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“This is the kind of thing that makes Walter Reed unique,” read a comment card that Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Art Therapist and Clinical Coordinator for Arts in Health Mallory Van Fossen picked up in early March. This particular card was left at the Art in Boots exhibit in WRNMMC’s Building 5. “That’s what we aim for,” said Van Fossen. “We want people to recognize these amazing experiences that we have here.”
The mission of the Arts in Health Program is to provide multiple opportunities to engage with the arts to support the health and well-being of patients, military families and dependents, caregivers, staff, students, visitors and volunteers.
On March 19, Van Fossen gave a presentation at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) entitled, “Art Making is a Powerful Tool for Brain Health” as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month, in which speakers from throughout the TBI field gave presentations at the NICoE to increase health professionals’ and researchers’ knowledge about TBI and its treatment.
Van Fossen’s presentation focused mostly on how making art regularly can lead to enhanced critical thinking, relaxation, engagement with the brain’s reward system, neuroplasticity and increased focus.
“One thing that is really important to note that there’s been research on is that lifelong engagement in the arts, not just visual but music and movement too, can increase grey matter density, which has been linked to better cognitive function and a decreased likelihood of neurodegenerative conditions later in life,” said Van Fossen.
In addition to engaging with the Arts in Health Program, NICoE has a creative art therapy program that provides clinical treatment for service members to express emotions and thoughts through art that they may not be able to articulate. Arts in Health improves patient care by creating a healing environment through art integration in the healthcare setting and all medical center stakeholders can participate, including staff, volunteers, family members, or caregivers – not just patients.
Van Fossen concluded her presentation by sharing an insight she recently heard on a podcast, “Our body is the best pharmacy. It has what it needs. It knows what it needs. We just have to figure out how to listen to it.” Van Fossen believes, and research has shown, that the brain needs art.
About the National Intrepid Center of Excellence:
The National Intrepid Center of Excellence provides world class medical, neurological, rehabilitative, behavioral health, advanced imaging and diagnostics, education and complementary services to service members to facilitate recovery and return to military service. As a center of excellence, the NICoE leads and innovates in the delivery of patient-centered care, conducts research to establish protocols for TBI treatment and shares staff expertise through professional training and education.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2025 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 498332 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NICoE’s Arts in Health Adds to the Uniqueness of Walter Reed, by Ben Lasky, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
