Photograph by Jonathan Pollock
Life-threatening conditions and complex surgical procedures are enough to make anyone’s anxiety rise. St. Anthony’s Medical Center in South County is helping ease the tension with a healing garden at its new Heart & Surgical Pavilion.
Working closely with landscape designer Austin P. Tao, hospital administrators created a haven that’s visually appealing year-round. “The design concept took many months to years,” says Cynthia Follett, director of the Heart Hospital at St. Anthony’s. Planning began in 2005 and culminated with the garden’s opening last year.
The natural sanctuary is just one part of the hospital’s biophilic design, which integrates natural elements throughout the facility. “The whole concept is to expose patients to the natural environment,” Follett explains. “Research has shown that nature speeds up the healing process.”
Rob Thames, the hospital’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, appreciates nature’s role in treating ailing patients. “There is a spiritual role in healing that is universally recognized,” he says. “People do better when exposed to light. People generally first think of doctors, nurses, and other [traditionally medical] things when thinking of medicine, but healing goes beyond that.”
While many patients sit or stroll in the garden, those confined indoors can also enjoy it. St. Anthony’s installed large windows, so the garden is visible from every floor. “Other hospital systems seem to have small windows that make everything feel very sterile and dreary,” says Follett. “Our concept was to bring in the color schemes of nature and create a much more homey feel.”
The glass-enclosed healing garden is one part of St. Anthony’s $90 million hospital redesign, scheduled to be completed next spring. At the project’s center is the Heart & Surgical Pavilion, offering state-of-the-art care. Designed by architects at Cannon Design and interior designers at Spellman Brady & Co., the facility boasts a host of technological amenities: 64 private patient rooms with wheelchair-accessible baths, walk-in showers, and sleeper sofas for family; a 16-bed surgical ICU; 10 surgery suites with high-definition surgical wall monitors and LED lighting; and 24 same-day surgery rooms.
“We help the best and brightest professionals practice with the best design,” says Thames, who believes the renovation will influence hospitals nationwide. “Everyone learns from each other, and that’s how things progress. We are setting a standard for future hospitals, not only here but nationally.”
