Monique Cousineau, Social Media Specialist, Philips Lighting North America observes the transiting hospital lighting in this latest blog entry.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix Arizona new main lobby design. (LEDinside/Philips)

Hospitals play a vital role in all cities. We have all crossed the threshold of our local hospital either as a patient or a visitor. When I was a child I thought our hospital was so impersonal and intimidating.

Today’s health establishments continuously aim at being more and more efficient and actively contribute to the progress of public health. It is exciting to see how some of these hospitals are using lighting not only to become more inviting and making our stay or visit more comfortable but also understanding how light and color can improve people’s mood, relieve mental and emotional distress and aide patients in recovery.

At Philips we strive to improve quality of life and create value for individuals, and communities. In the Future of Light Report created by PSFK and sponsored by Philips, Ed Crawford, CEO of Philips Lighting, says “Up until now, light has been something we need to see. And now light becomes something to make me feel a certain way.”

Let me show you four US Hospitals that have had major expansions and renovations to enhance patient and visitor experiences by creating more welcoming, convivial and comfortable environments. With all the advancement in lighting technologies it’s no wonder that lighting was a big part of their design plan.

In Chicago Illinois, the mission behind Advocate Lutheran General Hospital’s new main lobby design is to communicate their philosophy — cleanliness, calm, and unassuming competence — to patients and visitors as soon as they enter the hospital lobby. The new design includes a sculpted flight of doves that is indirectly illuminated from the window wall. The window wall also provides ambient illumination in the lounge seating area. A “pedestrian wall” features Philips ColorKinetics iColor Cove MX Powercore and motion sensors that enable the lights to follow the passersby. Read more

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital’s new main lobby design. (LEDinside/Philips)

At Riley Hospital For Children in Indianapolis Indiana, patients of all ages and their parents were awestruck at what they saw when strolling the corridors of three of the hospital’s renovated units: a curvy ceiling alcove full of rich colored light and color changing effects. The goal was to incorporate the fun, childlike feel of color. Nearly 150-feet of Color Kinetics iColor Cove fixtures were installed in S-shaped alcoves winding down the hospital’s corridors. The fixtures are easily controlled via a Multi Synchronizer installed near the nurses’ station so that beautiful colored light and fun color changing effects are created at the push of a button. Each button instantaneously displays pre-set light shows designed to create a range of moods, from cheery sunlight to soothing twilight. Read more

Riley Hospital For Children in Indianapolis Indiana hallway. (LEDinside/Philips)

At Children’s Hospital Boston in Boston Massachusetts, children undergoing stem cell transplants for cancer treatment require special care for their sensitive immune systems. This new unit takes into account the special care needs of these patients, while also offering some “extras” to make their stay — which can average 60 to 70 days – as comfortable as possible. One of those extras is intelligent LED lighting from Color Kinetics, which can be found in a number of ceiling tiles throughout the patient rooms. With this technology, patients now have control over the atmosphere of their room, changing the colors and effects to suit their mood or the time of day, whether they want fun and playful or soothing and relaxing. In another high-tech twist, the rooms also contain computer stations allowing patients to synchronize the ceiling tiles to their music CDs via ckAmp, Color Kinetics’ free downloadable plug-in for the popular Winamp media player. Read more

Children’s Hospital Boston in Boston Massachusetts ceiling installed with Color Kinetics. (LEDinside/Philips)

Upon entering the Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix Arizona, patients and visitors find themselves in a cheerful, colorful lobby uplit with rows of concealed, color-changing iColor Cove MX Powercore fixtures. The main corridor features a water wall that’s a bit of a surprise. The initial design called for an indoor wall fountain using actual water, but due to costs another alternative needed to be found. Lighting was the answer. So the wall was lined from floor to ceiling with textured, wave-patterned acrylic, then iColor Cove MX Powercore fixtures was used to uplight each section of the acrylic with a water-like effect incorporating varying shades of blue and aqua. The same fixtures were also embedded in the ceiling domes to line the hallway with bright, vivid colors. Read more

Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix Arizona colorful lighting. (LEDinside/Philips)

As you can see hospital lighting and colors have come a long way. A lot of progress has been made. Drab green walls and fluorescent lighting are a thing of the past. These hospitals now have beautiful magical colors and interactive lighting. They go hand in hand to help make the experience much more uplifting, soothing and dare we say it a lot more pleasant for everyone.