UK HealthCare

Kentucky Children’s Hospital Welcomes Music Therapist

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 28, 2016) – In past years, high-quality, part-time, music therapy has been provided to patients at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. However, in May 2016 the Music Therapy Program at UK HealthCare welcomed Katie Goforth as the first music therapist soley dedicated to patients in the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. The Pediatric Music Therapy position is funded by a gift from the Alexandra Simpson Fund in recognition of the need to care for all aspects of patients and their families.

Goforth, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, earned her bachelor’s in psychology as well as a music minor from Western Kentucky University. She went on to earn her master’s in music therapy from Florida State University. She completed her music therapy internship at the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. Before joining the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, she served as a visiting assistant professor of music therapy at UK; she taught classes related to the foundations, principles and clinical skills of music therapy.

Goforth’s clinical experience includes the coordination of the music therapy program at Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, where she developed the music therapy internship program in partnership with the Florida State University. During her time at Wolfson, she was responsible for the implementation of the Pacifier Activated Lullaby device in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and received the Distinguished Caregiver Copper Pin Award for excellence in patient and family-centered care. In addition to her experience in medical music therapy, she has also worked extensively with children with special needs, leading group and individual music therapy session at Capital District Beginnings in Albany, New York, and at the Florida State University Multidisciplinary Center in Tallahassee, Florida.

Goforth currently serves on the Kentucky State Task Force for Government Relations, a joint effort of the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists and previously served on the Florida State Task Force for Government Relations. Her research interests include neonatal music therapy, pediatric music therapy and interdisciplinary collaboration.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Olivia McCoy, olivia.mccoy1@uky.edu, (859) 257-1076

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