About the Music Therapy Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) was founded in 1921, and services patients in Upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region and beyond. Located within URMC, Strong Memorial Hospital is an 886-bed acute care hospital, including the Wilmot Cancer Center, that serves adult patients and Golisano Children’s Hospital is a 148-bed pediatric hospital.

The Music Therapy Program at URMC was established in 1997 and annually serves over 2,100 pediatric and adult patients with a variety of diagnoses, at no cost to patients. Music therapy services initially developed within pediatrics at Golisano Children’s Hospital, with some research initiatives on adult patient units. In 2019, the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center (EPAM) was created to develop an arts in healthcare program and connect music therapy, arts enrichment, research, and performing arts medicine throughout the University of Rochester enterprise. In 2022, music therapy services expanded to adult units within Strong Memorial Hospital, and currently serve patients in critical care, physical medicine & rehabilitation, neurologic rehabilitation, adults living with eating disorders, and oncology. Services also extend into adult outpatient areas, including addiction recovery and integrative oncology. The program is staffed by six Board-Certified Music Therapists and one Music & Medicine Clinical Research Specialist, who is also an MT-BC. Dr. O.J. Sahler serves as the Medical Director of the program, while Gaelen McCormick serves as the Director of EPAM.

Consult and assessment-based individual sessions are provided to patients. Co-treat sessions occur with interdisciplinary staff throughout the medical center. Group music therapy sessions are also offered in pediatric inpatient care, adult inpatient care, and adult outpatient care which includes addition recovery and integrative oncology.