BEREA, Ky. (LEX 18) — For a conference room in an old hospital, the Pinnacle Room at St. Joseph Berea Hospital cleans up pretty well.
"The hospital's 125 years old, so we're always making improvements, and my team and I brainstormed to come up with a way to make the therapeutic environment more inviting for the kids," said Raylee Kirkland, Supervisor of Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation Services.
Today, the hospital unveiled a new mural designed to make it a more welcoming place for young patients. They talked a lot about "white coat syndrome" today, the idea that the sight of a doctor can make patients anxious.
"You could almost feel it was very therapeutic," artist Alfredo Escobar said of the process.
Children helped Escobar create the mural. It's full of color, has some landscapes, and focuses on hands. Escobar said having the kids involved helped give them a feeling of ownership of the artwork.
"Having done murals in a lot of schools, it's a very easy way to get students to paint within an area. It gives them a chance to feel like they've accomplished something," Escobar said.
"The week of painting the mural was so much fun for them and they love coming to play in the room now and showing off everybody, this is the spot I painted," Kirkwood said.
