By C. H. Barton
Special to Inside
When Heather Lantry makes the rounds at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center, she brings along something that almost always brings a smile to a patient’s face—her guitar and keyboard.
The Lincoln Square resident is a local singer, musician and instructor at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. She also is a board-certified music therapist—trained in the therapeutic use of music.
Last month, Saint Mary of Nazareth started a full-time music therapy program after a successful three-month pilot program in 2000.
The new program, made possible for one year through several grants, is an established inpatient health service— similar to occupational and physical therapy. It is a valid treatment option for patients of all ages and those diagnosed with a variety of medical problems.
Lantry spends about six hours a day visiting patients in pediatrics, oncology, rehabilitation, and psychiatry, as well as those hospitalized with diabetes and arthritis. As director of the program, Lantry provides group sessions, and one-on-one therapy at the patient’s bedside, averaging 30 minutes to one hour.
“Music therapy has a very positive effect on patients—helping to relive pain, stress, and anxiety,” said Lantry, who has a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Illinois State University in Normal. “Clinical research shows that patients who undergo music therapy respond better to medical treatment and get well more quickly.”
When Lantry drops by a patient’s room, she doesn’t always know what to expect.
One grade school boy from Chicago was hospitalized at Saint Mary’s after being diagnosed with diabetes. He was scared about his newly diagnosed illness, and how it would affect him.
“He was very sad and angry to be in the hospital,” said Lantry, who has been a music therapist for four years. “He told me on the first visit that he wanted to write a song about his illness. He said, ‘This song should be angry’ and he hit the drum so hard that he broke it.”
After several more visits, the young boy’s disposition changed and so did his music selection. “He eventually wanted to sing lullabies and happy songs,” Lantry said. “Music therapy is a form of self-expression. Part of my job is assessing the patient’s needs and emotional state.”
Therapists use music intervention—both vocal and instrumental—to address the patient’s physical, psychological, spiritual and cognitive functioning. Lantry initially assesses a patient’s emotional and physical state, and plans the music intervention. After the visit, she writes up a report on the outcome.
Some patients want to be active participants in the session and pick up an instrument to play. Children often like to sing along with Lantry. Other patients who are in pain or weakened by illness want to hear soothing music while they rest.
Lantry recalls an experience with a patient in April that she can’t seem to forget since she started work. She visited an elderly man who was seriously ill and ready to be moved to a hospice the following day. As she played a song on her guitar, he quietly whispered, “Beautiful, beautiful,” and asked if he could hold her hand.
“That stuck with me the most,” Lantry said. “I feel like I have such a purpose here.”
Music therapy is a reimbursable service through Medicare and many insurance companies.
Saint Mary of Nazareth is part of Resurrection Health Care, Chicago’s largest Catholic health system, which includes eight hospitals, 10 nursing homes, four retirement communities, a surgery center, dozens of outpatient and medical office facilities, hospice services and one of the state’s largest home health care networks. Resurrection Health Care is co-sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Sisters of the Resurrection.
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