Harmonizing for Health, a collaboration between the Yale School of Public Health, NYC Health + Hospitals (the largest municipal hospital system in the country), and Juilliard Extension, seeks to identify the unique role music could have in relieving health care staff burnout and compassion fatigue.
Substantial evidence exists for the health benefits of music, from supporting pain management to reducing symptoms of depression. But its integration into health care practice remains limited to patient care. Harmonizing for Health is believed to be the first intervention of its kind to help health care staff through music.
“I think it’s a novel way of thinking about how we can support busy individuals working at really tough jobs and give them some tools to help them find resiliency and relaxation in their day,” said Dr. Judith Lichtman, PhD ’96, MPH ’88, the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) at Yale School of Public Health and one of the program’s leaders.
Harmonizing for Health began in October 2025 with participation from two groups of NYC Health + Hospitals employees who work under high stress: nursing leadership and ancillary workers (such as hospital police, housekeeping staff, and kitchen employees). Over six months, these two groups are taking part in six workshops. After each session, a Yale School of Public Health research team led by Dr. Lichtman collects data through a mix of qualitative interviews, surveys, and other forms of feedback.
Each monthly workshop focuses on a different musical style and accompanying theme. For instance, the groups have already participated in a sound bath session, a deeply immersive, personal, and private experience. The participants also engaged in a more physical group-based hip hop workshop. Another session used jazz to show how improvisation can help employees navigate competing priorities and adapt to challenges during the workday.
“All of these experiences elicit different things, and when you work in health care, sometimes you don’t want a soothing sound bath or a calm ocean…you want to stay awake, and you want to be stimulated,” said Larissa Trinder, assistant vice president of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine department.
Given high rates of burnout nationally for health care workers, the Harmonizing for Health team believes it is especially important to find ways to best support hospital staff.
“In a field where compassion and emotional resilience are paramount, the Harmonizing for Health program offers our staff a unique opportunity for reflection, creative expression, and renewal,” Trinder said. “The involvement of researchers from the Yale School of Public Health ensures a rigorous evaluation of the program’s impact, reinforcing our commitment to evidence-based approaches that nurture the mental and emotional well-being of those who provide care. Together, we are fostering a more sustainable, compassionate health care environment—one that supports both patients and the dedicated professionals who serve them.”
Dr. Eric Wei, MD, chief executive officer of Bellevue Hospital, is a firm supporter of the program.
“At America’s oldest hospital, we are always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to care for our patients and support our hardworking staff,” Dr. Wei said. “Harmonizing for Health is a pioneering initiative that not only offers our staff a creative outlet for relaxation and renewal but also helps make Bellevue a kinder and gentler place to work and receive care. “We are proud to partner with Juilliard Extension and Yale School of Public Health on groundbreaking programs like this that reimagine how we nurture our caregivers and enhance their resilience.”
NYC Health + Hospitals has held previous staff workshops using the visual arts. Through Harmonizing for Health, it hopes to expand its programming to include music as well.
John-Morgan Bush, dean of Juilliard Extension, said, “My goal for this pilot program is to, through the incredible research and expertise of the Yale School of Public Health, confirm what I have seen in practice and what I believe to be true about the utility of music and the arts in these kinds of settings. We have this really unique position to help establish a blueprint that other health care organizations can follow and that is scalable.” Juilliard Extension is the flagship open-enrollment continuing education program for nonmatriculated students at the Juilliard School, a world-class private performing arts conservatory in New York City.
Once the pilot concludes, Lichtman said the next steps will be to conduct a more rigorous intervention, tracking study participants before, during, and after music programming. So far, the team is encouraged by the pilot program’s preliminary results.
The pilot study, funded by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, will conclude in March 2026.