2020 National Initiative Virtual Summit

Arts & Health Across the Military: Artfully Navigating COVID-19 to Build Connected and Inclusive Military and Veteran Healing Communities

An Online Event hosted by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Americans for the Art
September 16-18, 2020
Video recordings are coming soon!

Wednesday, September 16

Arts Response to COVID-19 in the Clinical Setting 

OPENING/WELCOME/INTRODUCTION TO THE SUMMIT

  • Captain Moira McGuire, NC, USPHS, Division Chief, Integrative Health and Wellness, Chief, Arts and Health Program, Walter Reed Bethesda 
  • Colonel Andrew Barr, MC, USA, Director, Walter Reed Bethesda 
  • Robert L. Lynch , President and CEO, Americans for the Arts

Special Welcome Message

  • Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. , Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

MUSICAL INVOCATION

  • Fred Johnson, USMC, RET, Artist-in Residence, Straz Center

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Exploring the National COVID-19 Public Health Response – Potential Areas for Art s Collaborations

  • Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H , Senior Director of Infection Prevention, Johns Hopkins

ART BURST

  • Allison Winters Fisher, PhD, BC-DMT, E-RYT , Wellness Coordinator, NICoE

SESSION I: Walter Reed COVID-19 Arts Response

Presenting strategies for developing and delivering supportive sessions in the arts and creative arts therapies for resilience and well-being for frontline healthcare workers and staff. Featured speakers include staff from the Arts in Health Program at Walter Reed Bethesda.

  • Amy Anda, MBA, PMP, CSM; Program Manager, Credence Management Solutions LLC in support of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed Bethesda
  • Liz Freeman, MA, BC-DMT, Dance/Movement Therapist, HJF in support of Creative Forces, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed Bethesda 
  • Gioia Chilton, PhD, Creative Arts Therapist, Intrepid Spirit Center, Ft. Belvoir
  • Nate McLaughlin, MT-BC, HJF in support of Creative Forces, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed Bethesda 
  • Mallory Van Fossen, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT, LPC, Clinical Arts in Health Coordinator, Walter Reed Bethesda 

COVID-19 TALKS I: Clinical Arts Response

A series of short talks presenting different strategies that Defense and Veterans Health creative arts therapists, civilian hospitals and healthcare workers, and are applying to address patient and frontline worker needs through the arts. Q&A with speakers to follow the sessions.

  • Rebecca Vaudreuil, MT-BC, Lead Music Therapist, HJF in support of Creative Forces and Heather Spooner, MA, ATR-BC, Assistant Scholar in Arts in Medicine, UF Center for Arts in Medicine, Rural Veterans Telerehabilitation Initiative, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center
  • Alan Siegel, MD, National Organization for Arts and Health-NOAH’s ARC (Arts in Response) to COVID
  • Julia Langley, Faculty Director, Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program
  • Kristen Ramsey, MA, ATR-BC, Hematology/Oncology  Walter Reed Bethesda 

WRAP UP AND PREVIEW NEXT DAY

  • Captain Moira McGuire, Walter Reed Bethesda 
  • Marete Wester, Americans for the Arts

Special Musical Performance by Captain Luis Avila, USA

Thursday, September 17 

Arts Response to COVID- 19  in the Community Setting

INTRODUCTION TO THE DAY

  • Marete Wester, Senior Director of Arts Policy and the National Initiative Across the Military, Americans for the Arts
  • Captain Moira McGuire, NC, USPHS, Division Ch ief, Integrative Health and Wellness, Chief, Arts and Health Program, Walter Reed Bethesda 

ARTS INFORMANCE :

Building a Community Response to the COVID-19 Crisis through the Arts

Presented by t he United States Army Field Band highlighting COVID- 19 inspired performances for the military community

  • Colonel James Keene, Commander, The United States Army Field Band
  • Sergeant Major Erica Russo, MA, Operations Sergeant Major, The United States Army Field Band
  • Master Sergeant Brian Sacawa , The United States Army Field Band
  • Master Sergeant Lauren Curran, The United States Army Field Band

COVID-19 TALKS II : Community Arts Response

Short talks presenting different strategies that community artists and arts organizations are employing to address the needs of military connected populations through the arts. Q&A to follow presentations.

