NEWS RELEASE: January 10, 2005

Presbyterian Hospital Opens "Rachel's Courtyard"

Innovative, Inspiring Area of Play and Healing for Sick Children in Hospital

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – How do you help a child in the hospital forget that she is in the hospital? How do you help her not just feel better, but feel like a kid?

Take her out of the hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of nearly 2,000 community donors, the donated support of architects, designers and contractors, and the direction of a family working in the memory of their daughter, Presbyterian Hospital will be able to do just that for its pediatric patients. Today, the hospital opens the doors to Rachel's Courtyard, a new area for play and recovery perched six floors above ground, just outside of the pediatric unit.

Rachel's Courtyard has an indoor play area, a teen lounge, and, most importantly, an open air area for pediatric patients to play outside even when they need to be in the hospital. It is a brightly-colored, whimsical courtyard in the sky that can take a patient far outside the confines of the hospital, yet is just steps away from needed care.

"For a child hooked up to an IV pole, we have been limited in the past to what we can do for that patient," said Rebecca Armstrong, director of Child Life for Presbyterian. "In the past, getting fresh air would have meant a series of elevators and hallways and, still, no real place to play. Now with Rachel's Courtyard, we have an exciting new area to meet the child's imagination and help the part of recovery that resides in the patient's spirit and attitude."

The courtyard takes its name in memory of Rachel Laub, a young girl who passed away at the age of five in 1999 due to complications from Hirschsprung's Disease. Shortly after her death, Rachel's parents, Julie and Tom, met with Armstrong to forge the idea of a special place in the hospital where pediatric patients and their families could recuperate and rejuvenate.

The project cost $1.5 million and has the capacity to meet the needs of 120 patients. The effort was made possible by significant community donations from Sandia National Laboratories, McCarthy Building Companies, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (D/P/S) architects, High Desert Forge, and nearly 2,000 donors large and small.

The courtyard they built is literally like nothing that has been created before. D/P/S and Presbyterian Hospital collaborated to create a design that attends to the social and emotional needs of the families in all areas of child development and family dynamic. Taking into account these needs, D/P/S brainstormed the idea to make Rachel's Courtyard a multi-generational community center that lends itself to patients, siblings, grandparents, and staff members.

They settled on a celestial and geographical setting, an idea intriguing to everyone who will use the Courtyard and not just the children. Planets, stars and moons decorate the courtyard along with four geographical house fronts representing different parts of the country. Rachel's Courtyard mixes fun and education making it an ideal setting for all ages. It also includes a teen lounge area, recognizing the unique needs of adolescent patients in the pediatric unit.

"One of the most exciting aspects of the Courtyard was being able to work with Rachel's parents to gather ideas for the children," said Bobby George, architect. "It's pretty rare in any profession that you are asked to think like a kid again. It was a lot of fun and we are very proud to have had this opportunity."

Rachel's Courtyard features an observatory and regional row houses where patients can play, plant flowers and feel the grass tickle their feet. The courtyard is surrounded by fabulous views of the West Mesa and fanciful metal fencing that evokes images of the constellations. There are places to explore and learn, as well as quiet spaces to sit and read a book, or relax and listen to music. Computers enable the kids to keep up with their schoolwork and communicate with other kids around the country in similar situations.

Pediatric patients at Presbyterian will now have another valuable resource within the context of care from the physicians and clinicians of the Presbyterian Children's Medical Center. The Presbyterian CChildren's Medical Center features a new 21-bed pediatric intensive care unit, a new 50-bed neonatal intensive care unit, the only pediatric heart surgery, pediatric neurosurgery and pediatric ENT in the state, and 24-hour care from a dedicated and caring staff.

Presbyterian serves to improve the health of individuals, families and communities. Presbyterian Healthcare Services was founded in New Mexico in 1908, and is the state's only private, not-for-profit healthcare system. As New Mexico's largest provider of healthcare, Presbyterian includes seven hospitals, the state's largest health plan, a strong and growing medical group, as well as home healthcare, outpatient centers, ground ambulance services and more. Presbyterian employs more than 7,500 people throughout New Mexico.

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