Social Prescribing USA

Home
United States
San Francisco, CA
Social Prescribing USA

The U.S. home of the international Social Prescribing movement.

05/15/2026

Yes, our previous post covered the incredible new findings on the impact of arts on aging from Dr. Daisy Fancourt from Social Biobehavioural Research Group. BUT when such critical research like this makes it into People Magazine, one of the most read publications in the World and a guilty pleasure for many, we feel that it warrants another post! Given that the growing arts and health movement is one of the key building blocks of the social prescribing movement in the U.S.---a key outcome from the social prescribing leadership summit we hosted last Fall----this piece deserves to be shared widely!

Link:

A new study found that engaging in arts like reading, listening to music or visiting an art gallery may slow biological aging similarly to exercise.

05/12/2026

On international Social Prescribing Day in March, we hosted a special program on arts prescribing and the growing field of arts and health (link in comments below).. One of our featured speakers was Dr. Daisy Fancourt of Social Biobehavioural Research Group at UCL, author of the best-selling new book, Art Cure: The Science of How Arts Saves Lives. Today, new research by Fancourt was released that shows arts and cultural engagement is directly linked to slower biological aging, a groundbreaking finding that will likely lead to more interest in the field. Read more about this groundbreaking research below in The Guardian:

Research from UCL suggests visiting art galleries or museums, singing and painting can help improve health outcomes

05/08/2026

We enjoyed this new piece on social prescribing from Detroit public radio station, WDET 101.9 FM, on SO many levels. It features is a great interview with Dr. Mary Henningfield, executive director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health . The interview touches upon many aspects of social prescribing as it relates to addressing loneliness, particularly among seniors. We were particularly interested in hearing Dr. Henningfield's thoughts on HOW ESSEENTIALare the professionals who serve as link workers within the American health care system, including social workers, community health workers and others. Take a listen this weekend!

Some public health researchers are turning to a new kind of prescription to address loneliness. It’s called “social prescribing.”

05/07/2026

When our Health Professional Champions group met in April, we were excited to have Kayleh Levy-Weller, Lead of Strategic Planning & Grants from UJA-Federation of New York, an organization which has played a leadership role in social prescribing in the New York City area.

Kayleh shared her organization's unique community-based social prescribing program, which addresses loneliness and isolation among older adults. Read the blog post (link in comments below) on our website or watch the presentation on our YouTube channel.

In April's Health Professional Champions meeting, we were excited to have Kayleh Levy-Weller, Lead of Strategic Planning & Grants from UJA - Federation of Ne...

05/05/2026

One of the key priorities identified at the first U.S. Social Prescribing Leadership Summit last Fall was the need for more U.S.-based research on social prescribing models that work within U.S. system. Thus, we are VERY excited to see this new published research on the effectiveness of SocialRx (formerly known as Art Pharmacy)'s arts-based social prescribing on mental health outcomes.

The research conclusion?

"Findings suggest that participation in an arts-based social prescribing program was associated with improvements in mental health over time. The results contribute preliminary evidence of an association between participation in arts-based social prescribing and health, and support the need for further evaluation of social prescribing in controlled studies."

Exciting findings and we hope to see more such studies in the future. Read more about the study at the link below:

IntroductionLoneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as public health challenges linked to higher health care costs and poor health outcom...

04/29/2026

It must be that time of year! Here is another great new nature prescribing program, this one in Massachusetts. In this article (which also links to us!), the Boston Globe Media profiles Outdoors Rx, a pilot initiative in Malden, Massachusetts connecting patients from Molina Healthcare to the outdoors. We look forward to following this exciting effort!

A Malden program is testing whether better access to outdoor recreation can improve public health.

04/28/2026

It's almost May, which means...nature prescriptions are in the air! We are so glad to see this great feature in Philadelphia Magazine about our friends at Prescribe Outside Philly, a great program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Read more about this great program below:

What if your primary care physician gave you a script for more time outdoors? Prescribe Outside, a program from CHOP, is doing just that.

04/23/2026

What a nice mention from digital media thought leader and Thrive Global health advocate Arianna Huffington this morning. She shares the article from Axios that we posted earlier this week and gives us and the social prescribing movement a nice shoutout!

Take a walk with friends twice a week. That’s an example of a prescription your doctor might write for you in the future.

Natalie Daher reports in Axios on the rise of social prescribing: doctors sending patients to social experiences.

It makes sense: we know that connection, in addition to our other daily behaviors — food, movement, sleep, and stress management — has a profound impact on our health.

As Daher notes, the U.K. has been the pioneer, with over 5.5 million social prescriptions over five years. In the U.S., several states are piloting programs and the nonprofit Social Prescribing USA has a goal of nationwide access to art or music therapy, dance classes and outdoor activities for every American by 2035.

Daher cites a study by University College London's Daisy Fancourt that found that people who take part in creative activities at least monthly are half as likely to develop depression.

Connection is also great for brain health generally. “Division is the enemy of brain health,” writes Ben Rein, PhD in his recent book Why Brains Need Friends. “The human brain has been shaped through evolution to reward us for connection… I really do think of it like an exercise regimen for the brain.”

It’s more proof that health is also what happens between doctor visits. As Social Prescribing USA co-founder Dr. Alan Siegel put it, “Most of the healing happens in the 80% of people's lives that has nothing to do with health clinics and hospitals.”

And yes, I heartily agree with Daisy Fancourt: “The Greeks realized these things thousands of years ago.”

You can read more here: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/16/health-care-social-prescribing-connection

04/22/2026

More great visibility for social prescribing, particularly in the U.S. This week, Yahoos Health vertical has shared a great overview piece from UUpworthy which catalogs important trends about the "best in humanity." And, we certainly agree: social prescribing is about improving health by enhancing community and social connections, and there is nothing better than that! Read more below:

"Social prescribing" is a wellness trend where doctors write fewer medication prescriptions and recommend nature and community instead.

04/16/2026

Great to see our movement (and us, specifically) in the increasingly popular digital news site, Axios This piece gives a brief overview of increasing global awareness of social prescribing, including the leadership in the U.K. by our good friends at the National Academy for Social Prescribing a mention of the increasing momentum for the field in the U.S. (including a shout out to SPUSA, woo hoo!), and a gift link to recent Bloombergarticle on the topic (see comments below). This is another great sign of the growing awareness of our field and, of course, is the result of all of our collective efforts in prioritizing social connection within medicine.

https://www.axios.com/2026/04/16/health-care-social-prescribing-connection?

Physicians are sending patients to choirs, art studios, walking clubs and lakesides.

Address

San Francisco, CA
94121

Website

https://socialprescribingusa.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Social Prescribing USA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in San Francisco?