Our History
Central Louisiana Arts & Healthcare, Inc. was begun in 2003 using the Arts Council of Central Louisiana as their fiscal agent. Our first contract was with Rapides Regional Medical Center in the Fall of 2003. In February, 2004, we contracted with CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital to provide services there as well.
Our mission is to provide innovative arts experiences in healthcare settings with the goal of using the arts to promote healing, provide respite for family members and provide stress relief for medical personnel.
In addition to these two major hospitals in our area, we have offered services to: HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Dubois Hospital, Grace Home, Hope House, OSMS, Riverside Hospital, Hematology and Oncology Life Center, Rapides Cancer Center, Cabrini Cancer Center and Friendship House.
In 2005, our focus shifted to care for over 15,000 evacuees who had been left homeless by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that hit the Gulf Coast. We cross-trained oover 70 artists to work in the shelters and temporary housing facilities in Rapides and Avoyelles Parishes for approximately 6 months. Our artists provided a constant in these shelters as we brought art, music, dance, yoga, and more into their environment on a daily basis. For these efforts, we received many awards including the Society for the Arts in Healthcare
International Healing Award; a Red Cross Runway Award and an award from the National Art Education Association for Best Work Outside the Profession. Our program was also featured in a book titled Transforming The Healthcare Experience Through The Arts which highlighted 36 exemplary arts in medicine programs throughout the world.
In June, 2007, we filed for our own non-profit status, left the Arts Council and become an official 501(c)(3).
Our major programs focused on making hospital environments more warm and welcoming and using the arts as a tool to calm, relieve stress anxiety and boredom and reduce burn-out for medical professionals.
We have provided rotating art exhibits in galleries that features local artists. We provide live music performances in lobbies, waiting areas and the cafeterias at healthcare facilities. We have had visual artists visit our local Cancer Centers to facilitate art activities. We have visited Pediatric patients offering bedside arts and giving children Kindness Dolls to encourage them to be grateful and kind.
We also formed a Threshold Choir whose mission is to offer compassion and comfort at the bedsides of people who are at a threshold: some with living, some with dying.
During COVID, we had to shut down operations for over 2 years because we were not allowed to go into the healthcare facilities that we served. This was a very dark time for Arts & Healthcare. That was perhaps the time when patients and caregivers needed us most and we were not able to be of help. During COVID, we lost our offices in both hospitals and we lost funding from them as well. We currently rely solely on grants and private donations to survive.
If you are interested in having us bring our healing arts programs to your facility, please contact: judy@artsandhealthcare.org.
Meet Some of Our Artistic Healers
We are so lucky to have many volunteer musicians and artists who work with us. We believe in paying artists/musicians for their time and talent and we do compensate some of them (but it is a small portion of what they should be receiving). Many of our professional artists/musicians donate their time and talents to our mission and we are so grateful.
Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
Founder/Executive Director
Judy Ginsburgh is the founder and Executive Director of Central Louisiana Arts & Healthcare. She is the primary administrator for the program. She also provides music for palliative care patients and in her other life, is a professional singer, vibrational healer, wedding officiant and a Rabbi. Check out Judy's websites at www.judymusic.com
In addition to those pictured, current performers include: Paul Boudini, Lester Kees, Jane Oxenhandler & Red River Dulcimers, Arc Angel Choir, Greg Thompson, Tammy Hromadka
Joanne Thompson
Visual Artist/Cancer Centers
Gary Cathey Band
RiverWinds Trio
DC Sills
Threshold Choir Director
Featured Program - 100 Women Who Care
Arts and Healthcare, Inc. is funded by 100 Women Who Care About Central Louisiana. Founded by Judy Ginsburgh in 2016, this women's giving circle donates $10,000 to Arts & Healthcare each year.
This group of women gather once a quarter socially and each women donates $100 per quarter to a selected local charity. Once a year, the donation goes to the founding charity. Since 2016, the organization has donated over $100,000 to local non-profits.
If you would like more information about 100 Women Who Care, visit: