Bronson Methodist Hospital, located at 601 John St. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is the flagship of Bronson Healthcare Group, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving all of southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. With 343 licensed beds and all private rooms, Bronson provides care in virtually every specialty-cardiology, orthopedics, surgery, emergency medicine, neurology, oncology-with advanced capabilities in critical care as a Level I Trauma Center; in neurological care as a JCAHO certified Primary Stroke Center; in cardiac care as the region's only accredited Chest Pain Center; in obstetrics as the leading BirthPlace and only high-risk pregnancy center in southwest Michigan, and in pediatrics as one of only four children's hospitals in the state.

In 2000, Bronson completely redeveloped the hospital campus and has since become a best practice site for hospital design. Literally hundreds of healthcare professionals and architects from across the US and overseas have toured and studied the hospital, and we have had the privilege to strongly influence future hospital design.

A unique feature of inpatient services is that all patient rooms are private. Studies by Bronson and others have proven that private rooms contribute to a reduction in the incidence of hospital-acquired infections. With complete privacy, patients are also able to rest without the distractions of a roommate, can spend more time with family, and can speak freely when using the phone and when discussing their personal situation with doctors and nurses.

Today, patients who stay in the hospital tend to be more acutely ill than they were in the past. Bronson has more critical care rooms, and the larger general patient rooms can become critical care rooms if a patient's circumstances change. Even smaller touches such as light-filtering blinds, phones on side rails that are easy to reach and use, and larger buttons on phones and other communications equipment add to the overall ease and comfort of the hospital stay. Patient wear has also been upgraded to include robes, pajama pants and more comfortably fitting gowns

The atmosphere within hospitals has changed dramatically over the years as the understanding of healing environments has grown. In designing this facility, we incorporated those elements that are scientifically proven to improve healing. Space, light, color and nature all play a role.

Art is also an important component of the healing environment. There is a mix of rotating and permanent artwork, created by local artists, displayed throughout the hospital. One of the more unique works is in The Children's Hospital at Bronson, where murals bring to life a whimsical "Explore Michigan" theme.

To complete the warm and welcoming environment throughout the hospital soothing music plays overhead. Plants and flowers fill the public areas, with over 2,500 plantings found in the lush Garden Atrium located in the heart of the facility.

Bronson Healthcare Group in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a not-for-profit, tertiary healthcare system serving southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. With a workforce of more than 4,100 and a medical staff of over 700, Bronson is one of the area's largest employers. We offer a full range of services from primary care to advanced critical care and have multiple service locations. Always mindful of our responsibility to the community, Bronson provides more than $48 million in community benefits annually through outreach and charitable care for the un- and under-insured. The health system also has a track record of clinical and workplace excellence as evidenced by numerous national achievements including the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.