Sometimes the only way to draw people out is to give them something to draw with.

That idea is at the heart of Susan Anand's work here with people walled in by the pain of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other issues of mental health.

A registered, board-certified and licensed art therapist and part-time instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Anand says the act of creating - drawing, sculpting, painting, puppet-making - is the path to a safe place where those who feel powerless exercise control, where the emotionally tongue-tied are freed. 

“They may not be able to talk about it,” Anand said, “but maybe they can draw about it.”

For her part, Anand will talk about this liberating process during her presentation Feb. 10 at the 1^st Sharjah Arts Therapy Conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The symposium will be held at the University of Sharjah, where Anand's sister is a translator.

“After a colleague of mine asked me to organize some conferences in India for February, I asked if I could also present a proposal for Sharjah,” said Anand, whose itinerary includes training sessions or conferences at three locations in India - New Delhi, Chennai and Auroville.

In Sharjah, Anand will pilot a hands-on workshop, “Creating Possibilities and Strengthening Resilience through Puppet Making and Story Telling,” based in part on her work at UMMC.

If you come into a building on the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus, prepare to smile for the camera. All points of entry are equipped with video cameras for real-time safety surveillance and to aid in forensic investigations.

Mississippi's almost year-round mosquito population makes it more vulnerable to illnesses such as the Zika virus that's becoming rampant in Brazil and some other South and Central American countries

The Medical Center is proud to acknowledge those employees who will celebrate service anniversaries this week:

35 Years

Ida Welch, pharmacy technician, Pharmacy

20 Years

Cassandra Brown, access financial coordinator, Internal Access (Admissions)

Dr. Lisa Haynie, professor of nursing, School of Nursing

15 Years

Tonya Mayers-Sherman, inpatient nurse, University Hospital (3 North)

Dr. James Thompson, associate professor of emergency medicine, School of Medicine

10 Years

Johnnie Campbell, surgical technician, Batson Children's Hospital (Surgical Suite)

Chad Houston, administrative assistant, School of Medicine (Urology Surgery)

Emily Letchworth, medical office assistant, University Physicians (Grants Ferry Administration)

5 Years

Larry Blanton, senior Epic application coordinator/analyst, Information Systems

Annette Dixon, unit secretary, Batson Children's Hospital (5C)

Sherri Franklin, assistant professor of nursing, School of Nursing

Brian Harper, environmental services technician, Environmental Services

Melissa King, advanced practice providers director, School of Medicine (Emergency Medicine)

Dr. Larry C. Martin, professor of surgery, School of Medicine

Brooke Park, senior Epic enterprise analyst, Information Systems

Katherine Smith, inpatient nurse, University Hospital (Emergency Department)

Lanique Spight, anesthesia technician, School of Medicine (Anesthesiology)

Ashley Taylor, nurse, Batson Children's Hospital (Surgical Suite)

Wanmei Wang, statistical analyst, School of Medicine (Center for Biostatistics)

A number of interesting events is scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.