On February 22 and April 12, members of the Health Pros for the ASO Giving Society gathered for concerts and receptions in support of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO). Health Pros for the ASO is a giving society made up of medical professionals across all disciplines and roles who support the ASO and seek to preserve it for future generations. As benefits of their support, members of the giving society are invited to attend an ASO concert and enjoy a reception.

The funds raised by Health Pros for the ASO benefit the orchestra and its many programs, including its outreach program, Music Meets Medicine. The event gives medical professionals the opportunity to support Alabama’s only full-time orchestra while also enjoying an evening with their peers.

“It is an honor to be able to support the ASO through the Health Pros for the ASO, and the work they do with the Music Meets Medicine program,” said Herbert Chen, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery and the Health Pros Giving Society. “Not only is this program great for health care professionals, but it’s also great for the entire city of Birmingham.”

The ASO’s Music Meets Medicine program began in 2020 in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing Birmingham hospitals overrun with patients, a group of ASO musicians partnered with hospital staff at UAB to bring music to the patients via virtual concerts tailored directly to the patient at no cost. Since then, Music Meets Medicine has expanded to serve several hospitals in the Birmingham Metro area, and the program’s offerings have expanded according to those hospitals’ interests and needs, including support for health care providers. Support from the Health Pros for the ASO giving society helps ensure that this free program can continue to flourish and grow.

"The Music Meets Medicine program is a testament to the profound impact of music on healing and well-being,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine and former chair of the Health Pros auxiliary group. “The program's ability to enhance the lives of patients and their families underscores its vital role at the intersection of art and medicine."