The occurrence and prevalence of chronic diseases are a daily and growing threat to American lives, with fatality rates increasing yearly. These issues often stem from a lack of social interaction, physical exercise, and poor mental health, among other factors. In the Alexandria, Arlington, and DC region, the main chronic diseases are obesity, diabetes (pre and type 2), frequent mental distress (FMD), heart diseases (e.g., stroke), Alzheimer’s, and cancer. These conditions result in an estimated $6 billion per year in expenditures and affect some 600,000 people.
The causes are attributed to socioeconomic factors (40%), habits (30%), Medicare (20%), and environment (10%), all of which can be prevented and treated using arts and environment as allies. The Kennedy Center, Roosevelt Island, and Roosevelt Bridge are strategically located within the DC region to facilitate this. This paper proposes a Prescribed Arts & Environment Ticketing Program to reduce the number of new cases and treat existing ones.
Leaders in the arts, environment, health, and social care sectors could establish the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a strategic national center to advance good practices, promote collaboration, coordinate and disseminate research, and inform policy on this new approach. The main areas for intervention identified are:
a)    Infrastructure: A new bridge (the Trump Bridge) connecting to Roosevelt Island.
b)    Programming: Arts and environment initiatives.
c)    Healthy Catering: Improved food and beverage options.
Over a 10-year period, this program could prevent some 250,000 cases of chronic diseases, with expenditures reaching a maximum of $240 million per year by the 10th year. This represents a fraction of the medical treatment costs for these same diseases in the region—an estimated $4 billion per year over the same period. The total investment is roughly estimated at between $307.3 million and $511.3 million. Key risks have been identified and mitigation measures proposed. It's expected that a program focused on low-income, high-risk populations would increase audience attendance by 10-15% annually.