New England photography brought serenity to my busy emergency department

Stark. White. Barren.

That’s how the walls of the emergency department at Tufts Medical Center in Boston struck me last year, just before the pandemic started. 

I had been wandering the halls, thinking about how chaotic and stressful emergency rooms can be, for patients and staff alike. As a pediatric emergency medicine practitioner for 35 years, the last seven at Tufts, I had a good grasp on what those walls were saying.

Why had I not noticed before?

In any case, it also struck me that perhaps there was an opportunity to reduce stress and anxiety in this challenging, stark environment by bringing in New England imagery. As a lifelong hobbyist photographer with a focus on New England landscapes and seascapes, I knew full well how healing and calming the right images could be. 

I applied for an “Always Thinking Ahead” grant offered by the medical center. Just after applying, the pandemic hit, and our attention got diverted into its black hole. Then, suddenly, in Fall 2020, I was notified that my grant application had been approved! 

The result: Five, large (40”x60”) images on acrylic, edge to edge, now mounted on our emergency department’s walls. 

The feedback has been phenomenal. It is so gratifying to have a small part in offering a more-welcoming, gentler environment to the patients, families, and staff we serve. 

See here for the Tufts Medical Center announcement.

White Crest Beach, Wellfleet
Province Lands, Provincetown

Herring Cove, Provincetown
Cahoon Hollow Beach, Wellfleet

Acadia National Park, Maine