Society for the Arts in Healthcare

Designers and Art Consultants kept telling me "You should join the the Society for the Arts in Healthcare". So I went to the website looked around and decided it was worth the $125 membership fee. I'm now a member.

To learn more I asked the staff at their Headquarters in Washington D.C. a few questions:   
What is the primary purpose of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare?

The Society for the Arts in Healthcare (SAH) promotes the use of the arts as an essential part of healthcare. We educate about the valuable role the arts can play in the healing process and help individuals and organizations build and strengthen programs through education, resources and consulting services.

How does it relate to the other non-profit organizations involved
with HealthCare Design? Complimentary? Competition? Different angle?

SAH is the only US-based national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to ensuring access to the visual, literary and performing arts and design in all healthcare experiences.

How many people are in the Society for the Arts in Healthcare? Who are they?

We have nearly 1,700 members worldwide. Our members include people from many walks of life. We have artists, designers, architects, healthcare providers, hospital administrators, researchers, educators and many others.

How can you help Artists, Interior Designers and hospital staff?

We offer programs, educational and networking opportunities and consulting services to the field.

With our online and printed publications we offer information about model programs, best practices and cutting-edge arts in healthcare research. 

We also publish job and volunteer opportunities, recent news articles and member news and announcements.

Do you have any conferences or events?

We have an annual conference as well as regional meetings throughout the US and Canada. Our next annual conference will be held on April 16-19, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA. To learn more, go to www.thesah.org and click on events.

Anything else you would like to say?

We have a unique grant initiative. For six years Johnson & Johnson,  in partnership with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare has provided  funding for programs in the US and Canada, which serve as models for  improving healthcare through the use of arts.

Proposals are now being accepted for programs that can be replicated  in undeserved communities. For more information and eligibility  requirements, please review the guidelines available at  www.thesah.org. The deadline for this offering is September 19, 2007.

The staff that answered these questions for me were:
Anita Boles, Executive Director
Sarah Kemp, Programs Director
Evlyn Baker, Operations Manager

Comments

[Elaine Poggi]

Thanks, Henry. The Foundation for Photo/Art in Hospitals just became a member!

[Samantha]

Hi Henry,

If you are an artist in this field, do you recommend going to the SAH conference? Thanks in advance, for your advice!

Samantha

[hdomke]

Samantha,
I do NOT recommend going to the SAH conference. As I've said on other posts, SAH seems to be preoccupied with performance art: poetry, theater, dance and music.

In my opinion these play a minor role in most hospitals. Greater emphasis should be given to the visual arts.

Henry