Sinfonia and Sacred Heart Making Music Together

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Sinfonia Gulf Coast is partnering with Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast for its new Arts in Medicine program.
Through the partnership, Sinfonia will provide musical and cultural offerings to enhance the health care setting for patients, visitors and caregivers.
"Studies show that music is powerful tool for healing." Sarah Bailey, Sacred Heart Marketing Coordinator, said. "Certain types of music can actually lower blood pressure and heart rate, regulate breathing, lower cholesterol and reduce stress and anxiety."
Sacred Heart and Sinfonia launched the new partnership during the hospital's Cancer Center Dedication in June. Moving forward, Sinfonia will provide regular musical offerings for cancer patients in the new center along with other areas throughout the hospital. Musicians will be performing in the hospital's waiting areas and outpatient clinics on a regular basis. Additionally, music therapy sessions will be developed for the hospital's various support groups and community education programs.
"We're excited to spearhead this new initiative at Sacred Heart," Demetrius Fuller, Sinfonia Gulf Coast Music and Artistic Director, said. "We hope other organizations will join us in bringing the arts to people in new and unexpected ways."
The overall goal of Arts in Medicine is to integrate performing, meditative and visual arts into a wide variety of settings to promote community wellness. Through the program, Sacred Heart will bring artists, artwork and performers into the hospital to provide activities at the bedside and in outpatient clinical areas and waiting rooms. Activities will include, visual, musical, theatrical, movement, spoken and written arts.
Sacred Heart's Arts in Medicine program is part of the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine's initiative to use arts to improve health care in rural communities throughout Florida. Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast was one of five organizations to receive funding from the State of Florida Department of Cultural Affairs, The National Endowment of the Arts and the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine. Sacred Heart's hospital in Gulf County was one of the initial organizations to receive funding through the initiative in 2010.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in Sacred Heart's Arts in Medicine program, please contact Sinfonia at 850-269-7129 or info@sinfoniagulfcoast.org.

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LOVE this! Thank you Sinfonia for being a great arts leader in our community!