Learn from experts, create a personal wellness plan, and connect with other cancer survivors.
EASE Cancer Foundation’s 14th Journey to Wellness Cancer Survivorship Workshop is a dynamic educational opportunity for cancer survivors, caregivers, friends, and families. We will be covering a broad range of topics, from breakthroughs in cancer treatment to educational strategies promoting optimum physical functioning and cancer risk reduction through healthier lifestyles. We combine group presentations with smaller break-out sessions, culminating in the creation of your own personal wellness plan. Participants receive a detailed syllabus with delicious whole-food recipes, cutting-edge information, and realistic strategies to thrive as a cancer survivor. EASE Cancer Foundation faculty are experts in their fields, specializing in the unique healthcare needs of cancer survivors. All of our programs are accessible and personalized to meet each attendee's needs and physical capabilities.
Registration and Lodging Details
Sun Mountain Lodge
Your registration fee includes admission to the workshop, Friday buffet dinner, Saturday buffet breakfast and buffet lunch, and syllabus.
Lodging Reservations
This event will be held at Sun Mountain Lodge in the beautiful Methow Valley. Please note that lodging is not included in event registration fee; call Sun Mountain Lodge at 800-572-0493 and mention that you are with the EASE Cancer Foundation to receive an exclusive discounted rate.
COVID-19 Precautions
Attendance will be limited due to COVID-19, and event-wide precautions include wearing masks and social distancing. We will also be requiring proof of vaccination for the safety of our participants, faculty, and Sun Mountain Lodge staff.
Please note that if rising COVID-19 infection rates pose a greater risk to participant safety than these precautions can mitigate, Journey to Wellness may be postponed to a later date. We will communicate with you promptly if this is the case.
Presentations
New Frontiers in Medicine: Genome Sequencing and Personalized Cancer Treatment
Julie Smith, MD
Benefits of Exercise for Mind and Body
Tim Burnham, PhD
Anti-Inflammatory Diet Strategies
Chandra Villano, ND
Creating a Personal Wellness Plan
EASE Faculty
Breakout Sessions
In addition to presentations which all registrants attend together, this workshop features five breakout sessions in which an array of smaller-group classes are taught concurrently. When you sign up for the event, you'll get to choose which class you attend for each session. Space is limited to ensure optimum learning and hands-on participation, and select classes are available during multiple sessions.
Class Highlights
New Frontiers in Medicine: Genome Sequencing and Personalized Cancer Treatment: Learn how treatment is tailored to the specifics of a patient’s individual cancer, and how this is changing the landscape of cancer treatment and outcomes.
Benefits of Exercise on Mind and Body explores the effects of exercise on fatigue, stress, and provides tips to improve memory and promote neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s way of reorganizing itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
Sleep, Stress, and Fatigue Management looks at the relationships between them and provides strategies for practicing good sleep hygiene and stress management.
Resilience, Relaxation, and Mindfulness applies tools cultivate gratitude, perspective, reframing, and mindfulness habits to counter adversity, loss, and negativity. Experiential participation samples numerous clinically-proven techniques for relaxation and stress reduction.
Surveillance for Late Effects of Treatment discusses potential treatment-related side effects that may occur years after cancer treatment.
Physical Wellbeing and Symptom Management explores strategies to manage fatigue, chemo brain, hormonal disturbances, neuropathy, and osteoporosis.
Plan for the Future – Live Now! addresses a palliative care approach to focus on the whole person, communicating physical, emotional, spiritual, and advanced planning concerns and preferences, enabling you to live for today.
Immune Responses and Immunotherapy will discuss innate immunity and defense system, and how immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
Anti-inflammatory Diet Strategies for improved and sustained energy, blood sugar balance, craving control, immune function, weight management, and digestive health.
Whole Food Nutrition and Cancer-Fighting Foods will explore healthy eating habits and phytochemicals that may reduce carcinogens and block the development of new cancers.
Weight Management will discuss common myths, fads, and marketing around weight loss. Learn why many diets don’t work and evidence-based methods that do.
Lymphedema Risk Reduction Practices includes learning signs and symptoms of lymphedema and manual lymphatic massage and exercises to facilitate lymphatic function.
Therapeutic Yoga and Lymphatic Massage. Yoga targets joints to relieve stiffness and enhances mobility. Yoga, combined with manual lymphatic massage, facilitates lymphatic function, and reduces the physical effects of stress on your body and mind.
Putting It All Together incorporates lymphatic support, core strengthening, and exercise prescription while hiking in the Methow Valley. Calculate target heart rate reserve parameters.
Creating a Personal Wellness Plan provides an intentional, summarizing checklist plan, individualized by each participant, to prioritize the key skills and concepts learned during the workshop, to immediately integrate into everyday life for optimal wellness.
Session Offerings
You'll choose which class you attend for each session. Select classes are available during multiple sessions.
Breakout Session 1
Sleep, Stress, and Fatigue Management
Katie Kemble, DNP
Surveillance for Late Effects of Treatment
Maggie Ellings, DNP
Plan Your Future, Live Now!
