Jackson Hospital Launches Arts-in-Healthcare

Marianna, FL, March 23, 2012. Jackson Hospital launched its Arts-in-Healthcare Program Wednesday, March 14th. That day, patient Martha Boston began her masterpiece with the help of one of program’s Artists-in-Residence Debi Menacof and support of David Flick, M.D., Ph.D, Hematologist/Medical Oncologist, with Chipola Surgical & Medical Specialties – Internal Medicine/Hematology/Medical Oncology, Marianna.

Arts-in-Healthcare is rapidly growing into a specialized discipline of integrating the arts into a wide variety of healthcare and community settings for therapeutic, educational and expressive purposes. Established in other areas of the state, the program has a particular interest in bringing the healing function of art to Florida’s panhandle region. Jackson Hospital was selected to participate in the program with its initial focus on patients receiving Chemotherapy treatments in its new Outpatient Center, 4230 Hospital Drive, Marianna. The hospital’s Arts-in-Healthcare program operates every-other-Wednesday, 9-10am, and costs nothing to patients because of the generous funding from the well-established University of Florida, Gainesville, Arts-in-Healthcare program sponsored by the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Shands Healthcare, and the Kresge Foundation.

The Hospital’s initial two artists-in-residence providing pencil drawing and watercolor visual arts respectively, are Gina Williams Bass, RN, and Debi Pelc Menacof. Gina is a Marianna native and second-generation Jackson Hospital employee. In addition to being a Registered Nurse on the Maternal/Child floor, she is an artist at heart. Gina developed her interest in the eclectic artistic style in kindergarten and pursued her interest by earning a Commercial Art degree from Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, FL. This degree then launched her career in advertising and graphic arts. In 1993, she changed careers into another healing discipline, nursing, and pursues her pencil drawing art for pleasure and charitable causes, frequently donating her original works to fundraising events hosted by Jackson Hospital, Covenant Hospice, and the March of Dimes. Gina is looking forward to sharing her love of art to those undergoing Chemotherapy at Jackson Hospital. She is a mother of three, uniquely creative children: Dylan, age 20, and 15-year old twins, Ethan and Kimball.

Debra Pelc Menacof grew up in a Northwestern Pennsylvania valley surrounded by rising hills, flowing waters, and bold seasonal colors. That landscape, combined with the variety of Pittsburgh’s ethnic cultures and businesses, steel mills, and coal mines, influenced her style of art showing a subject’s energy and emotion through impressionism and abstraction. After relocating to Marianna with her spouse and 8-year old son, Debi finds new influences from living in North Florida. Her most enjoyable media are natural clay, wood, and metals. Debi is both professional artist and business owner operating “Outside the Lines Art Studio” in Marianna. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from the University of South Florida and has taught art for 25 years. In addition to participating in Jackson Hospital’s Arts-in-Healthcare program, Debi has been an artist-in-residence and instructor with Very Special Arts of Florida.

Jackson Hospital’s mission is to provide exceptional healthcare to every patient, every day. The Arts-in-Healthcare program adds another dimension to the care it provides. The hospital is growing with its $7.5 million renovation and ER Expansion construction project, the development of its Outpatient Center and Medical Spa, partnership with Chipola Fitness Center, and the addition of new physicians in the community. The Hospital now has 34 physicians on its Active Staff, and offers new specialties such as Cardiology, Hematology/Medical Oncology, OB/GYN, Orthopedics/Sports Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, and Urology.

If you would like more information about this topic or an interview please call Rosie at 850-718-2696 or email her at [email protected].

Photo: Jackson Hospital AIH.jpg.

Caption: David Flick, M.D., Ph.D., Hematologist/Medical Oncologist with Chipola Surgical & Medical Specialties – Internal Medicine/Hematology/Medical Oncology – Marianna, Ms. Martha Boston, and Arts in Healthcare resident artist Debi Menaco