Weekend Workshops Focus on Augmenting Cancer Treatment

St. John’s Regional Medical Center will sponsor workshops for professional caregivers, cancer patients and the public this weekend to discuss complementary approaches to cancer treatment.

The workshops Saturday and Sunday are part of the “Collaborative Cancer Care: A Model for Healing in the New Millennium” program offered through Healing Health Care Services of Santa Barbara.

“The national trend of integrating traditional medicine and alternative approaches has required health care professionals to expand their knowledge,” said Loretta Melancon, a registered nurse and certified holistic nurse who owns and operates the company. Three events, each aimed at different audiences, will take place during the weekend.

A workshop Saturday, “Complementary Approaches to Cancer Treatment,” is designed for professional caregivers to gain knowledge and skills they can integrate with their treatment of cancer patients. It will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and includes continuing education credit.

Another workshop, “Supportive Cancer Care: A Naturopathic Approach,” is designed from a patient’s point of view. It runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Robert Reynolds, a local naturopathic physician who has been working to develop the program, will lead those two workshops.

An evening program, “The Spirit of Healing for Patients and Healers,” is included in the registration for both workshops. It runs from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday and is open to the public for a small registration fee.

David Cumes, a Santa Barbara surgeon and author, will speak during the Saturday evening program and suggest some practical ways in which patients and healers can become informed participants in the healing process.

Contact hours will be available for physicians, nurses and certified nursing assistants who attend the workshops.

For more information or to register, call 692-2854.