By Jill Pease
Alexandra Rodriguez, M.P.H., a doctoral student in public health, social and behavioral sciences concentration at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, is the co-author of a recent World Health Organization report: “How Do We Realize the Potential of the Arts to Support Health and Wellbeing in the United States?”
Aimed at artists, health practitioners, municipal leaders and policymakers, the report’s key themes include integrating the arts within current policies, driving policy change, increasing public understanding of the arts as a health resource, and leveraging new and existing evidence to further the field.
The report was co-produced by the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Harvard University and UF’s Center for Arts in Medicine. It features key learnings from the Arts and Health Caucus held in advance of “Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities,” co-hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts in January 2024.
Rodriguez’s role as co-author involved serving as a notetaker for the caucus event in Washington, D.C., and then thematically synthesizing the caucus reflections, takeaways and recommendations, alongside the other co-authors, to produce the report.
The report is already gaining international attention. It is being discussed at WHO arts and health activation events, including at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September and this month at Healing Arts Atlanta.
“I hope that this report catalyzes the development of new arts and health policy in the U.S. while also inspiring decision makers to consider ways that the arts could be meaningfully integrated into current policies,” Rodriguez said.