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Combining medicine and the performing arts in a new UR collaboration

Dr. Ralph Manchester treats a violin student.
Vince Sullivan
/
URMC
Dr. Ralph Manchester treats a violin student.

The Eastman School of Music is teaming up with the University of Rochester Medical Center in a new collaboration.

It’s an effort to find new ways of connecting health and the performing arts.

The initiative is called Eastman Performing Arts Medicine, and it brings together those two segments of the University of Rochester in an effort to accomplish a few goals.

One of them is providing urgent care for artists, including musicians and dancers, people whose livelihoods can be impaired if they are dealing with a physical injury.

Rahul Shah playing the sax in an open URMC setting.
Credit Vince Sullivan / URMC
/
URMC
Rahul Shah playing the sax in an open URMC setting.

Jamal Rossi is the Dean of the Eastman School of Music.  He says the idea is to take advantage of the expertise of physicians at URMC who already treat those types of patients.

“There are a number of doctors there who have specialized in various elements, whether it be hand injuries, physical ailments, ears, nose, throat, that have helped performers of the Eastman School of Music,” Rossi said.

Gaelen McCormick (she is also Program Manager for Eastman Performing Arts Medicine)
Credit Vince Sullivan / URMC
/
URMC
Gaelen McCormick (she is also Program Manager for Eastman Performing Arts Medicine)

The new collaboration will also look at increasing music and creative arts therapy for patients in UR-affiliated hospitals  and providing music in some of the open spaces at the medical center and other hospitals. 

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.