Music therapists, once marginalized, come into the mainstream at children's hospitals

By the time sick kids reach a clinic, it can be too late. Through home visits, community health workers in Mali are spotting early signs of malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal disease, and malnutrition and providing treatment to sick kids right away. The approach shortens the time between the first signs of illness and treatment, saving lives in one of the countries with the highest rates of child mortality.

Research has found that physical movement, such as dance, can be an affective treatment and rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s Disease. The Dance Well Initiative brings people with Parkinson’s, as well as community members, together to stage dance performances in gallery spaces as treatment and a creative response to the surrounding art.

The intensive, alert care low weight infants need is often complicated by overstressed parents and overstretched hospital workers. A bracelet that monitors an infants temperature--and gives an alert when the temperature falls to unsafe levels--provides valuable support to ensuring the safety of these vulnerable young lives.

Environments designed with soundscapes and visual art help to reduce anxiety and pain. In London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has noted a marked improvement in patient experience, including decreased pain and even a reduction in the time women spent in labor, in the presence of artistic installations. Other hospitals in the UK report similar benefits.

Many people addicted to opioids developed their addiction after being prescribed the drugs after surgery, so some states are changing protocols around the drug distribution. From increased counseling about drug safety to a cap on how many pills doctors prescribe, alternatives to the traditional protocol aims to decrease the likelihood of addiction.

The Children Living With Cancer Foundation organizes dance parties for children with cancer, to provide them with a sense of joy, encouragement, and community during times of need. The nonprofit also organizes community events and donations and works with local pharmacies to get patients the medicines they need at subsidized rates. So far, the Foundation has supported 300 childhood cancer patients and their families.

Legacy of Legends, a nonprofit that helps families overcome traumatic experiences that often stem from poverty, opened the Frayser Clinic to provide free wellness exams to children. The clinic is run out of a local church and is open twice a month to help families access care. At each visit a doctor assesses a child’s physical health, mental and behavioral health and the clinic provides families with information about social services and connects them with a healthcare navigator, who helps families understand their child’s health insurance and reconnect them to a primary care physician.

What started as a form of therapy turned into a business venture for this group of moms. The aim was to “empower mothers through art” and now they are selling their pieces for a profit.

The SimpleVas Vasectomy Clinic is a mobile clinic that travels around to provide easy access to vasectomies by simplifying the entire process. The mobile clinic travels nearly 600 miles around the state every month and has even traveled out to New York City to spread awareness. Through raising awareness of the procedure, the doctor in charge of the clinic now performs about 600 to 700 vasectomies a year.

The School of Superheroes brings teachers into hospital wards to work with children being treated there. The individualized lessons give the children something to focus on besides their illness and help them build relationships with their teachers and other students.