Privacy Breach Notice Update, 4/6/2023.
The artwork displayed at CHI Memorial is not just for decoration. It is for healing. Art communicates humanity and deity; it softens the environment. When people view works of art that inspire positive memories or experiences, their feelings of hope and remembered joy stimulate their immune systems. Studies have shown that patients who view nature or artwork recover faster.
CHI Memorial's permanent collection of original artworks has reached nearly 200 pieces and includes paintings, photography, sculpture and textiles. Artworks are located in halls, waiting rooms and patient rooms at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson and CHI Memorial Ooltewah Imaging Center. The works transform the environment for patients, visitors, physicians, staff and volunteers.
Nature heals the heart and soul, and well-designed healing gardens offer a connection to nature, a place of retreat that can nurture the soul. Healing gardens for relaxation and reflection at both hospitals are easily accessible for patients, families, visitors and staff.
The Courtyard, located on the first floor, was the first garden at CHI Memorial. It was inspired by a patient in the early 1970s. Looking out her window, Sue Cooper saw a bare patch of ground scarred by recent construction. A member of a garden club and acquainted with other women's groups, Sue spearheaded an effort to transform this area into a place of beauty. Rooftop gardens are located outside St. Anne's Chapel in the Guerry Heart and Vascular Center and on the fourth floor near MICU. Small gardens of remembrance are located near the Emergency Room and the Cancer Institute.
A statue of Saint Francis of Assisi is the focal point of the garden near the Visitor Entrance and the Chapel.
Named for long-time CHI Memorial Volunteer and well-known clairinetist, the Jay Craven Music @ Memorial Program is an important element in the creation of an environment conducive to healing. Music can relax the body, mind, and spirit allowing more effective responses to treatment for many patients, including the critically and chronically ill. Jay Craven Music @ Memorial is a service offered by a variety of volunteer musicians who play at the bedside and in the common areas of the hospitals. At CHI Memorial, musicians provide a therapy service. They are trained to be responsive and unobtrusive while providing beneficial music to individual patients or to visitors and staff in halls and waiting areas.