  • Susan Magsamen, MAS, Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab, Johns Hopkins University 
  • Ron Heneghan, Director of Education, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
  • Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH,  President and Founder, Foundation for Art & Healing
  • Sergeant Roman Baca, USMC, RET, Artistic Director, Exit 12 Dance Company
  • Niyati Dhokai , Research Assistant Professor, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Program Director, Veterans and the Arts Initiative, Hylton Performing Arts Center. George Mason University
  • Anna Pasquale, Mixed-Media Artist at Anna K. Art , Artist in Residence with Creative Forces at the Jacksonville-Onslow Council for the Arts

SESSION II : COVID-19 and Social Distancing: Impact of Arts and Other Activities on Mental Health

University of Florida, University College London and Americans for the Arts presentation of study findings from the new study COVID-19 and Social Distancing: Impact of Arts and Other Activities on Mental Health

  • Randy Cohen, Vice-President of Research, Americans for the Arts
  • Jill Sonke, Ph.D., Director, Center for the Arts in Medicine, University of Florida College of the Arts, Asst. Director, Shands Arts in Medicine, University of Florida

WRAP-UP AND PREVIEW NEXT DAY 

  • General Nolen Bivens, USA, RET
  • Fred Johnson, USMC, RET, Artist-in Residence, Straz Center
  • Captain Moira McGuire, Walter Reed Bethesda
  • Marete Wester, Americans for the Arts

Friday, September 18

Preview National Summit April 2021 Topics and Issues

INTRODUCTION TO THE DAY

National Initiative for Arts & Health Across the Military –

Setting the table for the next in-person National Summit in April 2021: Focus on vulnerable and underserved military and veteran populations and impact of societal racism, health disparities and social injustice on military connected populations

  • Captain Moira McGuire, Walter Reed Bethesda
  • Marete Wester, Americans for the Arts

KEYNOTE ADDRESS – The Historical and Current Context for Race in the Military

  • General Nolen Bivens, USA, RET, President, Leader Six LLC, Senior Policy Advisor for Arts and Military, Americans for the Arts

SESSION III : Walter Reed’s “I Too” Experiential

Labyrinth and Art Response

“I Too” is a collaborative effort to continue conversations that arose from special Town Halls at Walter Reed Bethesda  focused on racism and social injustice. This experiential, facilitated by creative arts therapists, will provide for a deeper processing of our experiences by providing space for reflection and creative expression.

  • Mallory Van Fossen, ATR-BC, LCPAT, LPC, Clinical Arts in Health Coordinator, Walter Reed Bethesd a
  • Sarah Moore, MA, R-DMT, Community Arts in Health Specialist, Walter Reed Bethesda 

FACILITATED COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

An invitation to listen and share ideas, strategies and hopes on how we can all be engaged to support specific needs of diverse service member, veteran, family and caregiver populations through the arts, humanities and creative arts therapies.

Moderated by General Nolen Bivens with:

  • Claudia and Captain Luis Avila, USA, Patient Advocate/Wounded Warrior
  • April Harris, MS, USA, RET, Senior Quality Assurance Analyst Defense Health Agency, Artist/Performer
  • Major Jamie Henry, MC, USA, Ft. Bragg
  • Ermyn King, MA, RDT, Arts in Health Accessibility Consultant
  • Dr. Erika Walker, MD-MHS, Chief Hospitalist, Walter Reed Bethesda

CLOSING PERFORMANCE

Fred Johnson, Artist-in-Residence, Straz Center, Tampa

INVITATION TO DIALOGUE : NEXT STEPS TO THE APRIL SUMMIT