Summoning Nature for Healing

More and more hospital administrators are realizing that certain design components can change the healthcare experience. One of these components is a healing garden.  It is not a new idea however, it is being implemented into healthcare design in refreshing, new ways. Overall, a healing garden offers relaxation and stress reduction.  It’s something we all know intuitively. We go to a place that’s quiet and inviting, and we can just feel our body relaxing.

Lately, hospital administrators are approaching the concept at a much higher level.  They are beginning to infuse the community and in this case holistic healing.  Holistic medicine is an approach to health and well being that includes conventional and alternative treatments. The following information is an article summary highlighting the New Virginia Garcia Memorial health Center recently remodeled.  The new design includes a wellness campus featuring  community garden beds that provide produce for an on-site teaching kitchen to demonstrate how to prepare healthy meals.  The hands-on classes promote nutrition and healthy cooking .. read the full article here.

New Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center Supports Holistic Health

Named for a young girl who died in the 1970s from a simple, treatable infection due to lack of available care, the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center was founded 35 years ago in a small garage to provide healthcare to migrant farm workers and their families. It’s grown to an organization that provides comprehensive health services to more than 35,000 people.

Patients not only receive medical, dental, mental health, and vision care at the center, but they also may attend classes and communal gatherings or even grow food there. The owner’s goal was to create a place where community pride and health are celebrated as indispensable to each other.

Creating a campus
The design team worked with the provider to take a full city block development and create a wellness campus. An alleyway acts as the central spine, with the wellness center to the north and the existing dental clinic to the south. Adjacent is a paved parking lot, which also acts as an outdoor event space. South-facing multipurpose spaces designed for lifestyle classes open to a civic plaza. Community garden beds maintained by a local nonprofit partner organization line the west edge of the lot and provide produce for an on-site teaching kitchen.

“Our annual health fair is in the parking lot, and we have a farm stand out there once a week,” says Ivy Wagner, coordinator for the Cornelius center. “I’m hoping to bring in more community wellness nights, so we can use that area even more. It’s not just a matter of being outdoors or having extra space. For most of the Hispanic cultures in Central America, the plaza as a gathering place in the community is really important.” Read more here.

 

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