In 2005 the Mount Sinai Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology procured the services of Splashes of Hope as part of the large-scale outpatient medical practice renovation.  Patients who had grown accustomed to receiving their outpatient chemotherapy treatments in a drab, sterile environment were taken aback when beautiful, New York City-themed murals seemingly appeared overnight!  The artwork has truly transformed the environment of care.  Many patients might feel uncomfortable in the unfamiliar environment of the hospital, but the familiar images of our city help them to feel right at home.   

To welcome our patients and families to the practice, an image of the Queensboro Bridge span adorns the two large entry doors into our outpatient clinic.  As patients and their families enter our clinic, they travel ‘through’ the bridge/door, which is exactly how the majority of our patients arrive here by ambulette each morning from their homes in Queens.  This familiar welcome sets the tone immediately as we try to impress on our patients that we understand where they are coming from and sends a message that we want them to feel comfortable and familiar here.

 The playroom, teen room, and pediatric infusion room are all bordered by a cityscape of familiar and distinguishable Manhattan structures and skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building, the Guggenheim Museum and the Chrysler Building.  Among these landmark buildings is Mount Sinai Hospital, sending a message of the importance of a place that our patients and families call home.

Our patients were very excited to have the opportunity to give input about what images they would like to see on the walls of the clinic, and were overjoyed when those ideas came to life!  Children who are diagnosed with serious illnesses such as cancer and blood disorders often have little control over major parts of their lives. They do not get to choose whether or not they want to come to the hospital, nor do they get to decide whether or not they will get chemotherapy or an injection.  One of our major therapeutic goals for these patients is to give them choices and control whenever possible.  Giving them the power to choose what they would like to see on the walls every day when they come here allowed them to have some control over their environment; a major factor in their psychosocial well being.   

We incorporated ideas what would have therapeutic value in the special design of our four main examination rooms.  Each room is painted as the same scene in Central Park, but each one in a different season.  Our inpatient children's hospital unit overlooks Central Park, and for many patients the images in these rooms help to revisit and process some of the experiences they have endured in the hospital with the help of their parent or a member of our psychosocial team.  Additionally, the common emotions and connections that people make with each season continue to be a metaphor for how children are feeling that day.  When asked which season room they would like to see their doctor in, kids often choose the room that best fits the mood that they are feeling that day, allowing our staff insight into how they are coping.  Additionally, the images in the examination rooms are perfectly balanced: they are captivating without being overwhelming.  The interesting and sometimes funny images allow kids a divisional focus during sometimes stressful examinations, and the painted ceiling tile allows them a window to the outside world, which is sometimes a doorway to a different place to imagine themselves in.

 The style of the images created by Splashes of Hope is perfectly suited to our wide range of patients.  The images portray kids of every age, race, gender and family composition, as well as children who are bald, in wheelchairs or on crutches. Portraying people that are like them help kids to identify with and feel represented as a part of something important.  The images are also appealing to our teen population and parents and caregivers as well and help us in our mission to make our clinic environment feel "kid friendly" without making our older population feel out of place.