At Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, healing involves more than medicine. The Healing Arts programs bring creativity, comfort, and meaningful connection to patients, families, and caregivers. Your support keeps these experiences thriving, helping people navigate stress, find moments of peace, and feel genuinely cared for during challenging times.

Healing Through Creative Engagement

A growing body of research shows what our community experiences every day: the arts can ease stress, soothe trauma, and restore a sense of balance. At Overlook, professional artists and musicians visit many different units, offering calming music, creative interaction, and beautiful moments that break through the intensity of medical care.

The Music is Medicine Concert Series is one of the most cherished parts of this work.

Its impact is immediate and heartfelt: “Every time I walk onto the unit, I have a smile on my face!” – Nurse, John E. Reeves Center for Same Day Surgery

For staff carrying heavy workloads, music triggers a fresh start: “You have no idea how relaxed I feel. It’s like someone hit the reset button. I feel I have so much energy for the rest of my shift.” – Nurse, Oncology 3AB

And for patients, these moments can be transformative: “I had no idea a hospital could also prescribe music for me. It’s the best medicine!” – Patient, Oncology 3AB

These encounters demonstrate the profound power of the arts to soothe, uplift, and reconnect people with a sense of strength and hope.

Arts & Health Teaching Artist Fellowship

Through a partnership with the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (VACNJ), the Arts & Health Teaching Artist Fellowship prepares emerging artists to work thoughtfully and ethically in healthcare environments. Fellows receive specialized training, mentorship, and hands‑on experience at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center, contributing to exhibitions and leading art‑based wellness workshops for staff.

This fellowship deepens the integration of creativity into Overlook’s environment and helps ensure that artists are equipped to make a meaningful, compassionate impact on the wellbeing of caregivers and the broader community.

Your Gift Makes a Difference

Your support of Healing Arts at Overlook helps:

  • Expand opportunities for musicians and visual artists to bring moments of calm, beauty, and connection to patients, families, and caregivers.
  • Sustain creative programs that help individuals cope with stress and enhance emotional wellbeing.
  • Provide supplies and resources that make healing experiences possible across multiple units.
  • Strengthen staff resilience through art‑centered workshops and experiences led by trained teaching artists.
  • Support the development of fellows who bring new skills, perspectives, and creativity to this work.

Join Us in Advancing Healing Arts

With your generosity, Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center remains a place where healing is supported not only by exceptional clinical care, but also by the restorative power of the arts. Thank you for helping create a more compassionate, human‑centered environment for everyone we serve.