CVMC’S Occupational Therapy Department Receives Grants to Help Lymphedema Patients

The Occupational Therapy department of Citrus Valley Medical Center is pleased and proud to announce that it has received a $25,000 lymphedema treatment grant from the Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The grant, which is part of the Citrus Valley Medical Center Lymphedema Outreach Project, will allow uninsured and underinsured men and women over the age of 18 to receive an evaluation and follow-up treatment free of charge. A physician referral is required.

Lymphedema, one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, occurs when the lymph nodes have been removed and fluid builds up in the extremities. It is estimated that half of the 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States will develop one of the stages of lymphedema, and the grant will go a long way toward ensuring that community residents get the care they need from our highly trained occupational therapists.

“We’re trying to reach out to those members of our community who otherwise wouldn’t get the treatment they need due to a lack of insurance or insufficient insurance,” said Dana Mauser, Director of Occupational Therapy at CVMC’s two hospital campuses and Foothill Presbyterian Hospital. “We want them to have treatment, we want to help them, and this is a way Citrus Valley can reach out to the community.”

Symptoms of lymphedema include swelling in the upper extremities, a feeling of heaviness and loss of function. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to see your doctor and request a referral to CVMC’s outpatient lymphedema clinic.

The Citrus Valley Health Partners Cancer Resource Center is a valuable source that provides support groups, books, pamphlets, videos and Internet access. Physician referrals and clinical trial information are also available.

Citrus Valley Health Partners is comprised of Citrus Valley Medical Center – Inter-Community Campus in Covina; Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus in West Covina; Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora; and Citrus Valley Hospice in West Covina.