Inpatient and Outpatient Clients at East Hospital to Participate in GROOVE SESSIONS™

With the generous support of the Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellowship, Laurel Myers Hurst will be providing GROOVE SESSIONS™ at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Addiction Medicine at Talbot Hall from April 2020 to March 2021.

Hurst was awarded the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in recognition of healthcare innovation and philanthropy above and beyond curricular requirements of her degree program. Hurst is trained as an ethnomusicologist. In 2018, Hurst decided to pursue a master of science and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner certification to further practice of the therapeutic benefits of drumming. She came to The Ohio State University because the academic environment is poised for innovation and collaboration.

The evidence-based program improves a number of social emotional regulation measures including self-expression, growth mindset, stress management, teamwork, focus, leadership, creativity, gratitude and empathy (Beat the Odds®, 2018).

The 100-200 hours of direct programming planned in this project include a plan for sustainability beyond 2021. Part of the fellowship grant will be used to train Wexner Medical Center staff to provide the drum group curriculum.

The curriculum–called Beat the Odds®–is designed by Ping Ho, Giselle Friedman and Mike DeMenno of UCLArts & Healing. UCLArts has been testing and tweaking the curriculum for eleven years under the most adverse circumstances, and the evidence-based program improves a number of social emotional regulation measures including self-expression, growth mindset, stress management, teamwork, focus, leadership, creativity, gratitude and empathy.

The goal is that continuity between inpatient and outpatient group drumming experiences may affect adherence to recovery program follow-up. Until that question can be formally studied, the fellowship project will bring a program to Talbot Hall that is known for improving mood and quality of life.

Hurst states, “Opening this program at Talbot Hall is a win-win for staff and patients who have similar needs for connection and self-care. GROOVE SESSIONS™ and the Beat the Odds® curriculum are a blast! I’m excited to be on the frontier of bringing therapeutic rhythmic interventions to this underserved population.”