Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine

Check out this message from CPAM’s Director, J. Todd Frazier, regarding the 8th installment of their Virtual Art Experiences and Strategic Information for Artists:

As you can imagine, Houston Methodist is feeling the recent increase of Covid-19 patients added to the normal census. We are assured that the spread is not coming from within the hospital, but from the community, so washing hands, social distancing and wearing masks are of critical importance. We are seeing very good results with patients recovering at the hospital and at home and continue to have the resources to serve the increased demand, but a change of course in the disease trend is crucial moving forward. 

What sets CPAM apart is that we are an institutional part of the hospital, which gives us the unique opportunity to be part of solutions to challenges in a proactive way. As care providers, during changing and uncertain times, we have the obligation to adapt and act, and I’m so proud of how our team is responding. Our CPAM Creative Arts Therapy Team and Staff Pianists are working on site and our administration, arts specialists and research teams are trading days in the office and working from home to help reduce the overall number of people in the hospital.

This is a strategic time for the arts, one that will have lasting implications for the field and I’m happy to share some recent highlights from CPAM with you:

• We have continued to produce supportive programming for our patients and employees, all being updated on our COVID website for you to use and share. This includes; Participatory Employee Arts Enrichment Digital Programs, Passive Virtual Arts Interventions Supporting Employee Wellbeing, Selected Wellness Podcasts from Departments of Music Therapy and Academic Development, Hospital Arts in Health TV Channel 3, Weekly Patient Tray Art Activities, Direct Patient Care, Employee Onsite and Printable Art Activities: http://cpamonline.org/onlineresources/
• We have also begun new virtual programming. Dr. Mei Rui, our Research Scientist (and concert pianist) is spearheading a new program with Dr. Atiya Dhala and the Houston Symphony called MUSICARE (Musicians United for Service in Care) which are Virtual/Live Bedside Concerts at Houston Methodist Hospital ICUs.

• Sample Artist commission on Patient TV Channel 3: Ermelinda Cuellar Trio, Professional Jazz Musicians / Popular English and Spanish Songs (Excerpts):  https://www.dropbox.com/s/bsxrhy10ihif72d/Slide%2012%2C%20Ermelinda%20Excerpt.mp4?dl=0
• Sample Artist commission on Patient TV Channel 3: Live Painting, Visual Artist, Videographer and Musician (Excerpts): https://www.dropbox.com/s/v5g15yj8gs8pflx/Slide%2013%2C%20excerpt%20painging.mp4?dl=0
• HMH CPAM was featured as a “COVID Hero” in a national roundup of people doing good during the pandemic from “MSN The Healthy”. Virginia Gray, along with Jennifer Townsend, recorded the heartbeats of a mom and newborn baby separated by COVID-19, allowing them to bond until they were finally reunited Mother’s Day weekend: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/12-people-who-were-true-health-heroes-during-covid-19/ar-BB14TxNU and a more comprehensive link to the same story that includes a radio interview, photos, and samples of the heartbeat recordings: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2020/05/08/369016/how-music-therapists-helped-a-mother-connect-with-the-newborn-she-still-hasnt-met/
• CPAM collaborated with HMH Spiritual Care in creating a rejuvenating space for staff in the longest-running COVID unit. This “serenity room”, on Main 8th floor, includes staff photography, art from the community, art for wellness activities, an iPad with CPAM guided meditations and music listening lists and a water feature, clock and additional inspirational resources from spiritual care. 

• HMH is offering this toolkit for businesses making plans to reopen, including the theatre district, where CPAM Chairman Dr. Robert Jackson is part of an HMH executive team offering advice and testing for musicians of the Houston Symphony: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/-/media/pdf/for-patients/HMG/EHS/EHS_TOOLKIT_Sitecore.ashx
• Some staff have also contributed time as screeners.

• Our new CPAM office, which includes open desks, instrument and equipment storage, meeting and workspace for our team is complete. The office is in the Neurosensory/Jones Tower.

Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine homepage: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/performing-arts/