In-Hospital Integrative Therapy for Children with Cancer
The Love Bus Bedside program brings integrative therapy sessions directly to children receiving cancer care in the hospital, offering forms of natural pain management alongside traditional treatment. Our in-hospital programs are free, coordinated with your child's care team, and available now at four major New England medical centers.
Our Hospital Partners
Love Bus currently delivers in-hospital integrative therapy pediatric cancer programs at four partner institutions across New England:
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, MA
Varying modalities each month
- Baystate Medical Center — Springfield, MA
Massage therapy by Nina Pollard
Art therapy by Ayana Williams
- UMass Memorial Medical Center — Worcester, MA
Meditation & Yoga therapy by Meg Vyas
- Hasbro Children's Hospital — Providence, RI
Acupuncture by Alice Lee
These partnerships are formal, coordinated relationships — not drop-in arrangements. Our therapists work alongside each hospital's pediatric oncology care team, which means your child's medical team already knows us, and no one has to navigate a new relationship from scratch.
What an In-Hospital Session Actually Looks Like
A Love Bus therapist comes to your child — to their room, their floor, wherever they are in the hospital that day. Sessions are tailored to what your child can comfortably receive during their current phase of treatment.
There is no travel, no scheduling burden on your family, and no cost. You tell us your child is admitted, and we work with the care team to bring the session to them.
Not at One of Our Partner Hospitals? You Still Qualify.
Our four hospital partner locations are access points — they are not eligibility gates. If your child is being treated at a hospital anywhere in New England that isn't on our partner list, Love Bus can still fund community-based integrative therapies for your family. The support comes to you through local vetted providers, at home, or in a community setting that works for your situation.
Wherever your child is receiving care in
Massachusetts,
Connecticut,
Rhode Island,
New Hampshire,
Vermont, or
Maine, there is a path to Love Bus support.
Questions Families Ask About Hospital-Based Programs
Does Love Bus come to the hospital?
Yes. Love Bus delivers integrative therapy sessions directly at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, and Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. Sessions are coordinated with the pediatric oncology care team and brought to your child's room.
Is hospital-based integrative therapy available for kids with cancer in New England?
Love Bus provides bedside integrative therapy at four major New England medical centers. Additional programming provides community-based therapies for families primarily at partner sites in eastern Massachusetts, and individual therapies of choice for childhood cancer family members no matter where your child is being treated in New England.
What complementary therapies are available during cancer treatment at partner hospitals?
Each hospital has selected an integrative therapy based on patient needs. At Baystate, both massage therapy and art therapy are offered on separate days each week. UMass Memorial has a yoga therapist visit on Thursdays who is also trained in guided meditation and mindfulness. At Hasbro, an acupuncturist visits weekly, and can offer no-need acupressure for those who prefer that technique. Our partnership with MGH is evolving, and currently takes place through one extended visit once per month with a special activity, including smoothie recipe testing, slime making, and special animal therapy visits! If you are treated at one of these hospitals, ask your child life team for more information.
Do we need to do anything special to access Love Bus at our hospital?
Love Bus is contracted by local hospitals to provide chosen integrative therapies to pediatric oncology patients. In order to establish partnerships with new hospitals, Love Bus would need to identify funding partners to launch a new program. If you are treated at a hospital that is not currently a Love Bus partner, you can still access support outside of the hospital through our additional programs. And if you are a potential funder interested in having Love Bus bring our bedside program to your local hospital, contact us now!
