Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Launches Arts in Medicine Strategy at NYC Health + Hospitals, in Partnership With the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC
NYC Health + Hospitals leadership will be expanding its use of the arts in clinical and staff care thanks to a $1.5 million grant.
The grant, from philanthropist Laurie M. Tisch via the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, will launch the system's own Arts in Medicine program, which will implement new initiatives benefiting staff and patients at hospitals, community health centers, and long-term care facilities, as well as expand initiatives already working at a single site, the system said.
It was provided by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund's Arts in Health initiative, which supports organizations using the arts to address health issues, especially access to care and disparities in health outcomes.
THE IMPACT
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health system in the country, serving roughly 1.1 million New Yorkers annually. The three-year grant will significantly expand the public health system's arts programs. In addition to serving patients, the grant will also allow the system to create staff initiatives to reduce stress, support emotional health, and help address "compassion fatigue," also known as physician burnout.
Through the Arts in Medicine program, several new programs will be introduced. First, HHArt of Medicine involves intense art observation for clinicians that is designed to enhance focus, improve communication, and encourage active listening, all of which positively impacts its ability to serve patients. SoulCollage incorporates workshops for staff with collage composition, which facilitates staff sharing their experiences and emotions. Finally, the Communal Murals program involves collaboration between hospital artists in residence and staff and community members to create artwork both inside and outside facilities.
Patient-oriented programs that are in use at certain NYC H+H sites that also will be expanded. Music & Memory engages Alzheimer's, dementia and cognitive loss patients by creating personalized playlists with familiar songs to boost memory retrieval and cognitive function. The Lullaby Project partners pregnant women and new mothers with professional musicians to compose lullabies for their babies. Such activities can cut down on maternal anxiety and depression as well as facilitate child development, and parent/child bonding...