Throughout history, pictures, stories, dances, music and drama have been central to healing. Research indicates that music can decrease pain, nausea and anxiety; lowers blood pressure; and stabilizes heart rates.
According to JaeJeung So, art therapist at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, art therapy also has a healing effect, stating, “With serious illnesses, patients feel they have little control over their diseases and/or their lives. Art therapy allows them to gain a degree of freedom by putting on canvas what words can’t explain, literally allowing them to see what they are feeling.”
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, with the assistance of several generous friends, is helping to connect patients here, with the healing power of arts.
For example, “Certified Music Practitioners are specially trained musicians providing live music at patients’ bedsides to bring physical, emotional and spiritual comfort,” said Tony Arant, certified music practitioner. “In 2015, we averaged 300 monthly patient requests. Today, we receive over 2,000 monthly requests, so our three music practitioners meet less than 30 percent of our patients’ needs.”
The Arts in Medicine program at Baylor Dallas is a philanthropically funded initiative created for the purpose of integrating music, visual arts, performing arts and research to promote healing and to enhance the lives of our patients, families, visitors, clinicians and employees.
The vision of Arts in Medicine program is to:
- Fully integrate the music, therapeutic, literary, visual and performing arts into our clinical care to promote healing and enhance the lives of all those we serve
- Investigate the use of arts in healing through clinical research
- Build community partnerships around arts, health and medicine
As word spreads about the positive impact these services have, the demand from our patients and caregivers is outpacing our ability to meet those needs.
The Arts in Medicine program was the featured topic at the eighth annual Boone Powell Sr. Society Luncheon in May.
The Boone Powell Senior Society was created to honor those who have made commitments to Baylor Health Care System Foundation through a planned gift or in their estate plans, and more than 100 members and guests gathered at this year’s recognition luncheon.
Special guests included Paula Walker, who donated $1 million in 2015 to fund the core patient components of the Arts in Medicine initiative, and Harriet Jeffers, who is leaving a $500,000 bequest for the program.
The program included a panel discussion led by Foundation president, Rowland K. Robinson, with James Fleshman, M.D., chief of surgery at Baylor Dallas; Kelly Crayton, R.N., nurse manager at Baylor T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital; Tony Arant; JaeJeung So; and Sara Chigani, music therapist.
The panelists shared personal stories of the changes they’ve seen in patients though the healing power of arts and music. From reduced anxiety following a double mastectomy, to advances in speech following traumatic brain injury, to enhanced memory recall for an Alzheimer’s patient, the Arts in Medicine program is touching lives across all areas of care.
According to Dr. Fleshman, the addition of art and music therapy is also having a positive impact on his patients following surgery.
“With our ‘Enhanced Recovery After Surgery’ protocol, we are decreasing the use of narcotics to allow release of patients’ natural pain relievers — endorphins — produced by our bodies to block the perception of pain. But patients have to get up and walk to get their bodies functioning and boost those endorphins. They often refuse because it hurts too much,” said Dr. Fleshman. “Having live music in the halls and art stations where patients stop to draw or color, is enticing them to get up and get out, focus on the music and art, not the pain.” Adding these components to this protocol is working: “It has collectively reduced our use of pain meds by 80 percent and is shortening patients’ length of stay,” added Dr. Fleshman.
For more information on the Boone Powell Sr. Society or the Arts in Medicine Program, contact Craig.Foster@BSWHealth.org or 214.820.3136.
