Cure 4 The Kids Foundation Debuts New Arts in Medicine Program
The Former Project Imagine Merging Into Cure 4 The Kids Foundation
Project Imagine, an Arts in Medicine program which has enhanced the lives of thousands of Southern Nevada pediatric patients, will continue its inspirational work by becoming a program of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation.
Under the mutually approved agreement, Project Imagine will disband its own 501(c)(3) designation and become a full-fledged Arts in Medicine Program within Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, also a 501(c)(3) organization. The merger will benefit the arts initiative in several ways, including the ability to strengthen and expand the program, seek additional sources of revenue through Cure 4 The Kids Foundation donors, and provide the program with a permanent location.
“I started this organization 12 years ago after cancer took the life of a little girl I knew and deeply loved,” said Diane Mifsud, Founder of Project Imagine. “The loss propelled me to look at how I could use my artistic talents to benefit other children facing similar and difficult medical journeys. Through Project Imagine, I have had the pleasure to work side-by-side with the staff at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. I see their excellence at work and the incredible care they have for these patients. Their focus and dedication to patients are why I chose to join Cure 4 The Kids Foundation,” she said.
Mifsud will bring her artistic interventions to patients at the clinic, including before and after medical appointments and during lengthy treatments in the clinic’s infusion suite. Cure 4 The Kids patients admitted into Summerlin Hospital’s Pediatric Hematology Oncology Unit will interact with Mifsud via virtual online visits.
In the past, Mifsud utilized additional local artists in music, theater, art, and photography to provide one-on-one enrichment sessions with patients, and to help them cope with feelings of isolation that can accompany a prolonged illness. Due to pandemic health safeguards, these additional artistic experiences will remain on hold until further notice.
“I am so very proud that Diane Mifsud chose to bring this successful Arts in Medicine program into the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation family where it will continue to enhance the lives of patients, and also benefit from our shared vision to provide the best treatment and related services to patients and their families,” said Annette Logan-Parker, president & CEO, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation.
As part of the transition, Mifsud will become director of the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation Arts in Medicine program and a member of the organization’s Behavioral Health Team.
“I know the impact our artists have on these children, which is why I continue to be so passionate about art working alongside medicine,” said Mifsud. “One of our artists played guitar for a boy in isolation – at a medically approved and safe distance – and the musician was able to change the energy in that room in seconds. It makes me cry when I think about it. Everybody started dancing, and then I looked around near the nurse’s station, and they’re dancing too. It just permeates whatever space we’re in, and the effect blows me away every single time,” she said.
Last year, approximately 1,000 patients or “little people” as Mifsud calls them, were directly served by the Arts in Medicine program. Since 2010, Mifsud has worked with patients at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, Summerlin Hospital Medical Center and Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center.
About Cure 4 The Kids Foundation
Founded in Las Vegas in 2007, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation exists to provide high-quality, research-focused medical treatment to children battling cancer and many other life-threatening conditions. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation operates the only pediatric outpatient cancer treatment center in the State of Nevada and is proudly accredited by The Joint Commission. This stringent medical accreditation and the required unannounced inspections ensure that patients are getting the best care possible. From the beginning, the mission of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation has been to bring increased community access to these specialized treatments that are leading the way to improved patient outcomes. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation’s Charity Care Program provides high-quality treatment on a sliding scale basis. No patient is ever turned away from treatment for financial reasons. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. www.cure4thekids.org