Local Artists Inspire Healthcare Heroes at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center

LONG BEACH ― The St. Mary Medical Center Foundation and Carolyn Caldwell, President and CEO at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center, present its inaugural President Wellness Challenge to inspire lifestyle changes and better daily habits among employees. The challenge aims to get employees moving, thinking and working in healthier ways, while lowering the risk of heart disease or a stroke, by way of team-building efforts.

Among the healthy habits promoted in this challenge is stair climbing, a quick and effective way to get your heart rate up and get your steps in..

“As health care workers, we know how important it is to stay healthy”, states Carolyn Caldwell, President and CEO at St. Mary Medical Center.

“We reached out to local artists in the community to help us with our wellness challenge. Art has been shown to help lower heart rate and reduce anxiety and what better way to inspire our staff to take the stairs instead of the elevators than by having amazing murals lead the way.”

While the artists were given creative freedom, they were asked to stay within the theme of wellness from a physical, mental, nutritional or environmental standpoint.

The first mural, titled Let’s Fly, was completed by Delanie Johnson, an alumni of CIC – Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She is a sophomore in the College of Art and Design with a concentration in Studio Arts at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Delani selected the Monarch butterfly for her mural, which is currently on the endangered species list.

“Changes in our environment need to happen to support the life of these butterflies”, said Johnson. “Similarly, we need to make changes in our own life in order to support our wellness and longevity. My hope is that the staff at St. Mary Medical Center draw inspiration from these murals.” 

“As part of CommonSpirit Health, St. Mary’s mission is to improve the health of the people and community we serve, and the health of the planet is critical to this work. A healthy environment – fresh water to drink, clean air to breathe, fertile soil in which to grow our food – is vital to our health. As such, we’re committed to making meaningful changes to address climate change and reduce our environmental footprint,” says Caldwell.

Over the summer, CommonSpirit Health introduced the CommonSpirit Health Climate Action Plan. By committing to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and a 50% reduction in its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the organization is taking bold steps in recognizing environmental protection as an essential part of improving health for all.

Details: hellohumankindness.org/climate/.