Belo Mansion was bubbling with early birds like Amy Hofland, Susan Sayles, Cynthia Krause, Lynn Rushton, Boski Sharma, Gail and Robert Sachson, Janet Putek, Cindy and Armand Schwartz, Calvert Collins-Bratton with her mother Susan Sanders, Kevin Hurst and Business Council for the Arts (BCA) CEO Katherine Wagner on the morning of Wednesday, June 6, for the Inaugural Arts And Healthcare Breakfast presented by the Business Council of the Arts. The panel was made up of a trio of experts, who have witnessed and advocated the benefits of including the arts for patients. Here is a report from the field:
Business Council for the Arts hosted its inaugural Arts And Healthcare Breakfast on Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 a.m. at The Belo Mansion. With more than 150 attendees, the first annual event featured a panel discussion regarding the impact of the arts on advancing healthcare and wellness. After a brief reception, BCA board member Steve Roth welcomed everyone in attendance as they took their seats. Attendees enjoyed breakfast as they anticipated the upcoming panel discussion.
Moderator Pamela J. Stoyanoff, executive vice president and COO for Methodist Health System and a member of the BCA board of directors, then took the stage to introduce the featured panelists:
- Todd Frazier, director of the System Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist. Frazier is a composer, musician, and healthcare arts director in addition to his role at the eight institutions that make up Houston Methodist Hospital. He is also the chairperson of the nonprofit organization, National Organization of Arts in Healthcare.
- John F. Harper, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., is the Ewton chair for cardiology at Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas and a poet who uses literature in his training of medical students.
- Upali Nanda, Ph.D., vice president and director of research at HKS, Inc., is a pioneer in the field of evidence-based visual art and design in addition to her role at HKS, Inc., an international architecture firm with a specialty in healthcare design.
Each shared details on how the arts, including music, visual arts and literature, impact the work they are doing in their respective fields. Afterward Stoyanoff joined the panelists back on stage to moderate a brief Q & A session.
As the event came to a close, attendees were gifted some take-home treats courtesy of Unrefined Bakery.
* Photo credit: Steve Foxall