INFUSING THE ARTS INTO OUR LIVES~
The Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute at Ruth Eckerd Hall is committed to providing lifelong learning opportunities in the arts. We take the performing arts into classrooms, community centers, performance venues and hospitals throughout Florida and the nation. We provide cultural arts programming that crosses cultural and clinical barriers to unite and serve communities. 
At The Hoffman Institute, we are dedicated to the philosophy that engagement in the arts impacts lives in a positive way and gives hope to those involved.  It is with this spirit that the Institute entered into a partnership with Morton Plant Mease Hospitals to provide arts experiences in the hospital setting.  The partnership, now in its fourth year explores the positive role the arts and artists can play in the medical environment: to strengthen positive energy for caregivers, patients, patient families and friends.

"I can’t thank the Morton Plant Mease Foundation and Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute enough for providing the opportunity for people to share their God gifted talents to our Morton Plant Mease Hospital Community. The artists have reached people at every stage of life."

Blair Holtey
Staff Chaplain
Morton Plant Mease Hospital Countryside

"In NICU, it is so important to control volume and tempo of the music while keeping it a sweet tone, steady rhythm, and simple harmonies. For these babies, listening isn't a recreation, it's a survival skill. One tiny patient had a heart rate of 199. After 15 minutes of soothing dulcimer music, his heart rate had dropped to 163-165."

Sara Fady, CMP
Hoffman Institute Artist (dulcimer) during her visit at Mease Countryside Hospital

Successes....

* In 2004 – a young student at the Hoffman Institute, Nick Orfanella, turned in a proposal to the Director to form a Teen Troupe to work in the Arts & Medicine Program. The proposal was to form a preparatory student group with the mission of  young people giving back to their community through the performing arts in hospital settings. Each month the Teen Troupe creates a thematic presentation of songs that are toured into Morton Plant Mease sites twice a month.
(Preparatory students from 14 to 18 years of age may apply to be part of this group and are eligible to use this as their community service project for Bright Futures Scholarships.)

* In 2005 - The Hoffman Institute hosted the Morton Plant Mease/ St. Petersburg College Healing and Spirituality Conference, providing the key note speakers for the 2006 Conference.

* In 2006 - The Hoffman Institute was proud to be a part of the AIM challenge conducted by the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center which partnered us with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.  This partnership broadened our work in the field in residencies and assessment.

If you would like to receive more information about the Arts in Medicine program or are interested in becoming a facility partner, click here.