A Haven for Healing

From the colorful portraits of children to the pastel wildlife drawings and cupboards filled with books and games, visitors of all ages are embraced in the Dr. Richard K.
McGarry Family Room at Community Hospital. Distinctive textures,
nature-inspired colors, and natural woods have been brought together in this welcoming Garden East setting.

The remodel of the waiting area and the renovation of the neighboring playroom were initiated by the family of Dr. Richard McGarry - a podiatrist who practiced at Community Hospital - after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. The need for family-friendly areas became clear to McGarry and his wife Laurie during the children's frequent visits to see their father in the hospital.

"There was nothing for the children to do and nowhere for them to go. We brought everything, including games, books, and music, with us," Laurie McGarry says. She and her husband talked about approaching Dr. Steven Packer, Community Hospital president/CEO, to discuss creating a comfortable and intimate space for families.

Tragically, just weeks after this conversation with his wife, McGarry died. Mrs. McGarry decided to pursue the idea for a family room as a way of fulfilling her husband's last wish and to help her children come to terms with their father's death. "I wanted to show our children that you cannot stop living because your heart is broken, but that you can heal your grief by giving back to others who may have to follow in your same path."

Mrs. McGarry met with Packer, who enthusiastically endorsed her idea. Community Hospital art curator Amy Essick led the redesign. By chance, Essick had already been talking to the nurses about refreshing the waiting room. "The nurses care for our pediatric patients in Garden East," she explains. "They pointed out that there was nothing on the walls for young people to relate to or that told visitors children were there." 

Packer brought in Barbara Ostroff, senior interior designer with Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK), Inc., the architect and design company responsible for Community Hospital's Pavilions Project. Ostroff played a crucial role in tying in the project to the future design plans for the new hospital spaces. Essick also spent hours on the floor of the playroom with retired Montessori teacher Nadya Giusi, who helped plan the activity stations from a child's perspective. Every step of the way, Garden East nurse leaders Marie Stewart-Helms and Mary Gustaffson helped plan the areas and provide feedback on the design proposals.

The waiting area reopened as the Dr. Richard K. McGarry Family Room in February 2005. "Every time I visit, I feel like taking my shoes off," says Mrs. McGarry, "We wanted people to feel at home here, and I am really proud that we achieved that." The room is filled with vibrant colors, textures, and shapes that are offset by the soothing effects of comfortable furniture, plants, and shimmering aquarium fish. In addition, there are toys, magazines, a CD listening station, and children's books that were donated by local elementary school children.

Many visitors just sit quietly and enjoy the artwork created by local artists. The portraits of local children are by Karen Nagano, who also created the pastel drawings of wildlife on the facing wall. Essick explains that the artwork, including the freeform ceramic plates by Carmel Valley artist Sally Russell, was selected to create a "joyful, ageless spirit where people of all ages can feel comfortable."

Thanks to clever design and two window-shaped murals, the adjoining playroom has an expansive feel. The murals, created by Monterey's Youth Arts Collective (YAC), portray woodland and ocean views inspired by the view from the Outpatient Surgery Center.

Activities include a play kitchen, a magnetic wall for wordplay, and giant Post-it® note sketch paper for creating portable artwork.

The room is full of imaginative details. Animal paw prints march across the ceiling. A clock marks the hours with multi-colored balls. A round purple chair sits next to a brightly colored window seat stacked with textured cushions. "One family told me that their child, who had special needs, spent the whole day in the playroom and wanted to sleep here," recalls Essick. "Her mother said she spent hours just exploring those cushions."