Apply For Funding
ExMed: Exercise as Medicine for Cancer provides funding for evidence-based exercise rehabilitation at registered clinical exercise physiology centres throughout the Manawatū.
Please note: Funding applications can only be considered if all required documents are provided.
To apply for funding contact the ExMed Charity. Refer to the How to Get on The Program part of this website by clicking the button below for more information.
The Enrolment Process
Referral
People with cancer will be referred to the ExMed funded exercise rehab program through the oncology department at MidCentral Hospital in Palmerston North. General practitioners can refer patients to MidCentral oncology for eligibility screening. A patient’s eligibility is determined by their overall profile with a focus on the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) performed by the team at MidCentral oncology. The entry criteria are mostly based on the patient's medical profile (e.g., type of cancer and other co-morbidities) and the results of the CPET test. The number of patients referred per year is determined by the amount of funds raised by the charity. Patients who want to enrol as private paying clients can contact ExMed for Cancer for more information.
Note: Funding goes to the Registered CEP provider and not to the patient directly.
CEP consultation/assessment
An ExMed team member will contact you and provide information about the service. You will be scheduled for a consultation/assessment with a registered clinical exercise physiologist.
The initial appointment with an ExMed cancer clinical exercise physiologist
Your exercise physiologist will conduct a pre-activity screening and assess your health-related physical fitness in order to individualise your exercise prescription. This exercise prescription will be tailored according to your type of cancer, treatment history, the severity of any symptoms/side effects, and general health history, physical abilities and personal preferences. The personalised exercise prescription will be designed using international guidelines for best-practice exercise medicine.
Individual exercise session with your ExMed clinical exercise physiologist
Your next appointment will be an instructional exercise session in which the exercise physiologist will take you through your personalised exercise program. The session will help familiarise you with the facilities at the fitness centre and the processes involved with your participation.
Final appointment with your ExMed clinical exercise physiologist
Your exercise physiologist will re-assess your health-related fitness and provide feedback on your progress following the completion of the ExMed program. The exercise physiologist will re-evaluate your personalised exercise prescription in light of your progress and develop a plan for you to continue exercising. A variety of options and strategies to continue exercising will be discussed (e.g., supervision options, continued fitness centre membership, home-based exercise, other programs and services available in the local community) and a written exercise plan will be provided.