Robin Ryan Marquez is a licensed physical therapist with more than 30 years in practice. She cares for more than her patient’s physical needs and limitations. Her approach is grounded in scientific principles and training, and yet she attends to the whole person and their desire for emotional balance, physical ease, and encouragement.

 

Her practice has been diverse. With degrees in physical therapy and hospital administration from Simmons College in Boston and Texas Women’s University in Houston, Robin has practiced in a variety of settings, including a trauma facility for burn and wound care patients, inpatient and outpatient orthopedics, skilled rehab, and home health care.

 

In 2008, after her own breast cancer diagnosis, she transformed her practice after observing a shortage of physical therapists who specialized in the treatment of oncology patients. “My experience as a patient enriched my professional values – I wanted to join my patients in their struggle, to support them as they navigated the journey back to wellness,” reflects Robin.

 

Currently, as the owner of Chestnut Hill Physical Therapy Associates in Wellesley, she is dedicated to the treatment of patients with cancer, with a particular focus on women before, during, and after breast cancer treatment.  “We care about the person,” she says, “not just their physical needs and limitations, but also their emotional, sexual, and body images issues that have changed from cancer treatment.”

 

A dedicated innovator in the field of oncology rehab, she served on the planning committee for the first Livestrong Survivor Program, which was piloted at the Hockomock YMCA in Franklin, MA.  This 12-week program for post-treatment oncology patients provided 50 participants with bi-weekly sessions that coached them in exercise, meditation, and nutrition in a structured yet supportive environment. The program’s success led to the Livestrong Foundation’s expansion of Livestrong Programs into YMCAs throughout the United States. Additionally, she has been a staff physical therapist at Uxbridge Orthopedics and Sports Therapy in Uxbridge, MA, where she developed the Survivorship Clinic.

 

Robin is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and received Lymphedema Specialist Certification in 2013.  When Robin is not treating patients or volunteering at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and New England Peaks for Prevention, she can often be found hiking in New Hampshire. “Life can be hard,” says Robin, “Yet it’s important to think about your priorities, what’s important to you, and living your best life.”