John Abel, MPH, MT-BC serves as both music therapist and rehab therapy supervisor at Wesley Woods Hospital of Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. In this acute care geriatric rehab hospital, John conducts group and individual music therapy sessions with individuals experiencing a variety of physical, emotional and cognitive challenges, and he supervises other therapists, rehabilitation techs, and administrative staff. In this AMTA.Pro Symposium, John describes the development of a successful partnership between the music therapist and the wound care staff at the hospital. Click to listen to the podcast, and check out the short video description of this program below the outline.

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Music Therapy and Wound Care

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AMTA Pro Symposium

John Abel, MPH, MT-BC

Wesley Woods Hospital of Emory Healthcare

Atlanta, GA

Discussion Outline

1. Description of Wesley Woods Hospital structure and patient units

2. Description of music therapy program at Wesley Woods Hospital

  • Part of Rehabilitation Therapy Department (along with OT, PT, SLP)
  • Combined with other treatment modalities to form a program called HT/MT/TR
  • Physician ordered treatment
  • Treat patients throughout 100-bed hospital
  • PRN therapists to allow 7-day coverage

3. Overview of music therapy treatment on Rehab, Psych and Neuorpsych Units

4. Development of cooperative program between music therapy and wound care programs

5. Discussion with WCON

  • Would this treatment be beneficial?
  • How would the two modalities work together?
  • What process used to choose appropriate candidates?

6. Beginnings of program and introduction to first patient

  • Various roles played by music therapist
  • Balance between music therapist and WCON
  • Referral process
  • Responses from patients

7. Future research implications

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AMTA Pro Symposium Speaker Bio
Music Therapy and Wound Care

John Abel, MPH, MT-BC graduated with a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Therapy in 1987 from Florida State University. He interned at the Georgia Retardation Center in Athens, under the supervision of Dr. Roy Grant. From there, he moved to Boston to work at the Walter E. Fernald State School where he functioned as a music therapist and later as a music therapy supervisor and Clinical Training Director for the internship program. During his eight years in Boston, he also worked as a music therapist and guitar instructor at the Community Music Center of Boston.

In 1995, John and his family moved to Atlanta where he began work at his current facility, Wesley Woods Hospital of Emory Healthcare. Here he functions in a duel role of music therapist and rehab therapy supervisor conducting daily group and individual music therapy sessions. In this acute care geriatric rehab hospital, he has been afforded extensive experience with individuals experiencing a variety of physical, emotional and cognitive challenges. He supervises other therapists, rehabilitation techs, and administrative staff. In 2006, John went back to school, graduating in 2009 from Emory University with his Master of Public Health.

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