Art can be used to catalyze several things: an individual’s inspiration, community engagement and even, in some cases, an improved flow of traffic. A bevy of Boston University School of Medicine students are also hoping art can be used to improve the health conditions of some Boston Medical Center patients.
Some 30 BU students, working in teams of four and five, painted a mural on a wall at BMC’s pediatric inpatient unit. Their objective was to spur a sort of holistic treatment through wall-mounted visuals based on “research that shows patients benefit enormously when healing in a creative and positive environment,” according to BUSM media relations.
“This is particularly true for patients who are admitted to acute care facilities and the healing powers of art cannot be understated,” said Dr. Robert Vinci, BMC’s chief of pediatrics and BUSM’s Department of Pediatrics chair. “There have been studies that have demonstrated a decrease in the stress response as well as improved blood flow to vital organs when patients visualize art during the hospital stay.”
Some 40 volunteers responded when Clara Zhu, BUSM Class of 2018, put out the call and the response, she said, was overwhelmingly positive.
The painting was undertaken after about a month of planning but the execution took just a fraction of that time. In fact, the students, ranging from first to fourth years, were able to complete the mural in a single weekend.
“Healing is not just about curing the disease, but curing the person,” said Zhu. “At BUSM, we learn to heal the whole person and not just the disease. It was great to get students from different years interacting on the same project. It’s amazing the diversity in our school and the different talents people bring to the table.”
As it turns out, the pediatrics department is also under construction which prompts the possibility for more locally-driven artworks to go up.
Healing powers aside, the works also help make the hospital more welcoming for children and those with fears of medical facilities. I don’t deny that hospitals can be unsettling places, but using art dually to promote healing and to be overall more engaging is a creative way to calm unsteady nerves.
“The hospital environment is incredibly stressful and the use of art and other interactive modalities can be a very calming influence on children and their families,” added Dr. Vinci. “Through the use of art, we can engage children and their families in establishing a therapeutic alliance, all with the outcome of improving the outcomes of hospitalized children.”
