Social Prescribing USA

01/14/2026

We are excited to see Chris Appleton and Art Pharmacy get attention for its efforts to bring arts prescribing to college campuses to address student loneliness and lack of connection. Universities are leading the way on social prescribing in the U.S., and we look forward to bring more attention to developments at colleges and universities around the country this year!

Art Pharmacy uses “social prescribing” to offer students nonclinical paths to better mental health and connection on campus.

01/07/2026

Like many around the World, we are looking forward to the publication next month in the U.S. of UCL Professor Daisy Fancourt's new book, "Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health." It will be one of the definitive books on the health benefits of the arts, a field which has helped drive the arts prescribing and social prescribing movements here in the U.S. and around the World. Today, in honor of the book's publication in the UK, Fancourt has a great article in The Guardian. We are happy to share it below:

Engaging in creativity can reduce depression, improve immunity and delay ageing – all while you’re having fun

01/05/2026

We can't think of a better way to start the first Monday of the new year than reading about this new arts, nature and health effort at Dartmouth College! With this effort, Dartmouth becomes the latest university to address student mental health issues through enhanced connections to arts and nature. Congrats to our friends at Art Pharmacy for this latest collaboration.

More news Articles Arts and Nature Rx Program to Boost Student WellnessNews subtitleFeeling lonely or anxious? Group hikes and craft workshops can be a remedy.ImageImage Tranquil walks in the woods, such as this “forest bathing” exercise in late October in Pine Park in Hanover, are part of Arts ...

12/30/2025

We finish the year with an immense sense of gratitude for our community's collective efforts to move social prescribing forward in the U.S. Most of all, we are honored that we could play a significant role in championing this movement, its leading organizations, and its visionary leaders. As we look back on a remarkable year and look forward to 2026, we are committed to building on our momentum so that more people across the country can benefit from social connection, the arts, nature, volunteering, and movement. Please learn more and support our efforts by clicking below:

https://www.socialprescribingusa.com/blog/2025summary

See you in 2026!

12/19/2025

2025 was an incredible year for social prescribing in the U.S., and we were honored to be part of its incredible progress in this country. We expect 2026 to be even bigger, but for now, we are looking back at the year that was for our growing organization and the rapidly developing social prescribing movement in the U.S. Read more at the link below from our Executive Director and co-founder, Dr. Alan Siegel, M.D.

https://www.socialprescribingusa.com/blog/2025summary

12/17/2025

Exciting to see that our friends at the Christensen Institute have identified social health (and the work we are doing to promote social prescribing in the U.S.) as a critical trend to watch in health care innovation in 2026. We certainly agree! Read more below:

Our 2026 health care predictions focus on social health, a health insurance inflection point, and an AI forecast you might not expect.

12/06/2025

REMINDER FOR MONDAY NIGHT's Health Professional Champions Meeting.!

In this month’s meeting, we are excited to host Dr. Sebastian Tong to discuss the University of Washington's Social Prescribing Program. Discover how combining one-on-one planning with group support is reducing depression and anxiety for patients in primary care.

Please join us at 5PM PST on Monday with the following Zoom link:

Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88571176593?pwd=MNLKFwMA5YXC1LugFlWidJueUrazMW.1

12/04/2025

Very exciting news!

The Medical Society of Virginia recently passed a policy resolution supporting social prescribing in our healthcare systems.

“MSV supports health institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia in establishing social prescribing pilot programs and assessing their benefits, limitations, methods, and effectiveness.”

We’re honored to be consulted throughout this process and to be mentioned in the resolution for our work advancing social prescribing.

Next up we’re taking this momentum to the national level!

Read the full resolution on page 175.
https://www.msv.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Delegate-handbook-1.pdf

12/03/2025

A fun article here from Inc. Magazine on the growth of social prescribing here in the U.S. and around the World, with a particular focus on the health benefits of social connection. It's almost that time of year...so maybe we'll see doctors prescribing....holiday parties? Could happen!

Doctors abroad have sent patients to social events from art classes to community gardening for years. Now the trend has come to the States.

11/20/2025

We are pleased to be featured in this new Business Insider article on the growth of social prescribing in the U.S. and new ways to boost social connection! Our country is in the early stages of bringing the health benefits of the arts, nature, social connection and civic engagement to all patients in all communities in the U.S. and we are grateful for all of the progress we have made in the past few years. It is also great that our friends, Chris Appleton of Art Pharmacyand Kate Mulligan of the Institute for Social Prescribing, share their insights in the article as well. It's another sign our movement is growing and gaining increased attention! Please share widely (despite the somewhat silly headline!)

Why your next doctor's visit may include a prescription to join a book club or go to a party.

11/18/2025

Exciting announcement here! Our friends at the National Academy for Social Prescribing have announced that International Social Prescribing Day 2026 is on....March 26th.....Stay tuned for more information!

Social Prescribing Day is on the 26th March 2026 - get involved and share your stories

11/12/2025

Did you miss our webinar this week on the emerging and exciting field of Lifestyle Medicine? If so, it is now available for view on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/-u8h) and below:

This engaging webinar was designed to educate participants about the principles and practices of Lifestyle Medicine and explore how its successful implementation can inform and strengthen the social prescribing movement. It featured:

Panelists:
💡Melissa Sundermann, DO, DipABLM, FACLM

-AKA "Doctor Outdoors"
-Medical Director, Lifestyle Medicine, Corewell Health System
-Founding Chair-Nature As Medicine committee, American College of Lifestyle Medicine
-Chair-Lifestyle Medicine Initiative, Global Wellness Institute
- Advisor, Prescribing USA

💡Christy Billock, PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM
-Conscious Living Specialist
-Occupational Therapy Educator

💡Rak ("rock") Jotwani, MD, DipABLM -Dual board-certified physician in Internal Medicine & Lifestyle Medicine
-Host of Podcast
-Founder of

Moderators:
💡Alan Siegel, M.D. Siegel, MD
-Co-Founder and Executive Director, Social Prescribing USA

💡Adam Hirschfelder, MA
-Director of Strategy & Development, Social Prescribing USA

Producers:
💡Ivory Rose, OTD
-Healthcare Engagement & Strategy Lead, Social Prescribing USA

💡Jennifer Kuo, MPH, CHES®
-Education & Programming Lead, Social Prescribing USA

This engaging webinar on Lifestyle Medicine and Social Prescribing was designed to educate participants about the principles and practices of Lifestyle Medic...