Banner Gateway picks up new healing garden

Submitted by Susan Gordon of Banner Gateway Medical Center.

Healing gardens have become a popular amenity at hospitals, and Banner Gateway Medical Center is picking up on the trend with its new Family Garden - a half-acre lush respite that sits directly outside the hospital's maternity wing. The Family Garden that was dedicated on Friday. .

"Areas that offer women and their families a safe, serene and comforting environment while maintaining the security and peace of mind in a hospital setting are a major benefit for our patients," said Becky Kuhn, CEO of Banner Gateway Medical Center.

McCarthy Building Companies (www.mccarthy.com), the general contractor that built Banner Gateway, donated its services for the construction of the garden. The garden includes two eight-foot water features, structural steel shade canopies, benches, chairs, covered playground equipment and lush desert landscaping including Mesquite trees and Agaves. The garden is in a secured area where new mothers can relax with their newborns, while still being monitored by the hospital's newborn security system.

"Providing this garden was a no-brainer for our team," said Jeff Clarkson, vice president of healthcare services with McCarthy. "With so many members of our project team living in the vicinity and many still having children - it's a place that they may very likely enjoy in the future."

Subcontractors that donated their services toward the development of the garden are Valleycrest Landscaping, Bowman Brothers Concrete, Brown's Custom Fence, Delta Diversified Electric, CSW Contractors and Schuff Steel. McCarthy and the subcontractors contributed a total of $278,000 toward the total cost of the garden.

Banner Gateway Medical Center opened in Gilbert in September 2007 at the southwest corner of Higley and the U.S. 60. Banner Gateway is a technologically-advanced hospital within a healing environment, designed to transform the patient care experience.

Banner Gateway is part of Banner Health, one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the countryInfo: www.BannerHealth.com.