First in the Caribbean: Oncology Hospital earns excellence accreditation in cancer rehabilitation

Puerto Rico now has the Caribbean's first Center of Excellence in Oncological Rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Center of the Dr. Isaac González Martínez Oncology Hospital, at the Medical Center in Río Piedras, earned the Bronze accreditation granted by the Physiological Oncology Rehabilitation Institute (PORi), becoming the first center on the island and in the entire region to achieve this distinction ¹. The announcement, published Monday, August 24, certifies that the hospital's physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology team completed PORi's comprehensive clinical training program and consistently applies its evidence-based assessment and intervention techniques ¹³.

The distinction comes from an institution with history. The Dr. Isaac González Martínez Oncology Hospital is the hospital arm of the Liga Puertorriqueña contra el Cáncer, a nonprofit organization that opened Puerto Rico's first oncology hospital in 1962 and serves adult cancer patients, with an emphasis on people of limited means ². Its Rehabilitation Center operates in the heart of the Medical Center, on Américo Miranda Avenue in the Monacillo ward of Río Piedras ².

Oncological rehabilitation is the least talked-about piece of cancer treatment, yet it often defines a patient's quality of life. It addresses the physical and functional effects that cancer and its therapies leave behind: lymphedema after breast surgery, neuropathy and weakness from chemotherapy, persistent fatigue, and trouble speaking or swallowing after head and neck treatments ¹³. The center's multidisciplinary team works precisely to restore function and independence during and after treatment ¹.

The numbers

• More than 16,500 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Puerto Rico in 2022, 52% in men and 48% in women ⁴.
• The most common cancers on the island are breast, prostate, colon and rectum, lung, and thyroid ⁴.
• The center has four PORi-certified therapists with subspecialties: Bernice Ortíz Vélez, an occupational therapist specializing in chemotoxicity and exercise; Natalia López-Cepero, a speech-language pathologist specializing in head and neck cancer; María Romero Martínez, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic cancer and lower-extremity rehabilitation; and Esther Falcón Oliveras, a physical therapist specializing in breast cancer ¹.
• PORi, founded in 2014, has certified more than 2,500 therapists worldwide, and its Centers of Excellence program is its highest level of institutional recognition ³.
• The Bronze accreditation recognizes centers whose teams completed PORi's comprehensive training program and maintain an ongoing commitment to professional development ¹³.

What it means for you

If you or someone in your family is in cancer treatment, or finished it months or years ago, this expands real recovery options without leaving Puerto Rico. Side effects like lymphedema, fatigue, or difficulty swallowing are not something to endure as an inevitable part of the disease: they are treatable conditions with specialized therapy ³. There is now a team in San Juan certified under international standards, inside a nonprofit institution that has historically prioritized patients of limited means ¹².

How to do it / Checklist

1. Talk to your oncologist or primary care doctor about a referral to oncological rehabilitation if you notice swelling in your arms or legs (possible lymphedema), fatigue that does not improve, weakness, numbness in your hands or feet, or changes in speech or swallowing.
2. Call the Dr. Isaac González Martínez Oncology Hospital at 787-763-4149 for guidance on appointments and Rehabilitation Center requirements ².
3. You can also write to [email protected] for information directly from the center ².
4. The address is Bo. Monacillo #150, Américo Miranda Ave., Medical Center area in Río Piedras, San Juan ².
5. Before your appointment, verify with your health plan the coverage for physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and bring your plan card along with the referral.
6. Bring a summary of your treatment history (surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation) so the team can design a plan tailored to your case.

What's next

Bronze is the first rung of PORi's Centers of Excellence program, which includes higher tiers for teams that keep accumulating certifications and clinical experience ³. Keeping the designation requires continuing education and high standards of care, so the recognition is not a static trophy but a renewable commitment ¹³. The Liga Puertorriqueña contra el Cáncer said it will keep strengthening services for cancer patients on the island, with programs that address not only the disease but also the functional and quality-of-life needs that arise during recovery ¹.

Sources

1. El Vocero — Hospital Oncológico logra acreditación como Centro de Excelencia en Rehabilitación: https://www.elvocero.com/revistas/bienestar/hospital-oncol-gico-logra-acreditaci-n-como-centro-de-excelencia-en-rehabilitaci-n/article_fc8977e1-bb80-401f-9996-fe01176e2ec6.html
2. Liga Puertorriqueña Contra el Cáncer — Rehabilitation Center: https://ligacancerpr.org/en/centroderehabilitacion/
3. PORi — Center of Excellence in Oncology Rehabilitation: https://www.pori.org/pori-coe
4. Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry: https://rcpr.org/