Aly Maier received her Master of Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine in 2018.  She currently serves as Arts Program Manager for NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the US.

The Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals seeks to foster the emotional well-being, promote healing, wellness, and engagement of patients, families, employees, and the greater Health + Hospitals community by integrating all discipline of the arts such as literary, visual and performing arts throughout the Health + Hospitals system. As the Arts Program Manager, Maier collects best practices and implements arts programs that enhance the patient experience, employee engagement, and community wellness through combining artistic innovation, education, and high-quality healthcare.

Maier was previously employed at NOAH, the National Organization for Arts in Health, as Special Project Coordinator, where she assisted the board of directors in achieving their goals around arts in health practice, research, and professionalization.  Maier credits the strategic planning, program planning, and grant writing experience she gained from the Center for Arts in Medicine graduate program as instrumental in allowing her to execute the demands of her positions.

In November, 2017, Maier travelled to Rwanda as part of an interdisciplinary group of artists lead by director of the Center for Arts in Medicine, Jill Sonke. Maier says the experience was incredible and life-changing. Maier helped facilitate the restoration of a mural originally designed by Lily Yeh, and along with other visual artists designed and painted a health-promotion mural at a local clinic which illustrates family planning tools and techniques.

In her final semester of the MA for Arts in Medicine, she worked on completing her capstone project at Kings County Hospital, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals system.  Maier evaluated whether participating in arts in medicine reduces stress and increases social support for hospital staff. Her future research interests include exploring any potential relationships between participation in arts programming by staff and stress, burnout, and retention rates.

Of her experience in the graduate program and future in the field, Maier says "I fully credit the program, the coursework and connections to my current success in the field, and am excited to continue to engage with the field through my role at NYC Health + Hospitals."

Our required curriculum is entirely online, however Aly had the opportunity to attend our Arts in Medicine Summer Intensive during her second year in the online Master's program. While some students take this as a pre-requisite, it is also offered as an in-person elective to currently enrolled Arts in Medicine Online Graduate Students. This testimonial was filmed during her time at the 2017 intensive.

Linh Dang received her Arts in Medicine Graduate Certificate in 2016 with hopes to pursue the Master or Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine in the future. Thanks to her time in the program, she is now the Senior Director of Arts in Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. Read an interview with Linh about her #ArtsInHealth journey by clicking here.

During her time in the graduate certificate program, Linh gained knowledge, experience, and confidence that allowed her to pursue an executive position.

As the Senior Director of Arts in Medicine, Linh uses Arts in Medicine to help combat burnout and compassion fatigue among staff by offering new arts initiatives to support employees in delivering high-quality care for patients and families. Linh's certificate helped her to focus on compassion and how to combine it with the arts. The courses gave her many innovative ideas. Linh is producing a workbook relating to art journaling, as well as using art to spread compassion through what she calls, “Compassionate Art.”

Linh says, "Arts in Medicine provides a purpose for any artist who wants to see how the magic of art can give an instant boost to a meaningful life, a look of pride in a patient’s face, or a tangible grasp of joy. Arts in Medicine makes me excited to learn more and do more for others who are sick and to give beauty back to the community."

Linh also notes that, "Attending CAM is one of the best things that happened in my life. It’s not just a degree or a profession, it’s a community that continues to give back. I am proud of my Arts in Medicine Certificate and of UF."

Dance Alive National Ballet appointed Emily Pozek, former Outreach Director, to the position of Associate Executive Director in March of 2020. Dance Alive had this to say about Emily: "Bringing 10 years of experience in nonprofit administration and dance education, Emily has an unparalleled passion for bringing dance into all communities. During her time as a University of Florida student, in addition to her B.F.A in Dance Performance, Emily completed two undergraduate certificates in Arts in Healthcare and Dance in Healthcare. Notably, Emily went on to become the first UF student to graduate from the Masters in Arts in Medicine program at UF.

For over five years Emily was a Dancer in Residence for the Center for Arts in Medicine at UF Health. During these years, she led “Dance for Life,” a dance class designed for people living with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. In addition to her service at the UF Center for Arts and Medicine, Emily has acted as an adjunct professor for the UF School of Theatre and Dance.

Emily has traveled the U.S and abroad as a dance adjudicator and facilitator. She has worked in special needs classrooms, juvenile detention centers and community centers as a champion in arts education. She is thrilled to be stepping into this new role to help continue the legacy of Dance Alive National Ballet and to help pave the way for the future of the company."

These are the thoughts Emily shared shortly after graduating with her MA in Arts in Medicine.

"I always knew that I wanted to continue my education, but I wasn’t sure exactly how or what field I wanted to enter. During my undergraduate work, I got involved with Arts in Medicine at UF. It was life changing. Dance has always been an interest, but it wasn’t until I began working with Arts in Medicine and used dance with new communities of people that I found my true passion.

The master’s program challenged me to employ critical thinking, real-world application, and problem-solving. The curriculum allowed me to deepen my work with Dance for Life, a class that I teach for people with Parkinson’s disease. Throughout the two years of the program, I applied the concepts we discussed in class to my work with dancers and improved my instructional approach.

The structure of the coursework is completely online, but the program itself is personal. Because the degree is offered virtually, it allowed me to work alongside many different artists from all over the country. I worried that since the program was online I would miss the face-to-face connections with my classmates and teachers. However, the program is designed to foster close connections with peers, and my classmates became friends and fellow artists.

The support from the faculty and students was incredibly rewarding, helping me expand my creative practices. I’ve always considered myself a dancer and a mover, but never a visual artist. With encouragement from the teachers and my peers throughout the program, I challenged myself to explore new mediums in art and learn new skills.

During my studies, my relationships with both the faculty and students were pivotal to my experience. The program helped me create unique friendships and mentorships with knowledgeable and world-renowned faculty members. Their support and guidance throughout the program were a huge boost to my success. My fellow classmates were an inspiration to me as well. They all brought a different voice into our discussions, allowing us to problem-solve, think critically, and build a new understanding about the world of Arts in Medicine. I feel fortunate to be a part of this group of individuals, and the friendships and partnerships I made through this program are ones I will have for the rest of my life."