one of a kind care - Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics

environment
From the
moment families
pull into the
main entrance
at Children’s Mercy, it is
quite obvious this is not just any
hospital. It is a hospital that has
won numerous awards and been
featured in national publications
for innovative design, lighting and
landscaping.
A colorful kaleidoscope sign
and a musical clock tower in the
circle drive greet our patients
and visitors. Once inside, bright
jewel tone colors, giant jeweled
birds, a color-changing rotunda,
unique lighting and child-friendly
furnishings all communicate
clearly that this is a place that
understands children.
It is all part of a design plan
that puts children and families
front and center. Where clinical
staff, engineering, painters,
carpenters, architects, artists,
and planners all come together
with the goal of creating a space
that is functional, yet friendly.
In fact, many of the design
elements in the hospital start
with suggestions from patients
and families, and their feedback
– along with the comments
from the staff that serve them
- is incorporated throughout the
design process for every location.
Nowhere is this more evident
than in the new Same Day
Surgery waiting area opened in
March 2005. A giant, smiling tree
with red apple lights serves as
a focal point for families as they
enter the room. A play area for
kids with big screen TV, private
consult rooms for families and
physicians, a dining area, and
more than double the seating of
our previous waiting area were
incorporated based directly on
comments from patients and
staff.
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