Regina Holliday

DC-based patient rights arts advocate

HxD 2012 - Regina Holliday - What does art have to do with medicine? from HxD Conference on Vimeo.

What does art have to do with medicine?

Regina is an artist, blogger and patient rights activist. She journeyed with her witty pop-culture inspired husband during his 11 week hospitalization in five facilities. She saw massive problems in patient data access, continuity of care and patient communication. She also saw that art was not being used to its full advantage within in healthcare facilities or online. After her husband's death, She began a mission to speak publicly about patient care and paint about the patient story within the larger conversation about health. She will discuss the myriad venues possible to create patient story art: city walls, upon a canvas or on the jacket back of a conference attendee.

Bio

Regina began painting a series of murals depicting the need for clarity and transparency in medical records. This advocacy mission was inspired by her husband Frederick Allen Holliday II and his struggle to get appropriate care during 11 weeks of continuous hospitalization at 5 facilities.

After his death resulting from kidney cancer on June 17, 2009, she began painting a mural entitled “73 cents." It depicts the Holliday family’s journey through the medical system. This painting became part of the national healthcare debate and was covered by news sources such as ABC, CBS, BBC and peer reviewed journal such as the BMJ.

Regina also paints on canvas at medical conferences throughout the US. She paints the concepts discussed and presents them through a patient’s view.

Regina began an advocacy movement called “The Walking Gallery.” The Gallery consists of a loose confederation of artists, medical providers, technicians and advocates who wear patient-centered care paintings on the backs of business suits. Regina is a 2011-2012 Fellow with Texas Medical Institute of Technology. She will appear in the upcoming Safety Leaders/Discovery Chanel documentary: “Out of the Danger Zone” and is part of the design team that created SpeakerLink.org.