- Lauren Williams

When the workday ends, AdventHealth physicians, nurses and team members don't just set aside their scrubs, stethoscopes and laptops – they pick up their violins, trumpets and oboes.
Since 2021, the AdventHealth Orchestra, started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to bring together team members to offer healing through music, has used the healing power of sound to touch thousands of people at live concerts, conferences and events in the Greater Orlando area.
“The album creates a place to relax and let the words paint a picture of what wholeness could mean for you.”
In an exciting new chapter of its journey, the orchestra was recently featured on AdventHealth’s all-original debut album, “Imagine Wholeness.” The album also features a collaboration with ten-time Grammy-winning acapella group Take 6 on the standout track “Light the Way.”
“The album creates a place to relax and let the words paint a picture of what wholeness could mean for you,” said Richard Hickam, AdventHealth director of music and the arts, of the new album. “Biblical themes in the Psalms are beautiful because they often resonate across different faith traditions, which I find to be the unifying factor.”

A former music teacher, conductor and AdventHealth Orchestra founder, Hickam works in the AdventHealth mission and ministry department where he integrates music and the arts with hospital functions. After the all-string orchestra’s first performance in 2022, it grew to include woodwinds, brass and percussion musicians to form the hospital’s first full orchestra the following year.
“Imagine Wholeness” is an extension of the organization’s brand promise to help people feel whole. The collection combines sweeping string arrangements and subtle piano notes to evoke a sense of peace and hope, where genres range from pop to bossa nova.
Hickam wrote the songs in collaboration with Rich Moats, director of integrative and creative arts therapies at AdventHealth in Central Florida, and Chad Carlson, a multi-Grammy Award winner and former recording artist for Taylor Swift. Vocals from a variety of team members across the organization are featured.
Since its release, the album has reached listeners worldwide, from Berlin, Germany to São Paulo, Brazil, and the number of streams continues to grow. On February 17, 2025, the AdventHealth Orchestra will travel to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., to participate in a President’s Day music clinic.
Hickam credits AdventHealth’s leadership for the vision that empowered his department to push the boundaries of art in medicine, and he looks forward to continuing to break new ground.
“For wholeness to be intact for us as humans, we need to include the arts,” said Hickam. “When we engage in that, particularly through the lens of faith, unique things happen.”

To stream “Imagine Wholeness,” visit AdventHealth.HearNow.com.
Learn more about the AdventHealth Orchestra: AdventHealth.com/AdventHealth-Orchestra.
Recent News
Final steel beam marks key step in AdventHealth Daytona Beach expansion
Local leaders, officials, and construction workers gathered today to commemorate a major milestone in the expansion underway at AdventHealth Daytona Beach: placing the final steel beam.
Dr. Jeffrey Keen, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstruction, orthopedic surgery, robotic-assisted surgery, and sports medicine, has returned to AdventHealth Medical...
In recognition of National Donate Life Month, nearly 300 transplant patients and their families enjoyed AdventHealth’s 2025 transplant reunion.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 101,000 people are currently on the organ transplant list in need of a new kidney. However, only about 17,000 transplants happen each year —...
Leaders and volunteers from AdventHealth, United Way of Central Florida, Hands for the Homeless and the community worked together to distribute more than 9400 pounds of food to people in need.
The AdventHealth Board of Directors has appointed David Banks as the organization’s new president/CEO, effective immediately.
In life, Sophie Davis touched dozens of hearts. In passing, one of her organs could possibly save thousands of lives.
AdventHealth Heart of Florida leaders and members of the Northeast Polk Chamber joined community members for a ribbon cutting on a new addition to the Chamber’s office
As the days get longer and the weather warms up, people are eager to get back to their favorite outdoor spring activities and sports. This transition from winter to spring often leads to an increased...
Marie Williams remembers being admitted to AdventHealth Parker on September 1, 2023, for colon resection surgery, but after that, things get hazy.
AdventHealth for Children is a nationally recognized children’s hospital and comprehensive care network caring for nearly 200,000 children annually.
Eight new physicians are joining AdventHealth Ocala’s team to take their next steps to become fully licensed, board-certified family physicians.