Truman Medical Centers (TMC)

“A Hospital in an Art Gallery”

A soft glow lights the corridors of Truman Medical Centers (TMC) as carefully placed art guides the way through the hospital. The art is courtesy of TMC’s Center for the Healing Arts, which works in partnership with the community to offer visual, performing, communicative and relationship arts for patients, visitors and staff. The program provides opportunities for education, expression and healing, as well as an outlet to serve the local community of artists and support TMC’s own development.

“These are not just nice pictures on the wall,” says John Bluford, TMC’s president and chief executive officer. “There is a thoughtful process that marries the art to its specific location in the hospital.” In addition to location, TMC also thinks carefully about the art’s content. “We tend to feature representational and recognizable objects,” explains James Martin, TMC’s curator. “Research has found that patients tend to respond to objects in nature, such as water, foliage and nonthreatening animals such as birds, so we have been focusing on these types of images.” Martin says. He also notes that any positive distraction can help take the mind off of the illness and allow the body to do its own healing. “The art can be beautiful and calming to people who are dealing with the heightened emotions of being in a hospital and dealing with challenges to their health,” Martin explains. Indeed, studies have shown that strategically placed art can reduce stress, relieve pain and decrease length of hospital stay.

TMC also features notable examples of abstract art, recognizing the important role that art can play in fostering a culture of inclusiveness and respect for diversity. Martin asserts, “If we can learn to appreciate the incredible variety of perspectives represented by the works of art on display here, then perhaps we can be more open to the perspectives of our co-workers and patients.”

The art on the wall is only part of TMC’s Healing Arts program. On the first Friday of every month, live music from local and national artists fills the lobbies of TMC’s Lakewood and Hospital Hill campuses. Healing Arts also offers Art on a Cart bedside activities, healing gardens and featured artist receptions. TMC is in the process of outfitting every patient room with a healing arts channel that will provide a virtual tour of selected pieces with musical accompaniment. “The idea came from a member of TMC’s guest services staff in the intensive care unit,” Martin explains. “She was amazed to see one of her patients with limited mobility walk to the hospital lobby every day to listen to the piano music played there. The patient found the music incredibly healing.”

Martin believes that the Healing Arts program adds to TMC’s environment, helping patients to see TMC as a hospital of choice, rather than just a safety net. And Bluford agrees. “The presentation and quality of our art is demonstrative of our respect for the community we serve,” he says. “They see that clearly and recognize that someone cares for them.”

The effect of Healing Arts, however, reaches beyond TMC’s walls. Musicians are paid for their performances, and the live shows give them an audience and platform to showcase their talent. In some areas of the hospital, the visual art changes once a quarter, allowing multiple exhibiting opportunities for artists. “We work with a local nonprofit that connects artists with businesses,” Martin explains. “Through this avenue we are connected with emerging artists who tend to be looking for opportunities to display their work.” A significant portion of TMC’s art also comes from beyond Kansas City. For example, Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., has generously loaned TMC a collection of limited-edition prints.

While the artists benefit from the public viewing (and occasional sales), TMC gains new perspectives and support from the community members who visit the hospital for the art. “We benefit from the creativity and innovation that follows the artists – the insights and creative thought processes from the artist community,” Bluford says. “Creative thinking is necessary to survive in our industry.”

Donors and art enthusiasts also follow the artist community, allowing TMC to draw in philanthropic community members who wouldn’t usually come to the hospital. These meetings can lead to further relationships that wouldn’t otherwise develop.

TMC is creating a hospital environment in which every detail is a part of the patient experience, and therefore every detail matters. To establish the most healing, restorative environment possible, “we’re establishing a hospital in an art gallery,” Bluford says. And doing so in a way that serves the community and strengthens TMC at the same time makes the Center for the Healing Arts a truly effective program.

For more about TMC’s Center for the Healing Arts, please contact:

Shane Kovac
Media Relations Manager
Truman Medical Centers
[email protected]  
(816) 404-3786