Ginny Heinitz, BSN, RN, CHPN
Whole Food Nutrition and Cancer-Fighting Foods
Natalie Harris, MS, RD, CD and Laura Smith, RD, CD
Lymphedema Risk Reduction
Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Breakout Session 2
Resilience, Relaxation, and Mindfulness
Chandra Villano, ND
Physical Wellbeing and Symptom Management
Susan Butler, ARNP
Immune Responses and Immunotherapy
Pat Vetter, MD
Weight Management
Tim Burnham, PhD
Therapeutic Yoga and Lymphatic Massage
Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Breakout Session 3
Sleep, Stress, and Fatigue Management
Katie Kemble, DNP
Surveillance for Late Effects of Treatment
Maggie Ellings, DNP
Plan Your Future, Live Now!
Ginny Heinitz, BSN, RN, CHPN
Whole Food Nutrition and Cancer-Fighting Foods
Natalie Harris, MS, RD, CD and Laura Smith, RD, CD
Putting It All Together
Tim Burnham, PhD and Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Breakout Session 4
Sleep, Stress, and Fatigue Management
Katie Kemble, DNP
Physical Wellbeing and Symptom Management
Susan Butler, ARNP
Plan Your Future, Live Now!
Ginny Heinitz, BSN, RN, CHPN
Weight Management
Tim Burnham, PhD
Therapeutic Yoga and Lymphatic Massage
Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Breakout Session 5
Surveillance for Late Effects of Treatment
Maggie Ellings, DNP
Resilience, Relaxation, and Mindfulness
Chandra Villano, ND
Immune Responses and Immunotherapy
Pat Vetter, MD
Whole Food Nutrition and Cancer-Fighting Foods
Natalie Harris, MS, RD, CD and Laura Smith, RD, CD
Putting It All Together
Tim Burnham, PhD and Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Itinerary
Friday, November 12
5:00pm - Registration
6:00pm - Dinner
6:45pm - Welcome and Introductions with EASE Faculty
7:00pm - Keynote Address: New Frontiers in Medicine: Genome Sequencing and Personalized Cancer Treatment with Julie Smith, MD
Saturday, November 13
7:30am - Breakfast and Announcements with EASE Faculty
8:00am - Benefits of Exercise for Mind and Body with Tim Burnham, PhD
9:00am - Breakout Session 1
10:15am - Breakout Session 2
11:30am - Breakout Session 3
12:30pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Anti-Inflammatory Diet Strategies with Chandra Villano, ND
2:30pm - Breakout Session 4
3:45pm - Breakout Session 5
5:00pm - Creating a Personal Wellness Plan with EASE Faculty
5:30pm - Adjournment
About Our Educators
Susan Butler, MSN, ARNP, AOCNP
Susan Butler, ARNP is an oncology nurse practitioner at Confluence Health. She earned her Master’s in Nursing from Gonzaga University. Upon graduation, she worked at Island Hospital in Anacortes where she started their survivorship and chemotherapy education programs. She has a special interest in palliative care, symptom management, and wellness education.
Tim Burnham, Ph.D.
Dr. Burnham is a Professor of Exercise Science at Central Washington University. His research interests include cancer survivorship issues and developing cancer survivorship rehabilitation programs. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal publications, which look at the interaction between physical activity and physical and psychosocial function.
Maggie Ellings, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, RN
Dr. Ellings received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from University of Washington. She is an oncology nurse practitioner with a special interest in cancer survivorship. Her doctoral research focused on sexual health and intimacy discussions for those with cancer.
Natalie Harris, MS, RD, CD
Natalie is a Registered Dietitian in Oncology at Confluence Health. She has been a dietitian for 10 years working in a variety of settings; however, Oncology has been her favorite area of nutrition. In addition to providing nutrition education and support, Natalie enjoys developing relationships with her patients and encouraging them towards health in all aspects of their life.
Ginny Heinitz, BSN, RN, CHPN
Ginny has 35 years of experience and a certificate in Palliative Care from University of Washington. She’s a national instructor for Vital Talks & Respecting Choices and serves on two state steering committees. She believes patients are experts of themselves and need to be listened to for providing the best possible care as they define “living well."
Katie Kemble, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, AOCNP, FAANP
Dr. Kemble received her Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Washington and FNP/PA certificate from Stanford University. She is an oncology nurse practitioner at Confluence Health and a Clinical Professor at the UW. Katie has a special interest in translational research and research investigating quality of life in cancer survivors.
Laura Smith, RD, CD
Laura is a Registered Dietitian in Oncology at Confluence Health. She has been a dietitian for the past 6 years with Confluence Health, starting out as an Inpatient Clinical Dietitian, then movinG into Oncology which is her passion. She enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family in the Wenatchee Valley.
Chandra Villano, ND
Dr. Villano has an undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology and a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University. She has a naturopathic consulting practice, leads corporate and community preventive wellness education classes, and has a clinical specialty in whole foods nutrition, mindfulness, and environmental/personal detox.
Tamara Wells, OTR/L, CLT
Tamara is an Occupational Therapist. She is certified both as a manual Lymphedema Therapist and Neurodevelopmental Therapist and specializes in lymphedema and rehabilitation. Tamara has extensive training and experience working with cancer survivors and is a frequent lecturer.
Pat Vetter, BS, PharmD, BCPS, LSAMT
Dr. Vetter received her Bachelor’s in Pharmacy at the University of Montana and Doctorate of Pharmacy at the University of Washington. She’s a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and has worked with Oncology Infusion services since 2012. Pat is a licensed Small Animal Massage Therapist and believes massage enhances the quality of life for both the pet and the person giving the massage.