I have been on the faculty.since 1989. It is one of the pleasures of my job to admire the art that is situated throughout the hospital. In my opinion, it not only brings sunlight to my day, but it brings pleasure to the stressed patients and their families. Indeed, many are the times that the patients and I have discussed the art hanging in their room rather than focusing on their ill health. The residents, too, are appreciative in their long days.

Darthmouth Medical School

The mission of the C. Everett Koop Institute is to promote the health and well-being of all people. One of the projects of this institute is to find the impact of the arts in the process of healing. The value of a rich and uplifting environment to healing has been documented in such research as Robert Ulrich's study: Effects of Interior Design on Wellness: theory and Recent Scientific Research" (Journal of Health Care Interior Design), which demonstrated that patients who could view nature through their windows had shorter port-operative hospital stays, made negative comments less often, needed fewer doses of narcotics, and ha fewer post-surgical complications.

ArtCare Program: A growing team of artist and Dartmouth students have been volunteering their time and creative passions to assist the patients and staff at the medical center in creating a total picture of health. The experience of working with ArtCare is a challenging one. It is also extremely rewarding and unique. The bonds that are forged through the process of art intervention into medical science can change both the volunteers outlook on life and the life of the patients they work with.

Georgetown University School of Medicine

som.georgetown.edu

Georgetown School of Medicine works with the course, The Arts for Children where medical students work alongside artists who facilitate arts activities with hospitalized children. This course promotes relationships and sensitivity that is essential when working with families and children

Stanford School of Medicine

In the past few years, hospital leaders, physicians and patients have discovered that art and music in the hospital environment can help patients deal with their illnesses more effectively and possibly return to full functioning earlier. Healing art can be as simple as viewing pictures on the walls to help soothe the stress of waiting for a procedure, or it can be active involvement by patients, such as expressing their feelings through painting or sculpture under the guidance of trained artists.

In recent years, Stanford Hospital has offered a variety of art programs, including the Art for Healing program, run by cancer survivor and artist Wendy Traber; the Bing Music Series, which offers musical performances several times weekly in the Atrium and the community-sponsored art program, which provides a variety of fine art and posters throughout the hospital.

The Art for Health program brings an artist to the bedside with materials for the patient to create their own work. Also, the hospitals art collection compromises over five hundred pieces of fine art and sixteen hundred posters. The art enhances and humanizes the environment.

Vanderbilt Medical Center

"Art in a healthcare setting can be emotionally powerful. A sculpture or painting can create feelings of hope which is a necessary ingredient in the healing process."

When patients come through the doors of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, they can count on the best care and technology available. One thing they may not be counting on, but will surely find, is art, and plenty of it.

Soon after architects had pen in hand to draw the plans for the eight-story, freestanding children's hospital, a 25-member arts committee was meeting to discuss what type of art should be on display throughout the hospital.

Art is woven throughout the new Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, often in ways that aren't obvious. It's part of the hospital's healing arts program.

"My dancers and I were working regularly at Children's Hospital National Medical Center. During one of these interactive performances I noticed a boy doze off and continued sleeping soundly as he was wheeled back to his room. What were we doing wrong that we were unable to hold that child's attention? Then one of the nurses excitedly approached me. "Thank you so much!" she said, "We've been trying to get that child to calm down and go to sleep for three days!"

Sometimes art achieves what therapy, medication or the best care cannot. These moments can feel like little miracles when they happen, but the are usually instances of art functioning as it normally does: inspiring motivation, engaging parts of people's bodies or brains that they haven't been using, or allowing them to transcend their environments for a little while.

"My dancers and I were working regularly at Children's Hospital National Medical Center. During one of these interactive performances I noticed a boy doze off and continued sleeping soundly as he was wheeled back to his room. What were we doing wrong that we were unable to hold that child's attention? Then one of the nurses excitedly approached me. "Thank you so much!" she said, "We've been trying to get that child to calm down and go to sleep for three days!"

Sometimes art achieves what therapy, medication or the best care cannot

Art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favors no race, and it acknowledges no class. It speaks to our need to reveal, heal and transform. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible.