Associations
Our administrative team will work with you directly, sharing our own triumphs and trials, in order to help customize an Art à la Carte program that best suits the needs of your medical community.

Please contact us if you or someone you know is interested in establishing an association with Art à la Carte. We will happily provide you with a Commitment Letter outlining our policies and the exact terms for association. Once the agreement has been signed, you will receive a copy of our operating and training manual, CD and promotional materials.

This year, an estimated 166,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer. Please consider becoming a partner in this small idea that's making a very BIG difference.

Here are some examples of our collaborations to date:

Glengarry Hospital, British Columbia

Following three years of invaluable service as a high school volunteer, Morgan found that she was missing her work with Art à la Carte. We began discussing possibilities for bringing the program to Victoria where she was attending university at the time.

With a bit of guidance from home base, Morgan’s enthusiasm caught the eye of Carrie Peter, Coordinator of Volunteer Resources for the Glengarry Hospital. Together the two pioneered Art à la Carte’s first out of province project in 2002. Glengarry is one of five facilities belonging to the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation.

Morgan has since married and works as an ethics consultant for a large corporation. Both she and her husband continue to volunteer regularly at Art à la Carte's annual fund-raising event.

St. Michael's Hospital, British Columbia

Alan Littlewood Reprinted with permission – St. Michael's volunteer newsletter May 2005

"They all wait with anticipation to see us each week,” says Norma Marshall of Art à la Carte, a program started almost a year ago at St. Michael’s. Norma is speaking about the patients she visits each week who receive reproductions of paintings to hang on the walls of their rooms. Norma's volunteer partner, Brian Hockey points out: “There is absolutely no doubt that the Art à la Carte program at St. Michael’s Hospital has been a hit with the patients and hospital staff.”

The Art à la Carte program came to St. Michael’s through John King, Executive Vice President, Hospital Services, who knew of the Calgary experience and encouraged Judy Smith, Director of Volunteer Services, to start the program here. With the generous assistance of Tim Kastelic, Vice President of Marketing for Scotia Capital, Debbie Baylin’s original vision became a reality at St. Mike’s. The program currently services the Hematology/Oncology and Transitional Care units only. However, there is discussion about bringing it to other parts of the hospital.

Helen Harrison, Clinical Leader/Manager of the Transitional Care Unit, spoke of how many patients in her care feel a great sense of loss. Some have lost possessions while others are exchanging a house for a nursing home. Many have lost their health and mobility. The ability to choose a work of art of a subject meaningful and singular to that person is of great value. Joanne Bennett, Clinical Leader/Manager of the Hematology/Oncology Unit pointed out that: “In choosing a picture it makes a person think about who they are and not just about the illness. Also, it helps us as caregivers get to know the person better – it can be a catalyst in the relationship.”

Brian Hockey describes how he and Norma work together – The two of us work together well as a team, and have developed our own system which streamlines the operation. While Norma talks to the patients in her own inimitable bedside manner and encourages them to make their own personal choice, I take on the task of returning pictures to the carts, locating those which have been selected for hanging in the patient’s room and delivering them to the wards, while taking care of the necessary record keeping for inventory purposes.

Being in a hospital can be an unnerving experience. The sterility of some nursing units can add to this sense of apprehension. Often we forget how important it is for places to look good, to feel comfortable and have a sense of familiarity. Aesthetic content is not an unnecessary add-on; it is an essential ingredient for our sense of well being. And art has a central role to play in creating this. All involved in Art à la Carte are to be congratulated in bringing this program to St. Mikes and making it work so successfully. There could hardly be a more apt endorsement than a remark made by Norma Marshall: “I enjoy everyday I do it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!”

Red Deer Regional Hospital

Following two years of relentless effort by Volunteer Director, Donna Carter and Coordinator, Karen Oatway, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre's Art Lending Program is up and running!

The following excerpt is from Charles Strachey's article that appeared in the David Thompson Health Regional Newsletter shortly after the May 3 launch.

Art Lending Program Brightens Hospital Rooms [http://reprinted with permission]

The David Thompson Health Region (DTHR) has partnered with Red Deer Public Library to deliver the joy of art to patients at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

Red Deer Public Library is providing 50 pieces of original art completed by local artists through its Art Lending Program sponsored by the Red Deer and District Community Foundation.

... "The Art Lending Program will provide patients and their families with a welcome distraction during their hospital stay," according to Donna Carter, Director of Volunteer Resources. "The program enables patients to personalize their room and focus on positive subjects like beauty, courage, hope, strength, joy and humour."

... Unit 31 at RDRHC will be the first unit to receive the Art Lending Program, because it tends to have longer patient stays than other units. Program planners hope to expand the Art Lending Program to other units at the hospital once the pilot program on Unit 31 is well underway ...