Carilion Clinic continues to expand its offerings of arts-based patient support through the Dr. Robert L.A. Keeley Healing Arts Program. The effort integrates literary, performing, and visual art experiences into the healing process. As patient, visitor, staff member or community member, here are just a few of the ways you can engage with the program.
Pick up the most recent copy of Poems in the Waiting Room during your next visit to any Carilion Clinic facility. This issue (bright red!) was curated by the team of Jeri Rogers and Maurice Ferguson from Artemis Journal and includes the work of some local writers, including Mara Eve Robbins and Mike Allen.
Check out the Patient Art Show. Work will be exhibited in the lobby of Roanoke Memorial Hospital through February 7.
Request a visit from an artist in residence for a patient at Roanoke Memorial Hospital or New River Valley Medical Center. The current artists in residence:
- Roanoke Memorial Hospital: Musician John Pence and writer Sandee McGlaun. Call (540) 981-7819 to request a visit.
- New River Valley Medical Center: Painter Joli Ayn Wood. Call (540) 731-3560 to request a visit.
Keep up to date on by following Carilion’s Keeley Healing Arts Program on Facebook.
Healing arts programs have been shown to:
- Shorten post-operative recovery and hospital stays,
- Raise pain thresholds and reduce need for pain medications,
- Improve mood,
- Lower blood pressure and heart rate,
- Reduce stress and anxiety, and
- Enhance sleep patterns, alertness, and growth in newborns.
For more information on other aspects of the Healing Arts Program, visit the Carilion Clinic website or contact Healing Arts Coordinator Katie Biddle at healingarts@carilionclinic.org. ★
BOOK CITY ★ Roanoke 
Kathy Miller also has started offering Music Therapy at Carillion.
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