Prescriptions for Change: Value Voting in Healthcare
A rotational exhibit of mixed media from Skyrocket: What Drug Prices Do,
by Katy Giebenhain
Health Sciences Library, August 2024 - May 2025
"Prescriptions" presents a thought-provoking exploration of healthcare disparities and pharmaceutical politics with rotating works by artist and poet Katy Giebenhain. Inspired by the urgent need for equitable access to medicines, these mixed media collages, poems and other works examine the clinical, personal, and political dimensions of healthcare.
Through a blend of artistic expression and social commentary, Katy’s works confront formulary exclusions, pharmaceutical industry lobbying, and the alarming rise in prescription drug costs. Each piece invites reflection on the complexities of our healthcare system and the critical importance of public health initiatives and will be complemented by a statement from a WVU healthcare worker on the issues.
The exhibition will compel viewers to consider the profound impact of prescription medications on individuals and society at large, especially during this pivotal election year. The accessibility of healthcare, including prescription medications, is a fundamental concern that affects every one of us, making informed voting decisions crucial for the well-being of our communities. Whether intimately familiar with the challenges of obtaining necessary medications or just beginning to explore these issues, "Prescriptions" offers a compelling narrative that will resonate with all.
Katy: “Access to medicines is an issue that finds its way into many of our healthcare stories. It is clinical, personal, and political. Made in the spirit of public health and medical humanities, these mixed media collages reference formulary exclusions, pharmaceutical industry lobbying, and the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. We can do better. Really.”
Katy Giebenhain’s artwork has appeared in American Journal of Nursing, The Northern Virginia Review, AMA Journal of Ethics the exhibit Skyrocket: What drug prices do at Waldo’s and the 2022 Examined Life Conference at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Her poems have appeared in The Arkansas Review, The Healing Muse, the National Academy of Medicine Expressions of Clinician Well-Being Digital Gallery, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, New Welsh Review, Essential Voices: A COVID-19 Anthology and elsewhere. Her BFA in Art is from Oregon State. Her creative writing MPhil is from University of South Wales (Glamorgan). Her MA in Publications Design is from University of Baltimore. She occasionally blogs at Big Pharma and the Barkeep: www.katygiebenhain.com/blog.