While medical teams in the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital at Rambam Health Care Campus are providing the best possible medical care for COVID-19 patients, other Rambam staff members are working to ensure an ambient environment conducive to healing.
Nature posters in the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital. Photography: Rambam HCC.
When people wander past the color-coded walls in the parking garage at Rambam Health Care Campus, they might come across an inspirational quote or drawing - an unexpected splash of creativity among the parking spaces, doorways, and ramps between floors.
However, since the facility — located in the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital — was converted into the largest COVID-19 treatment center in Israel, it became clear that there was a pressing need to make the space more welcoming. The facility has no windows, paintings, or basic décor. With patients spending long periods of time there, a decision was made to add a much needed element of beauty by purchasing large posters with nature scenes. Studies have shown that nature can have a positive effect on patients’ moods and stress levels, making it easier for them to relax, and even reducing their perception of pain. Hence, the posters depict different types of flowers and other foliage, offering a sense of calmness and serenity.
“Given that patients sometimes spend several weeks at a time in the underground hospital without any windows or any chance to go outside, we wanted to brighten up the environment and provide them with an opportunity to look at beautiful scenery, and hopefully make their time with us more bearable,” explains Oded Mayer, Director of Rambam’s Marketing Department.
Feedback on the posters has been overwhelmingly positive. “I’m glad that Rambam is working to provide a pleasant environment for us patients,” one patient shares. “It’s not easy to be down here, and these posters have made it so much nicer.”
