Arc About - National Organization for Arts in Health
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What is Arts for Resilience?

The arts are powerful tools to reduce burnout for healthcare workers. This webpage provides the resources and research to engage in the arts with health care workers and in the field of arts in health.

Who We Are

The National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) is a nonprofit organization founded to UNITE, ADVANCE, and SERVE the field of arts in health. In early 2020, NOAH created the Arts for Resilience Project to help address the issue of burnout in health care workers and offer the arts as one of the solutions. The arts have been proven to support the individual factors that drive burnout and can be used in the more predominant systemic issues as well.

Arts for Resilience is supported by NOAH artists, art therapists, health care administrators, arts in health administrators and health care professionals. Our Working Group leads initiatives in health care facilities to provide innovative, effective programs to patients and health care workers across the country.

The Working Group

Dr. Alan Siegel

Family Physician

Dr. Alan Siegel finished his medical training at University of Virginia in 1997 and has worked since 1999 as a Family Physician within the …

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Janice Baker

MA, CTRS, CAGS

Janice Baker, MA, CTRS, CAGS is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, expressive arts specialist with a …

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Anthony Hyatt

Anthony Hyatt is a master teaching artist and medical musician working in partnership with many Washington DC area..

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Steve Langan

Director & Community Liaison

Poet Steve Langan, whose background is in public health, is Director & Community Liaison at University of Nebraska Omaha Medical Humanities.

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Shoshana Simons

Scott Stoner

Alison Waldman

The Video Artists

We’ve enlisted the support of the artists in the arts in health community to assist in creating this site. Each artist below has
generously contributed their time and expertise to create a short video for our Break Room. We’ve included links to their own
sites so you can learn more about them, their art, and their arts in health practice. We hope you’ll visit their pages!

Briah Luckey

Drawing On Community

Briah is an artist, board certified art therapist and co-founder of Womxn’s Work. She leads ongoing art..

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Gaelen McCormick

Gaelen McCormick is the Program Manager of Eastman Performing Arts Medicine (EPAM) program at the University of Rochester.

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Janice Baker

Janice Baker, MA, CTRS, CAGS is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, expressive arts specialist with a …

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Laurie Wagner

Laurie Wagner is a writer and writing teacher in the Bay Area who teaches Wild Writing, an out of the box way to tell…

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Mary Curtis Ratcliff

Greetings. I was born in Chicago and grew up in Michigan. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 1967,..

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Ned Buskirk & Chelsea Coleman

YG2D is a 501(c)3 nonprofit bringing diverse communities creatively into the conversation of grief, heartbreak, death…

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Redwing Keyssar, RN

Redwing Keyssar is a nurse, author, educator, and “midwife” to the dying. She presents nationally

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Renee Benmeleh

Renée Benmeleh is a multi-cultural vocalist/composer /instrumentalist created in Venezuela from ..

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The Creative Connection

How Creative Activities Can Help Reduce Burnout Symptoms

Studies have shown that engaging in artistic expression can be helpful in treating complex emotional and psychological issues relating to depression, PTSD, anxiety, grief and loss, illness, trauma, relationship issues, and burnout. When someone is under extreme pressure or coping with intense emotions related to any of these situations, they can become overwhelmed. Participating in creative activities offers an opportunity to slow down, examine issues from a alternative perspective, and express emotions in a different, sometimes revealing manner.

Along with practicing healthy lifestyle habits, taking time to engage in creative activities can be one of the most effective ways to help reduce stress and increase resilience.

Some of the most effective traditional and creative activities include:

Lifestyle Habits:

  • Exercising Daily
  • Getting plenty of sleep
  • Follow a healthy diet
  • Connecting with others
  • Meditating

Creative Activities:

  • Journaling/Creative Writing
  • Painting/Drawing
  • Dancing/Movement (including yoga, tai chi)
  • Music (singing, playing, active listening)
  • Storytelling
*Many of the root causes of burnout in health care are based on systemic issues, which involve larger system change.