By Robert A. Poarch
Great doctors and nurses. Check. State-of-the-art medical equipment. Check. A variety of food options. Check. When you’re in the hospital, all these things matter. But so does the space you, and your family and friends, will be spending time in.
That’s why subtle aspects in Mission Hospital North Tower are all about keeping you calm and relaxed to get you healthy and rested as soon as possible. Recovering without anxiety or stress in a calming atmosphere aids in getting you home and back to your life quicker.
Areas of Respite and Restoration
Mission Hospital North Tower offers designated areas where patients and visitors can destress. On the third floor, an outdoor terrace with a partially covered roof features a zen-like garden with walking paths and amazing mountain views. For those seeking spiritual support, there’s a nondenominational chapel on-site with a chaplain available on call. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can appreciate the beautiful stained glass piece from the St. Joseph Campus chapel.
Artwork by Local Artists
Art has been proven to aid in the healing process. That is why more than 650 pieces of art emphasizing nature and healing adorn the building’s rooms, walls and common areas. The art includes paintings, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, encaustic, glass, metal and origami. In a nod to the community Mission Health serves, all of the commissioned art was created by local artists.
Inspiration from Nature
Nature, whether being in it or viewing it, has proven to help patients recover faster by reducing their anxiety and stress, and lessen their dependency on pain medications. That is taken into consideration in quiet ways on each patient floor (4, 6, 7, 8 and 9) with themes based on five earthly elements: earth (mountains), wood (forest), water (rivers, lakes and streams), metal (rocks and minerals) and air (sky, find and flight). Also, to bring in the sun’s naturally healing rays, the building is maximized to bring in as much natural light as possible.
