Portland, Ore. (July 11, 2017) The transformation on the corner of northwest 21st Avenue and Lovejoy Street into a new restorative nature destination will be complete on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 when Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center officially welcomes the community to Legacy's twelfth Therapeutic Garden -- Legacy Good Samaritan Park.
Legacy Good Samaritan Park Dedication Details:
WHAT: The official celebration of Legacy Good Samaritan Park's transformation into a new nature destination in the heart of northwest Portland. The event will include live music, refreshments, nature activities, guided garden tours and information about how the new park will be used by patients, hospital staff and the community. In addition, the John Callahan Garden design team will preview what's to come in September 2017.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 12, 2017
11:30 a.m. -- 1:00 p.m.
11:30 -- Social Time
12:00 p.m. -- Dedication Ceremony
12:30 -- 1:00 p.m. -- Guided Garden Tours
WHERE: Legacy Good Samaritan Park, northwest 21st Avenue and Lovejoy Street
WHO: The following individuals will be available for interview at the Dedication and may also be arranged beforehand by contacting Megan Deisler at 503-729-5276 or [email protected].
Legacy Health: Jonathan Avery, president of Legacy Good Samaritan
Teresia Hazen, MEd, HTR, QMHP, Legacy Health's horticulture therapist.
John Callahan Garden Design Team: Mark Zusman, editor and publisher of Willamette Week.
A new restorative nature destination
The revitalization, which began in April 2017, planted a new esthetic, four-season garden comprised of a variety of plantings native to the northwest; created new areas for patient therapy; installed safety features such as increased night lighting and opened up views; and a new program for encouraging Legacy Health and local non-profits to regularly host family friendly events. Legacy Health's Therapeutic Gardens Program and its team of volunteers plan to work closely with the community to maintain the park's new esthetic.
The John Callahan Garden
When complete in September 2017, Legacy Good Samaritan Park will also feature the John Callahan Garden, which is being built in honor of the late renowned cartoonist and native Oregonian. Callahan was a quadriplegic and patient of Legacy Good Samaritan's Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon (RIO). He worked to inspire other wheelchair-bound patients with his story and humor. The garden will feature a series of his art alongside biographical information when complete in fall 2017.
The John Callahan Garden is made possible through charitable donations, including a significant grant from the Northwest Neighborhoods Parks and Recreation Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation and many generous in-kind gifts of materials and services. To contribute to the John Callahan Garden, please visit www.legacyhealth.org/giving, select Good Samaritan Foundation and indicate that your gift is in support of the John Callahan Garden. You may also call Good Samaritan Foundation at 503-413-5585 or mail your gift to Good Samaritan Foundation, PO Box 4484, Portland, OR 97210.
"Legacy Good Samaritan recognizes that health care is so much more than the care we provide within our hospital walls," said Jonathan Avery, president of Legacy Good Samaritan. "The transformation of Legacy Good Samaritan Park and the opening of the John Callahan Garden, set within a neighborhood rapidly growing around us, is a testament of our ongoing commitment to not just treating the sick, but also improving the overall health of our community."
Uses & Volunteer Opportunities
RIO therapists will utilize the park to work with patients recovering from serious conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injuries to learn how to walk again and/or use wheelchairs on varying surfaces and path materials in a natural healing setting.
Legacy Good Samaritan Park is also available for community non-profits to host family-friendly events. Volunteer opportunities are also available to those who are interested in garden care and community engagement. If interested in either opportunity, please contact Teresia Hazen at 503-413-6507 or [email protected].
About Legacy's Therapeutic Gardens
A national leader in therapeutic gardens, Legacy Health now has 12 gardens located throughout each of its eight medical center campuses, which offer therapy and a peaceful setting for patients and visitors as well as gathering places for the communities. Several of Legacy's gardens have won national awards for their healing design. Research shows that gardens in healing settings provide many benefits, often helping patients to leave the hospital faster, take less pain medication and suffer fewer complications.
About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is an Oregon-based nonprofit, tax-exempt organization and, with more than 13,000 employees, is one of the largest private sector employers in the Portland metropolitan area. Legacy Health provides an integrated network of healthcare services, including acute and critical care, inpatient and outpatient treatment, community health education and a variety of specialty services. Legacy's hospitals include: Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Randall Children's Hospital, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, and Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash. Also included in the Legacy system are a hospice agency, a full-service research facility, and specialty and primary care clinics. Visit www.legacyhealth.org
Legacy Therapeutic Garden and Park to Make Public Debut
July 12, 2017
