Saratoga Hospital doctors use music, art to help ease their stress

SARATOGA SPRINGS – A group of doctors in the thick of treating patients when the pandemic was at its peak found a creative way to cope through music and art.

Dr. Steve Offord, a doctor for 20 years at Saratoga Hospital, got the idea in fall of 2020 to put on an art show.

"I just sort of said I’m going to go for it, I’m going to have the biggest show I’ve ever had," said Offord. "And then I thought I’m going to get other people invested."

That’s when he thought of Dr. Ayesha Sooriabalan, the director of palliative care at the hospital for more than a decade.

She meets patients dealing with serious illness.

Self-care was already part of her life, then COVID hit.

When Offord asked her to be a part of his art show, she started writing her own song, and learned how to play it on her guitar.

There are about a dozen doctors involved in this show, all tapping into their creative minds.

They’re at the hospital during the day together, and then evenings and weekends they get together to practice their music and art.

The art show is planned for September.

Learn about a documentary focusing on the doctors’ art show that’s now being recorded and where you can see it by watching the video of Subrina Dhammi’s story.