Filling the Gaps in Cancer Care

Her love for occupational therapy (OT) stems from what she believes is the heart of the profession: function, creativity, and joy. Williams believes that OT is about helping people rebuild their strength and rediscover meaning in their lives by reconnecting with the activities of daily living that make them happy. It’s a field that allows her to promote health overall through utilizing a nontraditional approach integrating therapeutic exercise, movement, and whole-person care.

These are some of the reasons why as a Touro student, Williams’ capstone project reflected her longstanding commitment to helping people in need. In partnership with St. John’s Hospital, she implemented an evidence-based lymphedema rehabilitation program, addressing a service that is chronically under prescribed and underutilized, especially in rural areas.

Today, this Touro alum runs her own private practice, Mountain Therapeutics, LLC, which recently partnered with St. John's Health's Cancer Survivorship Program to provide individual and group rehabilitation Pilates classes as well as individualized oncology occupational therapy services. Together, the two organizations are ensuring that adults with cancer and/or a history of cancer can consistently participate in small group wellness classes throughout the year. Additionally, she is also running her nonprofit, Wild Country Oncology Services. When she first began her journey at Touro, she was working solely in private practice. Since then, her scope has expanded to include both private and nonprofit work, reflecting her growing commitment to addressing gaps in cancer rehabilitation services in rural and underserved communities.

After Williams was asked by a director at St. John’s to help launch an oncology rehabilitation department in her community, that opportunity introduced her to lymphatic therapy and, more importantly, to adults living with cancer. Many of these people are navigating both acute and chronic side effects of treatment after completing their care plans.

This Vital Work is Personal

Watching people recover from cancer while dealing with lingering side effects from lifesaving treatment is unfortunately not new to Williams, as her father is a two-time cancer survivor. Watching him minimize his symptoms as he felt he should feel “lucky to be alive” and seeing how uncomfortable he was when asking for help is a familiar pattern she saw with her own clients, who were enduring pain, fatigue, cognitive challenges, and mobility limitations. What frustrated her most was that many of these survivors weren’t even aware that therapeutic techniques exist that could help improve their quality of life. Williams was determined to change that.

Together with a colleague, she started an oncology rehab and survivorship program that emphasized integrative health. Modeled after a program in Utah, it combines physical therapy, acupuncture, yoga, and other supportive services designed to care for the whole person. At first, financial barriers and lack of awareness kept survivors from accessing services. Once oncology social workers stepped in to eliminate cost barriers, participation surged, and all services became free.

Williams soon became a provider within the survivorship program, teaching rehabilitation Pilates classes designed specifically to address the unique needs of cancer survivors. Offered in small group sizes, the classes empowered patients through movement and helped to reduce fatigue, pain, cognitive fog, and core weakness while fostering connection. “Many participants came to us for the exercise initially, but then stayed for the community feeling created, finding healing not only in movement but in being surrounded by others who understood their experience firsthand,” said Williams.

Still, this Touro alum saw the gaps in the healthcare services offered. Even in an affluent community, patients struggled to access consistent OT, physical therapy, and speech therapy services, especially between survivorship program cycles. During that time, she took a pain science course taught by Touro School of Health Sciences Professor Luke Bongiorno, and the focus on equity in healthcare resonated deeply.

“I realized that Touro’s mission mirrored exactly what I was seeing in my own rural community, and I felt compelled to address these barriers to care,” said Williams.

From OT to Entrepreneur

Williams’ goal was to start a nonprofit to make a community-wide impact and that vision became a reality when she opened Wild Country Oncology Services in January ‘26. The organization focuses on wellness classes and rehabilitation services for people with a current or past cancer diagnosis. Within months, Wild Country received its first grant of over $15,000, which is being used to fund wellness classes and individual OT services for breast cancer survivors. To date, the nonprofit has raised $56,000 and from August ’25 to January ‘26, it hosted over sixty group wellness classes and nearly fifty individual OT sessions. More than forty patients are regular participants, with most attending for free.

The nonprofit’s small-group rehabilitation Pilates sessions use reformer equipment. While Williams had never practiced Pilates herself until taking a breast cancer rehabilitation course, she quickly realized that its integral components, including stretching, balance, coordination, and strength were extremely beneficial for cancer survivors. Beyond its physical benefits, the groups also provide a powerful therapeutic space where participants can support one another through their shared experience.

Movement, Williams believes, is medicine. And when paired with connection and dignity, it becomes transformative. Her work is about more than rehabilitation; it’s about building community and ensuring that no one living with cancer is forced to navigate its lasting effects alone. Grateful for the expertise and skillset that was enhanced by her Touro mentors, Williams looks to her future with excitement as she knows she’s making a vital difference in the lives of patients in the rural community she serves.