Those that end up in the intensive care unit at Advent Health DeLand are among most ill of the hospital’s patients. Some are battling chronic conditions. Some are dying.
Hospital officials hope murals by a DeLand artist with serene scenes representing the St. Johns River will bring comfort to patients and loved ones at their bedsides.
It’s one way that the hospital provides a “little extra moment of healing beyond just pure clinical care,” said Khelsea Bauer, president and CEO of AdventHealth DeLand.
The hospital tries to cultivate “soft spaces,” such as a chapel and wellness areas, she said.
“I think our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ, the faith-based element, the mind, body and spirit nature of healing is incredibly important to us,” Bauer said. “So to me what I would hope our patients and family members take away from it is that feeling of maybe a little bit of warmth.”
DeLand artist Courtney Canova, known for downtown murals, created the piece
The hospital partnered with artist Courtney Canova to create the pieces. He has multiple murals in downtown DeLand.
“The DeLand community is known for having beautiful murals, so I think it’s just a beautiful way to tie all of that together,” Bauer said. “And the reaction from our teams has just been overwhelmingly positive.”
The murals include soothing scenery such as manatees and birds, cypress tree and still water, all visible through ICU windows.
“Positioned along a lower roofline outside the hospital, the murals turn what was once a plain view into a continuous landscape seen from patient rooms,” according to the hospital. “For those spending long stretches in critical care, the view offers a quiet focal point during uncertain moments.”
The murals were finished in March. They’re just outside of AdventHealth DeLand’s intensive care unit.
Jack Ross, a registered nurse at the hospital, got the idea rolling. He was inspired during an employee town hall where he learned about an ICU nurse and a respiratory therapist taking a patient outside, he said on a video provided by AdventHealth.
“I just hope that the ICU staff and the nurses and the patients, when they look out the window, they can see a healing space and be encouraged by God’s love,” he said.
ICU Nurse Manager Advent Health Mandy Johnson said the murals help people shift their focus away from tough news. It has also been a benefit to her and hospital employees.
“It makes me smile every time I go by there,” she said.
Canova said the murals draw from his visits to local waterways.
“I’ve been in an ICU before, and you spend a lot of time looking out the window,” Canova said in a news release. “I wanted to create something that feels calm — something you can get lost in for a moment.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: AdventHealth DeLand hopes to bring comfort with scenic murals
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
