Creative Caregiving and our Peers in the field of Arts and Health
Artists in Residence, Maddie Firestone and Sam Solley had the opportunity to attend The Arts for Health Florida, Creative Caregiving Symposium. This two day symposium focused on caring for caregivers in the military continuum, creative caregiving across the lifespan, and self care. The symposium was located at the Atlantic Center of the Arts in New Smyrna Beach and featured sessions from leaders in the field of Arts in Healthcare in Florida.
This symposium benefited our patients, families, and artists by giving the privilege for Maddie and Sam to meet with others that work in the art in healthcare field and to continue to learn about best practices in our field.
With the expansion of two new service locations working with the adult patient populations, St Vincent’s Riverside and Mayo Clinic we decided to take a trip to UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine in Gainesville. The UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine program was founded in 1990 with a main focus on transforming healthcare environments through the arts and providing leadership for hospital arts programs throughout the nation.
During our visit to Gainesville, we were able to meet with the team and learn best practices. A highlight of the visit was shadowing artists in residence as they made visits to the pediatric and adult patient within the hospital. The whole experience was really eye-opening and we learned a lot from our visit.
As Art with a Heart in Healthcare continues to grow we look to our peers for inspiration while sharing our own valuable experiences in the field of Arts in Healthcare.