Thursday, April 3, 2014

Health Foundation launches Healing Halls Art Program

Fort McMurray, Alberta – The Northern Lights Health Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the new Healing Halls Art Program. The Health Foundation is using art within the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of patients, families and hospital staff. Local artists will have the opportunity to display and sell their art in the halls of the Health Centre, with a percentage of proceeds from sales donated to the Health Foundation. The art program is set to officially launch on Wednesday, April 8, 2014.

Artwork will be placed initially in the Health Centre’s cancer clinic, palliative care unit and various walls on the main floor of the facility. The Health Foundation aims to expand the art program to more areas of the Health Centre and other Alberta Health Services facilities throughout the Wood Buffalo Region. The Health Foundation encourages all local artists to consider making a contribution.

“We’re extremely pleased to launch the Healing Halls Art Program and to be working with local artists,” says Susanne Chaffey, Executive Director of the Northern Lights Health Foundation. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact our art program has on the patients, families and hospital staff in our Health Centre.”

There is a growing body of research that demonstrates how art effectively creates an atmosphere of caring, warmth, healing and hope within hospital settings. Patients exposed to art and images of beauty in hospitals, and in other health care settings, recover more quickly from surgery, ask for less pain medication, have shorter hospital stays, and have less anxiety and depression. For doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who provide patient care, exposure to art reduces stress and leads to overall satisfaction with their jobs and in turn improved care for patients.

The Wood Buffalo Arts and Crafts Guild has kindly assisted in providing pieces for the art program. The Guild is the longest standing arts organization in the region and the artists of the Guild come from a diverse background with their own unique spin on living in Wood Buffalo.

“We’d like to thank the Health Foundation for the opportunity to display our art and to make a beautiful connection between art and health through the Healing Halls Art Program,” says Vera Fustic, Vice President of the Wood Buffalo Arts and Crafts Guild. “We’re grateful that our art work could be used to improve physical, mental and emotional well-being of people in our region.”

If you are interested in purchasing an item from the Healing Halls Art Program, or are an artist looking to contribute, please contact the Health Foundation by calling 780.788.1559 or by emailing foundation@nlhf.ca.

Established in 1985, the Northern Lights Health Foundation exists to provide funds to support health care priorities within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. For more information, visit www.nlhf.ca

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