A hospital’s collaborative arts in health approach to COVID-19

This note from the field outlines how an integrated arts in health department within a hospital created clinical and non-clinical art experiences for patients and providers during COVID-19. Working with a multi-disciplinary team, the Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist established creative arts therapy and arts integration programmes targeting patient and provider experiences during COVID-19. Emphasis is placed on how programmes respond to both physical health and emotional well-being through accessible, appropriate art experiences. This article outlines those strategies and highlights various entry points for arts experiences in a hospital experience during a pandemic.

Genees & Kunst 21. 3rd Lustrum−Annual Symposium on Medical Problems of Dancers & Musicians, Ede, The Netherlands, March 26, 2021

On Friday, March 26, 2021, the Dutch Performing Arts Medicine Association (NVDMG) organized a scientific and artistic symposium “Genees & Kunst 21” for its 21st member assembly, at Akoesticum in Ede, The Netherlands. It was also the 3rd lustrum symposium, because in 2020 the NVDMG had its 15th anniversary and due to COVID-19 we had to postpone the symposium 1 year. The symposium was held digitally for the first time in the existence of the NVDMG.

Setting the Foundation

This chapter provides an overview of wellness theories, along with a profile of the challenges facing music students today, and a brief background of performing arts medicine. The multidimensional nature of wellness is introduced as the basis for the explorations that follow in this book. The top impediments to academic performance faced by college students are identified and grounded in national surveys and research. Some of these challenges include stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and depression. A discussion specific to music students points to additional challenges, such as performance-related musculoskeletal injuries, isolation, competition, and performance anxiety. The toolkit at the end of the chapter provides eight assessments for each dimension of wellness.

Art on Prescription. Dutch Performing Arts Medicine Association (NVDMG) Symposium, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, October 29, 2019

The focus of the symposium, organized by the Rehabilitation Expertise Center for Music & Dance of Revalidatie Friesland (NL) under the auspices of the Dutch Performing Arts Medicine Association (NVDMG), was the added value of the application of art in health care and the social domain. The abstracts of the presentations provide information about different aspects related to this topic.

The Digital Era of Performing Arts Medicine Research

As MPPA moves into the next decade, the challenges faced by maintaining print media in an increasingly paperless society has led to the journal being published online only from March 2020 onwards. While it is a little sad to farewell the colourful covers and textures of the paper journal, there will be advantages in accessibility and immediacy of publishing with the new online system, and we look forward to the new era. Indeed, modern technology has changed the way we analyse a multitude of variables in research, and we see in this issue several examples of performance analysis using highly sophisticated devices.

HARNESSING ARTS IN MEDICINE FOR STRENGTH IN AGE: CASE STUDY, CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS MEDICINE, HOUSTON METHODIST

In the 1970’s hybrid arts and humanities programs began developing within healthcare systems across the country. Today, the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) represents a network of hundreds of programs with a major focus of serving older people and their caregivers. This presentation will provide an overview of this rapidly developing network along with a multimedia overview of a comprehensive arts and medicine hospital based program in the Texas Medical Center: Houston Methodist Hospital’s System Center for Performing Arts Medicine one of NOAH’s founding members. The Center’s expanding national, regional and community network of artist health, arts integration, creative arts therapy, research, and outreach programs serving older people will be described. Demonstrating how arts in health communicate and elevate value across disciplines through program evaluation (patient satisfaction and employee opinion), clinical research, and financial and outcome data will be explored as a case study.