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Harvey Zarren Healing Gardens named a finalist in Healthcare Design's 2011 contest
2/15/2012

The Harvey Zarren Healing Gardens at NSMC Union Hospital in Lynn were recently named a finalist in Healthcare Design's 2011 remodel and renovation contest. 

The Healing Gardens

Click the image to see photos of the garden in summer.

The  Harvey Zarren Healing Gardens  were completed in 2007, with more than $400,000 in donations collected to make it possible.

The 23,000 square foot woodland area behind the hospital’s healing atrium were transformed into a series of walkways that connect a dozen unique garden areas for patients to enjoy. The gardens feature paths that are accessible for wheelchairs and hospital beds, enabling even seriously ill patients to spend time with their loved ones in the peaceful setting of familiar trees, flowers, and birds that have marked their lives on the North Shore.

Popular on the west coast, healing gardens are backed by medical research showing that spending time in nature can lower blood pressure and help surgical, cancer, and heart patients recover faster. The healing garden makes NSMC one of the pioneers in what is becoming a trend among hospitals across the nation.