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The intimidating nature of much of today's medical technology can make a visit to the doctor's office a forbidding experience for many patients. Whether uncomfortable with the confined space of an MRI chamber, the intimidating size of a linear accelerator, or the unpleasant associations of a chemotherapy treatment room, patients often feel anxious in spaces designed to protect their health and well-being. Making such spaces as soothing and comfortable as possible has become a leading priority for architects and designers and the healthcare professionals they serve. One aspect of this patient-focused design strategy has become the incorporation of interesting visual elements, including works of art, that not only provide soothing sights in otherwise intimidating spaces but also offer patients positive distractions from the medical procedure at hand. With twelve years' experience working with healthcare architecture interiors, HGA interior designer Chris Vickery has often found that incorporating pieces of art into the interior architecture of healthcare spaces can make a valuable difference for patients anxious about their treatment. "These spaces can be intimidating and stressful for patients," says Chris. "I try to find ways to bring in soothing colors and patterns inspired by nature to contrast with the cool feelings of large medical equipment." Facilities such as Hoag Memorial Hospital in California and Albert Lea Medical Center/Mayo Health System include this sort of patient-centered use of visual design. At Albert Lea, set to open in January 1999, Chris incorporated an art-glass ceiling into the linear accelerator suite. In the gamma knife suite at Hoag, the focal point is a 10-foot-square photographic mural of a deep blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. The mural provides even illumination within the suite and offers the patient a pleasant image to view during the procedure. "For the patient, this is an anxious time," says Dr. Christopher Duma, Medical Director of Gamma Knife Radio Surgery at Hoag. "The mural gives them the feeling of spaciousness, and anything we can do to relieve stress or feelings of claustrophobia is appreciated." Continually searching for material than can successfully be incorporated into medical spaces like that at Hoag, Chris recently discovered the work of Minneapolis-based artist Vara Kamin, who herself has a background in patient care. Kamin, a graduate from the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, began her professional life as a public health nurse, which extended into healthcare administration. In 1980 she began pursuing her artistic career full-time, and today creates works described as abstract impressionism. Often compared to the light-dappled color effects of the French Impressionists, these richly textured works of art evoke from their viewers a myriad of interpretations, from flowers and seascapes to more abstract notions of peace and repose -- ideal for otherwise intimidating spaces. While these qualities first attracted Chris to Vara's work, she finds that her work offers other aspects important in considering the interior spaces for patient care. With many patients making regular visits to places like a chemotherapy treatment center, art needs to stay engaging and fresh each time it is viewed. "I look for art that people can lose themselves in," says Chris. "It's important to create a piece that everyone can enjoy and see something different in with each visit." While the Impressionist works most of us are familiar with often depict familiar objects -- flowers, trees, water -- the abstract nature of Vara's work takes inspiration from these without being reducible to them. Thus the experience of her work changes as one sees it again and again. The immediate visual effect and the enduring appeal of Vara's work appeal to healthcare professionals as well as designers offering a holistic approach to patient care.
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