Vital Signs: Soothing Sounds
When Children’s music therapist Deborah Benkovitz, LSW, MT-BC, strums her guitar and sings, patients (and their families) relax. Studies show that music enhances the immune system and helps alleviate stress. “I see firsthand how much Deb calms down anxious patients with her music,” says Ricardo Munoz, MD, chief of the Heart Center’s Division of Cardiac Intensive Care. Ms. Benkovitz offers a musical interlude that is both comforting and soothing. Now, a Buncher Family Foundation donation has made it possible to open a music therapy room at the new Children’s Hospital.