University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
Distinctive Art Source recently had the pleasure of working with the University of Maryland St. Jospeh Medical Center to bring President & CEO, Dr. Thomas B Smyth’s, ideas to life! Smyth wanted to recognize, celebrate, and thank SJMC’s extraordinary team in a big way for the excellent care they provide every day. Matching the staff’s BIG impact in the community with BIG recognition led to the creation of 3 custom floor to ceiling wall covering designs, totaling 160’ in length! Wall coverings are now strategically installed in a well-traveled staff corridor, elevating staff as they enter while simultaneously thanking them on their way home.
As CEO, it was important to Dr. Smyth that these walls not only emphasize just how special the staff is, but also reflect the deep connection to the University of Maryland and to the state of Maryland itself! Graphic elements of the Maryland flag set the design tone and color palette while ahistorical hospital photographs from the early 1900’s, including images of the original hospital front door, ambulances, and some of the founding Sisters of St Francis reveal the hospital’s history. Current day core values are featured along with a “True North” visual depiction helps remind staff how important they are to their patients and the community.
Wanting to involve staff in the design content, a “Because of You, We are…” survey was conducted requesting 1-word answers to the following questions:
- At the University of St. Joseph Medical Center, we are…
- When we are at our best, we are…
- If the University of St. Joseph Medical Center were a person, how would we behave?
Staff responses were compiled. Their descriptive words are now included as an integral part of the wall design. On reveal day, staff members were surprised with T-shirts featuring their survey content, further emphasizing it is the staff that truly makes the University of St. Joseph Medical Center the special place it is!