Thomas Burrows Joins the Board of Directors of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thomas Burrows, executive director of the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo has been elected to join the Board of Directors of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare. The Washington, D.C., based international organization is comprised of more than 1,700 members worldwide drawn from a myriad of professional industries, including: medicine, research, architecture, interior design, clinical therapies, health-care administration, pharmaceuticals and artists of all backgrounds.

Burrows' appointment follows the recent announcement of a $287,182 grant by the John R. Oishei Foundation to establish a program that will bring the performing arts and artists into health-care settings to enhance the healing environment for patients and caregivers in Western New York. The Center for the Arts' innovative Arts in Healthcare initiative is in collaboration with Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, a Kaleida Health facility.

The first program of its kind in Western New York, it will be modeled after a highly successful program at the University of Florida. Plans call for Arts in Healthcare to expand to additional health-care facilities in the region.

This summer the Center for the Arts will host an intensive training program facilitated by the University of Florida's CAHRE program where local invited visual artists, musicians, poets, dancers and storytellers will be trained to work with patients, families, and staff in health-care settings as integral members of the health-care team.

"The program will offer the benefits of multidisciplinary research and scholarship for the benefit of our community, while allowing the center to broaden its artistic and cultural reach in the region," Burrows added. "This project will help to increase the national and international visibility of UB and Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo."

Burrows said studies have shown that integrating the arts into these settings helps to cultivate a healing environment, support the mental and emotional recovery of patients, communicate health and recovery information and foster positive working conditions for caregivers to improve satisfaction and retention.

Founded in 1991, the Society for the Arts in Healthcare is dedicated to promoting the incorporation of the arts as an integral component of health care by: demonstrating the valuable roles the arts can play in enhancing the healing process; advocating for the integration of the arts into the environment and delivery of care within health-care facilities; assisting in the professional development and management of arts programming for health-care populations; providing resources and education to health-care and arts professionals; and encouraging and supporting research and investigation into the beneficial effects of the arts in health care.

The Center for the Arts is dedicated to the cultural enrichment of the UB and its surrounding communities through the presentation of public arts and cultural events of the highest quality. Celebrating the creative process through innovative programming, the center crosses socio-economic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries. The center nurtures excellence and innovation in the arts through education, presentation, community service and research in the visual and performing arts, while broadening the base of understanding, appreciation and support for the arts through meaningful community partnerships.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system that is its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.