Artwork Aims to Alleviate Health Care Anxiety
Public Invited to Attend Art Unveiling at Panda Pediatrics
A 2021 study in the National Library of Medicine, found that 60% – 90% of patients experience emotional distress and somatization in primary care settings. Additionally, the pandemic has amplified this burden.
Neutral content (information) and negative content (news) can induce stress, while distractions like toys for children have been eliminated entirely from most health care settings for safety reasons.
Positive media, art, natural elements, and trauma-informed design yields desirable changes in mood and decrease stress. Most importantly, improved environments are proven to enhance patients’ willingness to visit healthcare settings and improve their health outcomes over time.
Heartland Community Health Center’s pediatric clinic Panda Pediatrics, seeks to address areas that perpetuate stress and provide comfort for patients through a community led, evidence-based approach that incorporates local art and natural elements.
With help from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Douglas County Community Foundation, Panda Pediatrics has transformed their waiting rooms into a space where children, and parents, can feel comfortable in a clinical setting again.
Heartland is inviting the public to join them for refreshments and see the new and improved waiting room of Panda Pediatrics.
This art exhibition takes place on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, from 6 – 8 p.m., and is free for the public. Parents are encouraged to bring the whole family to experience interactive elements and artwork from artists such as John Sebelius, Angie Pickman and Jeromy Morris.
Panda Pediatrics provides comprehensive health care to children & adolescents in Lawrence and surrounding areas. Panda Pediatrics has won the Best of Lawrence community vote since 2013 and is a 5-star Kansas Breastfeeding Friendly Practice. As part of the Heartland Community Health Center Family, Panda Pediatrics accepts all patients regardless of income or insurance status.
