BCHS dedicates new cancer healing garden
 Members of the boards of trustees, major donors, and the staff of The Cancer Care Center recently dedicated a 'healing garden' at Battle Creek Health System.
Though the entire hospital serves as a respectful and cohesive place of healing, there is now a new restorative space tucked in next to The Cancer Care Center that uses the surrounding landscape to form a healing garden. It is a soothing sanctuary where those with compromised health can go and turn their thoughts inward ... to contemplate ... inspire ... and renew their heart and soul.
This garden is surrounded on three sides by a natural fence of vertically placed bamboo canes. The fourth side is the glassed area of the medical oncology department, offering patients indoors the opportunity to share in the privacy and beauty of nature without leaving their medical chairs.
 In the middle of the garden space surrounded by plants is a cascading fountain. There is a winding path made of brown, natural colored pea gravel embedded in concrete for not only comfort and safety of walking, but it also deflects the sun's glare.
Healing gardens are not new-they date back to the Middle Ages when monks in European monasteries created sequestered spaces where medicinal plants were grown to help the ill. Today, research shows that surrounding yourself with greenery, flowers, and water, especially in a hospital setting lowers stress and negative emotions, while at the same time, elevates positive feelings which can contribute to faster healing.
"Physicians can only do so much," says Wayne Young, director of The Cancer Care Center at BCHS. "It is nature that helps heal the soul. That's what this garden space is all about - completing the circle by 'distracting' the patient's pain and replacing it with fond memories and hope."
"Natural settings can promote changes in blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and brain activity," says Dr. Jeffrey Mitchell, BCHS vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer. "We hope our patients, visitors, and caregivers will take advantage of the potential healing powers of this special place on our campus."
The 'healing garden' is the final phase of a $5.5 million expansion of The Cancer Care Center. The project includes new technology including the world's most advanced radiation therapy, an American Cancer Society cancer resource library for patients and community members and a transportation program called Road to Recovery, and complementary therapies that enable and optimize wellness and recovery all to keep the center among Michigan's premier cancer treatment destinations.
For more information about the healing garden or the many cancer programs at BCHS, call (269) 966-8176.
Battle Creek Health System, sponsored by two parent organizations--Trinity Health (the fourth largest Catholic health system in the U.S. with 12 hospitals, 9 nursing homes, 19 senior house facilities, 8 home health care agencies, and 4 hospices in Michigan alone) and BCHS Community Partners, is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Battle Creek Health System as a recipient of the 2008 HealthGrades Orthopaedic Surgery Excellence Award(tm). HealthGrades is a leading health care information company that provides objective 'report card' ratings nationwide. BCHS provides excellent health care for the community and promotes wellness for the whole person with access and compassion for all. For the latest medical information, visit the BCHS web site at www.bchealth.com or call the BCHS Marketing Department at (269) 966-8132.
About The Cancer Care Center
The Cancer Care Center at Battle Creek Health System offers comprehensive, state-of-the-art services based upon the latest cancer research, sophisticated diagnostic equipment, a multi-specialty team including board certified surgeons who discuss and coordinate treatment plans, and life-long patient follow-up through cancer registry.
In November 2007, The Cancer Care Center unveiled its newly renovated facilities adding 6,000 square feet of new area and 3,000 square feet of renovation giving critically needed treatment space for cancer patients, lifesaving new technology, a more healing environment, and room to grow complementary therapies.
The expansion project offers an American Cancer Society cancer resource library for patients and community members who wish to learn more about this disease and a program called 'Road to Recovery' that provides transportation for patients to their lifesaving and life-sustaining treatments at the cancer center.
The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons recognizes Battle Creek Health System as the only Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program. This approval is the highest awarded and held by fewer than 10% of hospitals nationwide. BCHS is the only hospital in Southwest Michigan to hold this designation.
Approval by the Commission on Cancer is awarded only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performances. In order to maintain approval, facilities with approved cancer programs must also undergo an on-site review every three years.
Receiving treatment in a Commission on Cancer-approved program ensures that a patient has access to quality care close to home.
More News |
