Post by Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Healing doesn’t always come with a prescription. Sometimes, it walks into a hospital room with a guitar. In medicine, providers naturally focus on the latest treatments and procedures. But healing also requires human connection and reminders of who a patient is beyond their diagnosis. Few things foster that connection quite like music. In the latest season of the miniVHAN podcast, which focuses on cancer care and prevention, PJ Cowan from Musicians On Call shares how live music bridges gaps that medicine can’t always reach. Here are a few of the benefits of adding music to the health care environment: • Restoring identity: Long hospital stays can make patients feel lost in their diagnosis. Music interrupts that loop, giving them space to return to their own stories and passions. • Physiological relief: From syncing breathing rhythms to lowering blood pressure, music provides a calming reset for the mind and body. • Connections to the entire care team: Music is not just for patients; it also can transform the environment for caregivers and clinicians and help them better connect with their patients. Tune in to discover creative ideas for treating the whole person, not just the disease. Check out the clip and download the entire episode here: https://bit.ly/3SDahWP

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