Plattsburgh, NY -  From the calming sound of birdsong to the stress-reducing power of plants, nature has long been shown to support health and healing — and beginning Tuesday, April 14, the FitzPatrick Cancer Treatment Center is bringing those benefits to cancer survivors through a new session of its Nature-Based Approach to Living Beyond Cancer group. The group will meet at 5 pm at Point Au Roche Park every other Tuesday through October 27.

Led by Oncology Social Worker Stacey LaFave, MS, Nature-Based Approach to Living Beyond Cancer uses the techniques of forest therapy and horticultural therapy to connect people with the healing benefits of nature and plants. LaFave is a certified forest therapy guide and holds a certification in horticultural therapy.

“This program is ideal for people seeking health and wellness after a diagnosis of cancer,” she said.

Registration is required. Please note that the location of the meetings will either be at Point Au Roche State Park or at the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) as determined by weather conditions. The FitzPatrick Cancer Center is a program of CVPH.

To learn more about Nature-Based Approach to Living Beyond Cancer program or to register, call 518-562-7534 or afleming2@cvph.org.

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About Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
The University of Vermont Health Network - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) is a private, not-for profit hospital in Plattsburgh, NY.  Established in 1967 with the merger of Champlain Valley and Physicians Hospitals, CVPH joined Fletcher Allen Partners in 2012, which in 2014 became The University of Vermont Health Network.  Together with its partner hospitals, the UVM Medical Group and a home health agency, CVPH provides high-quality, cost-effective care, close to home. Services include an award-winning cardiac services program, accredited cancer center, freestanding ambulatory surgery center, comprehensive rehabilitation services and a 24-hour physician-staffed Emergency Department.  Governed by a 15-member Board of Directors, CVPH is accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed by New York State and Medicare/Medicaid Approved. Learn more at UVMHealth.org/CVPH or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About The University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:

• The University of Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice

Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.