
Professionalism
Generosity
Community
standards of practice
strive for excellence
blaze the trail
humility
curiosity
inclusiveness
creativity
people before profession
global network
invested practitioners
easing the journey through
cancer

19. HOSPITAL BASED MASSAGE THERAPY

20. US HOSPITALS
4,000-5,000 hospitals across the US
100+ reported to S4OM as having hospital-based massage therapy
some funded
many volunteer
many contractors
few paid staff
likely hundreds more unknown
…most are tenuous
…limited awareness of each other/no collaboration

21. A HERCULEAN TASK

22. LIMITED OPTIONS
MTs make a commitment to get
proper training, and then….
1. volunteer
2. very part-time
3. never connect with
oncology community
4. approach a hospital
5. take more training
6. rinse, lather, repeat

23. lots of
volunteers
• paid,
integrated
therapists/
teams
Where’s the tipping point?
No Man’s Land
Balance
=
careers and
reach
Continued Undercover/Elite Status

24. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

25. Sectio
n 2706
EHB’s
Comm
unity
Health
Teams
Major
shifts in
massa
ge
therap
y
educat
Palliatiion
ve
Care
move
ment
Increa
sing
end of
life
care
interest
/growi
ng
“Baby
Boome
Massa
ge
Therap
y’s
identit
y crisis
r”
demo
graphi
c
Opportunities
& Challenges

26. Janet Kahn, PhD, LMT
Presidential appointee
(lifetime)
Member, Advisory Group on
Prevention, Health Promotion,
and Integrative and Public
Health
Senior Policy Advisor,
Integrative Healthcare Policy
Consortium

27. EDUCATION STANDARDS WORK GROUP
Evidence & Competency
Create and promote educational
standards for oncology massage that
are based on evidence and
competency.
Lifelong Learning
Promote lifelong learning in oncology
massage based on ever-expanding
knowledge and experience.
Career Paths
Raise awareness of oncology massage
as a specialty application and of
related standards of excellent practice
to a level that creates employment
opportunities for competent
practitioners.

28. NATIONAL COALITION

29. OTHER IMPORTANT PARTNERS
The power of 5 disciplines as one:
• naturopathic medicine
• home-birth/entry level midwives
• chiropractic
• acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
• massage therapy
“Competencies for Optimal Practice in Integrated
Environments”
Analyzing the landscape to maximize effort
• improve the lives of people affected by cancer
• evidence-based practice
• naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, MDs, massage
therapists, nurses, researchers
• education focus in line with S4OM

30. CAM grafting - Add
“complementary and alternative”
tools to a disease-focused system
A SLOW SHIFT
MAINSTREAM!!
Transformative - creating a system
with a health and wellness focus

31. ONCOLOGY MASSAGE:
THE BEST KEPT SECRET
nurses doctors clients
massage
schools
cancer
orgs
hospitals
Everyone you know,
everywhere you go

32. NEXT STEPS
Educate
See the field
Capitalize on (and push) shifts
Collaborate
Spread the word

33. ONLY FROM THE HEART CAN YOU TOUCH THE SKY.
-RUMI