LAPEER COUNTY, Mich.—McLaren Lapeer Region, the 222-bed acute care hospital serving all of Lapeer County, cut the ribbon on a wheelchair accessible healing garden meant to assist the recovery of patients in the hospital’s transitional care unit. The project was made possible by the generosity of the Lapeer Eagle Riders.
Spearheaded by the unit’s recreational therapist, Heather Osip, the garden was built with raised flower beds to accommodate wheelchair-bound patients recovering from various conditions.
By engaging in meaningful, recreational activities aimed at promoting physical, social, emotional and cognitive wellness, the healing environment created by the garden will assist in the patients’ rehabilitation.
“With a short length of stay on our unit, it can oftentimes be a challenge to engage our patients in activities to further rehabilitate them,” Osip said. “I wanted to create a healing environment while providing something they can actively or passively participate in.
“I strongly believe in the healing power of nature,” she continued. “It is my goal for this garden to help our patients overcome their perceived barriers to recreation, and to show them that there are still ways to have a quality of life when recovering from an illness or injury.”
To fund the project, Osip presented the idea to the Lapeer Eagle Riders motorcycle club, who donated $300 from the club’s fund and an additional $390 from the group members themselves. Eagle members also helped with construction of the raised garden beds and had a number of members in attendance for the ribbon cutting on June 2.
“I could not have done it without their help,” Osip said.
Said Chris Candela, McLaren Lapeer Region president and CEO, “The importance of every member of our healthcare team cannot be understated — they’re continuously looking for ways to create a healing atmosphere for all of our patients. This garden is a physical representation of our commitment to providing all of our patients with a peaceful, inclusive environment to encourage their recovery and their continued wellness.”
To learn more about the services and award-winning care offered at McLaren Lapeer Region, visit mclaren.org/lapeerregion.
About McLaren Lapeer Region
McLaren Lapeer Region is a 222-bed acute care facility located in Lapeer, Michigan, and is the primary provider of health care services to Lapeer County and the surrounding area. McLaren Lapeer Region has received national recognition from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for clinical excellence in orthopedics, pneumonia, congestive heart failure and surgical care. The facility maintains a verified Level II trauma designation and provides comprehensive care in a 29-bed Emergency Center along with specialized services for heart, cancer, orthopedic and general surgery services, physical medicine and rehabilitation, women’s services, wound care services and sleep disorders. To learn more, visit mclaren.org/lapeerregion.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a fully integrated health network committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 620,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health and hospice providers, retail medical equipment showrooms, pharmacy services, and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 26,000 employees and more than 85,500 network providers. Its operations are housed in more than 350 facilities serving Michigan and Indiana.