Burke Rehabilitation recently announced that it has received $30,000 in New York state funding through the efforts of Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. These funds will support and expand Burke”™s Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) Program. Paulin met with Burke Interim Executive Director Scott Edelman and Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Mooyeon Oh-Park, M.D., regarding the funding.
NMT is an evidence-based treatment model that uses standardized, research-based techniques to treat the brain using specific elements of music such as rhythm, melody, dynamics and tempo. Neurologic Music Therapist Vanessa Moran pairs with physical and occupational therapists and speech pathologists to augment their sessions, aiming to increase the efficacy of their interventions.
“When someone is suffering from the effects of a stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson”™s Disease or other neurological diagnoses, it”™s very important to open to them every possible avenue of recovery. By therapeutically applying music to the cognitive and sensory dysfunctions that stem from these disorders, patients are helped in a loving, joyful and noninvasive way,” said Paulin.
Burke partnered with MedRhythms Inc. to launch the NMT Program in 2021. The program initially launched at Burke three days a week with a $50,000 grant from The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation. Through their renewed commitment and the support of additional funding from New York State, Burke expanded the NMT services to five days each week in 2022.
“The ability to have a dedicated Neurologic Music Therapist at Burke only enhances the services that we provide on a daily basis,” said Vice President of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services Sandra Alexandrou, PT, MBA.
