Glassford gains arts in health care honor

Posted by on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 in Articles.

Donna Glassford, executive director of cultural enrichment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare.

The appointment recognizes longtime members who have made significant and influential contributions to the arts in healthcare field.

Glassford joins 19 other fellows who were announced at the organization’s 22^nd annual international conference in April.

“All forms of creative engagement enhance the lives of patients and staff by offering opportunities for self expression and shared experience, be it the written word, a musical performance or the visual arts,” Glassford said.

In her 14 years at Vanderbilt, Glassford has managed art exhibits in three galleries on VUMC’s campus, showcased local and nationally-known musicians, hosted workshops to foster the creative spirit in patients and staff, and produced “Hey Florence!” a musical about the everyday lives of nurses.

The mission of the Department of Cultural Enrichment at VUMC is to present the healing arts in a context that makes the Medical Center a more compassionate and comfortable environment for patients, their families, and staff.