Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, imaging experts, pharmacists, and other professional health service providers from the Lennar Foundation Medical Center gathered at the Lowe Art Museum to fine-tune their critical skills of observation and communication – while looking at art. The staff engagement activity stems from a partnership between the Lowe Art Museum and the Lennar Foundation Medical Center’s Human Experience initiatives, all in an effort to offer a comprehensive experience for their staff. The tailored program is based on Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) that teach participants to enhance their sensitivity, empathy, communication, and teamwork with the aim to improve patient outcomes. Working in small groups, participants attentively study what they see in a work of art, communicate it in the group, and discuss what their observations might mean – skills that are highly applicable in the field of healthcare, and many others.
In addition to keenly exploring the Lowe’s works on view, the Lennar Foundation Medical Center participants were treated to a drumming activity by percussionist Brandon Cruz, who led the group in an interactive rhythm exercise to reinforce active listening. Ultimately, the group experienced a radically different way to think about what they see, hear, and share, and how this can enhance the work they do with each other, but most importantly, the services they provide to their patients and clients.