HOUSTON – (Mar. 8, 2010) – Local third grade students from three West Houston elementary schools are participating in an art tile project for the new Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus in hopes of creating smiles and encouraging a speedy recovery for future patients. Recognizing that art is an essential part of the healing environment, Texas Children’s Hospital invited local art teachers and third grade students from Barbara Bush Elementary School, Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School and Rummel Creek Elementary School to design and paint ceramic tiles that will decorate patient rooms at its new community hospital, currently under construction at I-10 and Barker Cypress. The goal of this initiative, one of the hospital’s many ongoing art projects, is to create colorful water-themed tiles that will be incorporated in inpatient shower areas.

By featuring art by children and for children, Texas Children’s Hospital creates unique healthcare settings that are also psychologically healing and supportive for patients in their recovery. Whether on display or integrated into the environment, the artwork at West Campus is being thoughtfully planned to surround families with a soothing, healing energy that has been proven to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve ability to cope with pain and even decrease length of stay. The student’s art tiles demonstrate how art and innovative design features will be used throughout West Campus to enhance the patient experience.

As part of their art curriculum for the next six weeks, students will design and paint six-inch square ceramic tiles with their original interpretations of a water-themed scene. Scheduled to be completed by the end of March, the art tiles will then be photographed and catalogued as part of the hospital’s extensive children’s art collection, connecting these students to the community of past art program participants that extends throughout Houston and around the world. Over the past 20 years, Texas Children’s Hospital has acquired a permanent collection of over 5,000 pieces of children’s art for display at the main campus and its many facilities throughout the Houston area.

The tiles will be installed in West Campus inpatient rooms as part of the interior finishing phase. Because the West Campus will serve families throughout the greater West Houston community, Texas Children’s wants to ensure that artwork from the community’s children is well represented in the facility.

Designed, equipped and staffed exclusively to treat children, West Campus is Texas Children’s first community hospital and will provide the rapidly growing West Houston area with expanded access to the same unsurpassed standard of care that families have come to expect from Texas Children’s Hospital. When completed, West Campus will provide pediatric outpatient and inpatient sub-specialty services and a dedicated pediatric emergency center.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top ten best children’s hospitals by U. S. News & World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s largest primary pediatric care network, with more than 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a comprehensive neurological research institute, the formation of a maternity center, and the development of the new West Campus, Texas Children’s first pediatric hospital in a suburban setting. For more information on Texas Children's Hospital, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children’s Hospital by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/tch_news.