BLUE HILL — Local women who are facing or who have undergone surgery for breast cancer can turn to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital for a new program that will help restore their quality of life.

Beth Wagstaff developed the program, which is delivered through the hospital’s Rehabilitation Services department.

An experienced occupational therapist with special training in areas ranging from therapeutic yoga to the management of sensory processing disorders, Wagstaff was inspired to develop the new program after several friends, both under the age of 40, developed breast cancer.

“Sometimes it feels like breast cancer is an epidemic in our community,” said Wagstaff, whose accreditation from the Pink Ribbon Program in Boston makes her a certified breast cancer exercise specialist.

The new Breast Cancer Recovery and Rehabilitation Services program can be tailored to meet the unique needs of individual patients.

“The priorities of a 42 year-old mother of two young children are different than the needs of an active 70-year-old who wants to return to her golfing and tennis,” Wagstaff said. “The scope of a surgical procedure, pre-existing conditions like diabetes and a patient’s overall condition prior to surgery are other factors that I consider as I develop a treatment plan.”

Wagstaff emphasizes that women can begin to benefit from the new program as soon as they learn that surgery is needed. She works individually with pre-surgical patients in a private, comfortable treatment area, gathering baseline information on daily level of function, needs and goals. She also analyzes a woman’s posture, and assesses her baseline flexibility and strength.

To help women prepare for surgery, Wagstaff provides education on postoperative shoulder mobility exercises, breathing exercises, lymphedema precautions and daily activity guidelines.

Following breast cancer surgery, Wagstaff helps women regain their shoulder motion and upper extremity strength. When advisable for the patient, she conducts a cardiovascular assessment and identifies functional limitations.

Wagstaff also provides manual lymphatic drainage, a special type of massage that helps to reduce swelling and pain following surgery such as a radical mastectomy that involves the removal of lymph nodes under the arms.

Mark Hankinson, manager of the Rehabilitation Services Department, said he is “extremely excited about the development and implementation of the new program. It’s just one more way that we can make a real difference for our community.”

Appointments are available immediately and the program is covered by most insurances. Financial assistance programs are available to those who qualify.

For more information, contact the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services Department at 374-3454.

For more health news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.