Spaulding Rehab Launches First-of-its-kind Outpatient Neurologic Music Therapy Program With Medrhythms

(Boston, MA)- The deep rooted connections music can create within the human brain has existed since the first stages of human evolution. It is only recently that medical science has sought to harness that capability to reactivate areas of the brain damaged by trauma or illness. Music Therapy was once the domain for purely patient recreation. Neurologic music therapists have begun to become vital parts of the care team in leading institutions for patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries, stroke and other neurologic conditions. Spaulding Rehabilitation was one of the first rehab providers in the country to create a full-time Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) inpatient program and has now announced a partnership with Boston and Portland, Maine based MedRhythms to offer NMT services on an outpatient basis, making it the most comprehensive program of its kind in the nation.

“Spaulding has always been at the forefront of technologies and treatments for people recovering from all ranges of injuries and trauma. After seeing the overwhelmingly positive results for our inpatient populations we knew this was a service that could meet a real need for those continuing rehabilitation months and years out from their injury. It’s exciting to partner with MedRhythms and give the patients we serve a new way to improve their lives,” said Rob Welch, Senior Vice President of Outpatient Services, Spaulding Rehabilitation.

NMT is the therapeutic application of music to cognitive, sensory, and motor dysfunctions due to neurologic disease of the human nervous system. Based upon neuroscience research, NMT provides specific, individualized, and standardized interventions for those affected by neurologic injury or disease. NMT differs from traditional Music Therapy as it views music not through a social science model for well being, but through a neuroscience lens, where music is a hard-wired brain language. Treatment techniques are based on the scientific knowledge of music perception and production and the effects thereof nonmusical brain and behavior functions.

“In addition to the profound functional outcomes, when using NMT we often see the positive energy not only of the patient but of their family and often other caregivers. We are so proud to find a partner like Spaulding who has the foresight to see the dynamic potential NMT can have for people with neurologic injuries and diseases. We are excited to get started and reach even more people through this outpatient service,” Brian Harris, Certified Neurologic Music Therapist and CEO of MedRhythms.

The outpatient NMT program will be based at the Spaulding Boston Outpatient Center located on the 2nd floor of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital at 300 First Avenue in Charlestown, Mass. For more information on Spaulding’s Neurologic Music Therapy Program or to schedule an appointment contact 617.952.6200 and select option 3.

About Spaulding Rehabilitation

A member of Partners HealthCare, Spaulding Rehabilitation includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, its main campus the new 132-bed facility in Charlestown, which is a national model for environmental and inclusive design as well as Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge and two skilled nursing facilities, as well as twenty-three outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Spaulding strives to continually update and improve its programs to offer patients the latest, high-quality care through its leading, expert providers. Spaulding has been awarded a Model Systems designation in three specialty areas- Brain Injury, Burn Injury Rehabilitation, and Spinal Cord Injury - by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Spaulding is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School as well as the official rehabilitation hospital of the New England Revolution. Spaulding is the only rehabilitation hospital in New England continually ranked since 1995 by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Hospitals survey with a #6 ranking in 2015-2016. For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.

About MedRhythms

MedRhythms is a neuro-rehab company that exists to restore the lives and quality of life of loved ones, which brain injury threatens to steal each year. We do this through world-class, life changing care for those afflicted by neurologic injury or disease, using the power of Neurologic Music Therapy. MedRhythms focuses on this intersection between music, neuroscience, and technology, providing interventions to achieve optimum outcomes in sensorimotor, speech & language, and cognitive goals in patients. NMT is used primarily for those afflicted by neurologic injury or disease, including: Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease. Learn more at http://www.medrhythmstherapy.com/


Photo Caption (L-R): Aaron Moore, Site Manager Spaulding Boston, Owen McCarthy, President MedRhythms, Brian Harris, CNMT, CEO MedRhythms, Bob McCall, VP of Inpatient Rehabilitation, Rob Welch, Senior Vice President of Outpatient Services. - END -