In our series, Fast Five with the Paradigm Health team, we introduce you to a member of our team to learn more about their role and why they are Hoosiers caring for Hoosiers.
Leah Whitmire, Paradigm Health Music Therapist
- Leah works as a part of the Paradigm Health hospice care team as a board–certified music therapist.
- She was instrumental in beginning the music therapy program at Paradigm Health. Leah has watched the program grow exponentially over the past three years. She studied saxophone performance before receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music therapy. Leah has worked in mental health, refugee, developmental disabilities, wellness, and hospice care settings. She is also in the process of completing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.
- Initially, Paradigm Health CEO Jeff Jarecki reached out to Leah through LinkedIn sharing his vision to put in place a music therapy program for hospice patients. At first, she wasn’t sure she was ready to take the leap into hospice care, but she says she is glad that she took that leap of faith. Leah says Paradigm has been such a great place to work and she truly feels a sense of family with her coworkers. She enjoys working for a team where music therapy is valued as an important part of the hospice care team. She loves that she gets to collaborate with her coworkers to provide the best care for Paradigm Health patients.
- Leah is passionate about the opportunity to meet a variety of patients, assessing their unique needs and strengths, and then finding a way to bring music into the relationship in a way that is healing. She shares that each patient is unique, and she values the aspect of tailoring her services to meet that unique person’s needs. She also loves seeing the strengths and quirks of each person, finding a way to connect with them, and seeing how they relate to music individually or as a family. Leah also enjoy the challenge of being creative daily.
- Originally from Arkansas where her parents and many of her friends and family still live, Leah married a Hoosier and moved to Indiana. She and her husband, who works in the local health department co-parent a gray cat named Melody. In her off time, she enjoys anything that gets her outside including walking/hiking, gardening and socializing. She also loves yoga and mindfulness practices and recently started taking lessons again on jazz saxophone.
For more information about joining the Paradigm Health team, visit our Careers page.
