The Manhattan Times

Just beside a lighted water fountain, with the sun of early morning beaming into the lobby of Lincoln Hospital this past Mon., Jan. 23rd, a new masterpiece for artists was unveiled.

"We have a large artist community in the Bronx and northern Manhattan who often go without care," said the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) Sr. Vice President and Lincoln Hospital Executive Director Iris Jimenez-Hernandez. "This will change that and it allows artists to give back to their local community."

The Lincoln Art Exchange Program is a bartering program where artists earn monies towards their healthcare instead of paying out-of-pocket by donating their talent and creativity.

Together with Executive Director Iris Jimenez-Hernandez, Tony- and Grammy-award-winning playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, pioneer female hip-hop artist Roxanne Shante, HHC President and CEO Alan D. Aviles were all on hand early on Monday morning to encourage artists to come in to earn their healthcare.

"It's just such a win/win situation," said Miranda, "not just for the artistic community but for the hospital."

Local artists will now have the opportunity to earn quality healthcare in return for their art works, or their instruction. Even their ability to help coordinate an event artistically could earn them credits.

The program is modeled after the Artist Access program established in 2005 at the Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn. Artists that are eligible will undergo an interview, and a session with a financial counselor. Afterwards, artists will enroll in a financial aid program that permits patients to pay for medical care on a sliding scale basis.

Artists can earn 40 credits, which will be equal to $40, for each hour worked. Such credits can then be applied to a host of medical procedures and services.

"The hospital suddenly gets an eager corps of volunteers with credits to burn and, in turn, they get credits towards their healthcare," noted Miranda. "What's great about the program is that it's very flexible. It's not like a contract where you find yourself having to teach a yoga class for the next two years."

The other artists in attendance were similarly supportive.

"I think it's just terrific and brilliant," enthused Linda Cunningham, a local multi-media artist. "It is very creative, innovative and smart. I can name 10 artists right now that don't have any insurance."

And as she noted, "Some are in their later years, [and] simply don't have it because it's too expensive."

Many artists in need have resorted to selling their works when in dire circumstances in order to afford much-needed healthcare.

Roxanne Shante, who is a breast cancer survivor, knows this road very well, as she shared that when she had been most in need of health care, she had had to sell some of the publishing rights to her own music.

"We live in a society now where there's two choices," said Shante, referring to many who are challenged financially. "You go see a physician or you go to your medicine cabinet. [And] I think a lot more of us go to our medicine cabinets because we think of the financial aspect of it."

The hospital, too, benefits from the artists' contributions.

"It's been our experience that once that collaboration begins, it becomes a very dynamic process," explained Jimenez-Hernandez. "The hospital staff becomes very creative and finds ways to use any number of artists' mediums as part of the therapy for our patients."

The possibilities extend to various collaborations. The program's organizers encourage creativity. Visual artists might partner with patients to encourage creative expression; dance artists might offer a class in rehabilitative movement.

And as was noted, every hour served is $40 earned towards a healthier artist, one who will have felt that he actively contributed to his personal well-being while also helping better the health of others.

"To have a program where an artist can actually earn [credits], and [not] feel it's a hand-out or charity, is a beautiful thing," said Shante.

For more information, please call 855-LIN-ARTS (855-546-2787) or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .