Almost home

It took two years to transform the oncology unit at Mount Carmel Medical Center, Columbus, OH, from a cold, sterile-looking environment into a comfortable, homey area. Now bright quilts adorn the walls, carpeting softens the floors in hallways and "family areas," flowered curtains balloon at windows, and a kitchen is available so visitors can fix favorite foods for patients and pour themselves a cup of coffee. The family of the late Jane Barks Ross, a former cancer patient at the hospital, provided a good chunk of the money for the project, and the hospital auxiliary chipped in additional funds. A design firm was hired to consult with staff and patient and come up with a scheme that everyone liked hospital construction workers did most of the labor, aided by off-duty staff and auxiliary members while the patients themselves had front-row seats to watch the progress.