Fall 2019


New hospital features gardens and hundreds of works of art 

In the early 1980s, a group of volunteers came together with the purpose of acquiring and hanging art on the then-empty walls of Stanford Hospital. What this group sensed about the power of art — that it could help improve healing — was proven later in studies suggesting that it can substantially affect health outcomes, such as blood pressure, anxiety, intake of pain medications and length of hospital stay.

Today, every new hospital includes art, said Connie Wolf, consulting director of the art program for the new Stanford Hospital: “Integrating art into the hospital environment allows us to think holistically about the healing of the mind, the soul and the spirit.”

The new facility, which will open this fall, places equal value on the restorative qualities of art and nature. It includes 4 acres of outdoor gardens and more than 400 works of original art — all either donated or acquired with private monetary donations. 


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SOUND BITES

It's not like you're chasing the symptoms, it is that you are preventing the symptoms. And that is a very attractive approach to not only impulse control disorders, but also to any episodic neurological condition.

Casey Halpern, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, on a new clinical trial that will test whether a device can help people who struggle with obesity and binge eating.

Medium, August 12


That’s the big Achilles’ heel of genetic testing in healthy patients. Physicians can’t interpret variants of uncertain significance. If they just look at those at face value, it could scare the heck out of patients.

Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, on whether the medical community is moving too quickly to incorporate genetic testing into the routine care of healthy people.

U.S. News & World Report, August 20


This is an important opportunity, both in our country and worldwide, to understand the factors that have led to the steep decline in heart disease in high-income populations. Our challenge going forward is to evenly apply these benefits to less advantaged populations.

Latha Palaniappan, MD, professor of medicine, on seeing cancer surpass cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death among middle-aged adults in several countries

CNN, September 3


The way we need to change how we handle addiction is, we need to move it into the health care system. You have to let the rest of the health care system know what you do, and you have to do it as a team.”

Keith Humphreys, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, on giving doctors greater access to records of patients who are being treated for substance use disorder to better coordinate care.

PBS NewsHour, August  23