“I realized this program could grow
to benefit more patients, and I could
be a part of making that happen.”
– Paula Walker
Cynthia Krause, Paula Walker and Lesley Martinelli
symptoms and quality of life. The NIH team
concluded that these therapies significantly
reduced anxiety, depression and pain, and
improved patients’ quality of life.
Baylor’s Interest in the Arts
Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer
Center has offered significant arts and healing programs for many years. Specifically,
the Virginia R. Cvetko Patient Education
Center has provided music practitioners for
patients at the bedside and performing and
visual arts in common areas at both the
Baylor Sammons Cancer Center and Baylor
T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital.
The Baylor Sammons Cancer Center and
Baylor Pickens Cancer Hospital treated
some 8,000 patients through 80,000 visits
in 2014. More than half of those patients
benefitted from one of the art programs
offered through the Cvetko Center. These
numbers, fueled by patient feedback and
new research on the benefits of the arts in
healing, drove our vision to create a more
comprehensive Arts in Medicine Institute.
Vision becomes reality through transformational gift
In April, the Foundation received a transformational three-year grant for $1,053,000
from the Paula S. Walker Donor Advised
Fund at The Dallas Foundation, to support salaries of an Arts in Medicine
Coordinator, two music practitioners and an
art therapist, in addition to funding an
Artist in Residence program and staff training. This grant focuses on the initial phase
of our vision to create the infrastructure necessary to undergird core patient services.
The comprehensive vision of our Arts in
Medicine Institute is to:
n Integrate the visual, music and performing arts to promote healing
n Enhance the lives of our patients, their
families, visitors and our caregivers
n
Build community partnerships around
the arts, health and medicine
n
Create a broad system of delivery through
technology
The Power of Stories
“I was searching for something significant
to give to and Cynthia (Krause) brought this
idea to me,” said Paula Walker. “She introduced me to Judith Ritchie, music practitioner at Baylor, and I was further impressed.
When my friend came to Baylor with late
stage cancer, I was grateful Judith was there.
Her music had a calming, peaceful influence
on him and helped alleviate his suffering and
depression. The music also helped lighten the
experience for my friend, his loved ones and
friends. Working with my advisor, Dodee
Crockett, and Lesley Martinelli with The
Dallas Foundation, I realized this program
could grow to benefit more patients, and I
could be a part of making that happen.”
Roxanne Sadau was a patient treated at
Baylor in 2014. Her husband, Ernie, credits the music practitioner program for helping his wife during her cancer treatment:
“My wife was in a lot of pain, and she was
dealing with significant issues emotionally,” he wrote to Cvetko Center leaders.
“However, she would look forward to the
music therapy every day. … There was no
doubt that was a major component to the
total healing process of mind, body and
spirit for my wife.”
This expansion
Creating an Arts in Medicine Institute is
good not only for our patients, but also for
Baylor and our community. “Over the past
two decades, top-tier major medical centers around the country have begun developing effective Arts in Medicine programs,
and it is important for Baylor to be a leader
in this movement in North Texas and our
state,” Bonnie said.
“The city of Dallas is a rising star in the
arts,” she added. “Baylor can capitalize on this
momentum by partnering with the arts community and take its place among those prestigious national health care institutions.”
For more information on how you can support
the Arts in Medicine Institute, contact Cynthia
Krause at 214.820.7928 or Cynthia.Krause@
BaylorHealth.edu.
7