George Family Art Rooms Inspires Creativity and Healing for Children at CASTLE
CASTLE’s two campuses each have dedicated art rooms for making and displaying paintings, sketches, sculptures, and more. The first opened in Camden in 2020 (with limited fanfare due to the pandemic); the second opened in Berlin in April 2024.
Both art rooms, along with all the supplies to support them, are possible due to the generosity of Dr. James E. George and the George Family Foundation. Dr. George is a man of many talents: In addition to being a highly regarded leader in emergency medicine and a healthcare lawyer, the Woodbury, NJ, resident is also a prolific abstract artist.
Dr. George discovered art as an adult while receiving six months of inpatient rehabilitation after suffering a brain and spinal cord injury.
“Art has an incredible impact. My deep commitment to ensuring that art is part of the healing process for children comes from my experience of how much art therapy has helped me throughout my journey,” he said. “It is an honor to provide the staff and children at Virtua’s CASTLE programs with the dedicated space and tools to use art and creative expression as a method for healing.”
Several of Dr. George’s pieces are now featured throughout the CASTLE campuses for patients, families, and staff to enjoy. Dr. George’s generosity expands beyond Virtua. In January 2024, Virtua’s academic affiliate, Rowan University, announced the forthcoming George Family Center for Healing Arts. He has also supported art projects and installations at Inspira Health, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia, among others.
Virtua’s CASTLE Program recently celebrated 25 years of providing behavioral health services to local children.
CASTLE began in Camden in 1999, and a second location opened in Berlin, NJ, in 2017 due to increasing demand for specialized behavioral health services. A future third location, in Willingboro, NJ, is in the early stages of development. More than 500 children participate in CASTLE each year, with the length of enrollment based on each child’s personalized care plan.