Mission

The unique mission of the Foundation is to place large, framed photographs of nature and beautiful places from around the world in hospitals to give comfort and hope to patients and their families, visitors, and caregivers. Studies show that nature art has a beneficial effect on relieving a patient’s stress and anxiety. The photographs are intended to provide color and an atmosphere of compassion where healing is encouraged.

Guiding Principles of The Foundation for Photo/Art in Hospitals

  • Believes that beautiful nature images can help heal the soul, which in turn helps heal the body.
  • Supports the researchers and practitioners who recognize the strong link between soothing hospital environments and patients’ improvement in health, both mental and physical.
  • Maintains that providing photos of nature and places from around the world to medical facilities will bring appreciation of the earth’s immense beauty.
  • Values the full range of human diversity and seeks to cross cultures by speaking to different personalities through nature art – almost everyone enters a hospital sometime in their life, either as a patient or as a visitor, regardless of race, sex, religious affiliation, culture, and economic level.

Who We Help

Patients are the greatest beneficiaries of the Foundation. Evidence-Based Design and research on healing environments suggests that healing art:

  • Has the power to help the patient transcend his immediate condition and surroundings.
  • Helps keep the patient in a place of hope and security.
  • Is reassuring, grounding, and soothing.
  • Decreases the hospital stay of patients and lowers rehospitalization rates.
  • Reduces stress and speeds healing.
  • Reduces need for pain medication.
  • Lowers blood pressure.
  • Family and friends can pass the time spent visiting their loved one by dreaming about the image, where it is, how it would be to be in that place, etc.

Doctors and nurses benefit, because communication with the patient is improved.  The nature photos can be a topic of conversation to “break the ice” in a tense situation.  The art can help to increase staff satisfaction, reducing stress and staff turnover.

Administrators benefit financially when patients use less medication and have a shorter stay. A pleasant environment can also be a powerful marketing tool that can help attract patients and staff.

Sponsors benefit because it is a great way to give back to the communities they serve. The positive publicity for the sponsor can be substantial.

For all groups involved, beautiful photos of nature and places from around the world bring appreciation of the earth’s immense beauty and diversity. Nature speaks to the full range of human diversity and crosses cultures.