Throughout the year, MusiCares partners with medical providers of all kinds to bring health services to the music community nationwide. These providers often generously offer their services to MusiCares at a reduced rate, allowing MusiCares to serve even more music people in need.

One of those providers is Dr. Janice Johnston, cofounder and Chief Medical Officer of Redirect Health, a company dedicated to affordable healthcare. She has worked with MusiCares for years, providing both in-person and virtual health screenings and clinics to the music community in need.

As a part of our "Provider Spotlight" series, MusiCares highlights Dr. Johnston with an interview that dives deeper into her work, her story and her expertise on the music community's struggles while on the road.

How did you first become interested in health and wellness?

As the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Redirect Health, I have always been passionate about giving back to the community. My work with Musicares and The Blues Foundation for years advocating for the music community has allowed me to see firsthand the unique struggles that musicians face when it comes to health concerns and finding care.

I became interested in health and wellness at a very young age. I always wanted to help people, and I planned to pursue a career in healthcare from the very beginning. I attended medical school at The University of Toronto, and then moved to the United States. 

My husband and I wanted to create a healthcare system that made the most impact on access and affordability of care for our patients and their families. The Redirect Health model was born out of the need to serve the largest number of patients by creating a healthcare plan at an affordable cost for our members. We started Redirect Health exclusively in the state of Arizona years ago and have now expanded to all 50 states. I enjoy educating the public on health matters as well and regularly am featured on ABC as a health expert. 

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Why is preventative care — including regular health check-ins and screenings — important to one's overall health and wellness?

Preventative care is an important part of staying healthy, and yearly health check-ups are a necessity to people of every age group. I recommended meeting with your provider at least once a year for a check-up. 

During an annual wellness exam, we provide a range of services from getting blood pressure checked, providing blood tests to rule out diabetes, checking cholesterol, and general health screenings. These include pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies and skin checks. 

It's always best to identify a problem early before it becomes harder to treat and manage. Having these types of visits are vital to preventative care and catching potential health issues early so providers and patients can develop a treatment plan that is right for them.

Do you have any advice for members of the music community who may be struggling to prioritize their health and wellness while traveling on tour? How can these individuals best stay connected with providers while on the road?

I've come to find that many members of the music community don't always prioritize their health. A demanding travel and tour schedule involves little to no sleep and a significant amount of time spent in small and unfamiliar spaces — plus, there can be a daily temptation of drinking and drugs. 

Performing night after night can take a toll on your overall physical and mental health.  It's not just the musicians — it's everyone from the crew to the manager, and everyone else who is on the road. It's a huge undertaking to put on a show. Touring has the added nuance of being away from your support system, regular routine and regular health care providers.

My advice to members of the music community who are struggling to prioritize their health and wellness while traveling on tour is to remind yourself that your health and wellness matters. Musicians can do this by making sure they are eating healthy and keeping regular exercise in their routines. These are great ways to maintain optimal health while on the road. 

It's also important to be educated on the resources available to musicians on the road. Finding out how to receive care, especially affordable care, while away from your home state can be confusing. For years, I've been volunteering at festivals and concerts, where we set up a consultation tent for musicians to make getting a check-up a quick and easy stop. Even if it's a quick blood draw, you can learn a lot about someone's overall health just by looking at their blood. 

We also team up with other health professionals that perform vision screenings and eyeglass fittings, provide custom ear molds to protect against hearing loss, organize 12 step meetings and provide free condoms. During COVID, I've also worked with MusiCares to provide access to consultations and blood testing through a virtual visit, so we didn't miss a beat when everything was shut down.

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Individuals in the music community face many unique health and wellness challenges and stressors. Are there any health and wellness struggles that you commonly see in clients that are members of the music community?

Overall musicians and those in the industry are just like everyone else, having issues with diabetes, blood pressure, depression and cancer.  But many members of the music community specifically suffer from chronic pain — sore shoulders, stiff necks, carpal tunnel, and overuse injuries. Crew members lift heavy instruments and equipment, and musicians are using the same muscles to perform. Vocal cord damage is also common in performers.

Members of the music community are also susceptible to the pressures of heavy drug and alcohol use. The hard-partying lifestyle is ingrained in the culture, and the stress of peak performance is oftentimes masked by alcohol and drug use.

Do you have any advice to share on receiving care or help through these unique struggles?

Musicians can get help by putting a priority on their health and taking advantage of programs and medical volunteers, such as myself, to see what options are available to them to overcome common chronic pain issues. Addiction is also something that can be hard to overcome as it can be such a heavy part of the music culture. However, with the expansion of telemedicine and tele-counseling, services are available to more people on the road to reach the medical professionals and mental health services they need.

I've been the band doctor for several touring bands now, and I definitely see the challenges they face while on the road. Holding a medical license in all 50 states and being familiar with their care, needs and tour schedule has allowed me to make sure they have what they need and help to coordinate care or testing when it's needed. As the music industry opened back up during the pandemic, I've been able to help them navigate through that maze of issues that COVID has brought with it.

How did you first hear about MusiCares?

I've been fortunate enough to work with MusiCares for many years and became formally introduced through my similar work with The Blues Foundation. The advocacy work MusiCares does is well known in the music industry, and often multiple foundations will work together on behalf of one person to ensure they get the help and care they need. That part is really awesome. It's been very rewarding to serve as a part of a dedicated group of healthcare professionals that work through MusiCares to better address the ever-growing number of music professionals without basic medical coverage and access to healthcare.

How would you say you feel like MusiCares and your mission overlap?

I believe in helping as many people as I can, and MusiCares shares that mission. MusiCares' mission is to empower musicians to prioritize their wellbeing and provide the resources they need to do that. With my passion for healthcare, and making it more accessible for everyone, along with my love for music, I feel that we are a perfect match. I look forward to continuing my mission of helping others through MusiCares and am always looking for more ways to serve this community.

Can you share any memorable moments from your experience benefitting the MusiCares community?

Some of my most rewarding experiences have been identifying some pretty major health conditions, and getting people access to the care they need in a timely and most cost effective way — through funding through grants from MusiCares, advocating for most cost-effective pricing for services and patient assistance programs. 

When you put your mind to it, there's always a way to figure out how to get the care you need and to get it paid for. It's crazy, but often these clinics happen in a bar where we set up our volunteers. Thinking out of the box and coming up with creative ways to provide access to care has been really fun for me.

How MusiCares Supports Holistic Health & Wellness In The Music Community Year-Round