There's one place in the Upper Valley where you do your shopping and get an appendectomy -- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Inside the North Mall, hospital employees, patients and visitors have access to just about anything they may need. The "general store" sells a variety of snacks as well as ice cream and deli food. The Pink Smock boasts a huge collection of stuffed animals, jewelry, cards and gifts. A French coffee shop serves sandwiches and baked goods while the Sbarro's next to it caters to the pizza-loving crowd.
As in a mall, DHMC has tables set up for people to eat, drink coffee and chat. Adriana Popa, assistant manager of the Dartmouth Bookstore at the medical center, explained that the extra facilities are geared towards residents and students who spend a lot of time in the hospital.
"They get everything they need here," she said. "This is almost like a little city in itself." Indeed, the bookstore carries some items specific to the hospital's needs. Numerous medical books rest on the bookshelves, and racks of scrubs and medical equipment accompany the traditional Dartmouth apparel to fill the store.
The hospital makes it still easier for staff, patients and their families with its branch of Fleet Bank, drycleaning service and flower shop. Popa said that the bookstore enjoys steady business because of the large number of people passing through.
"People just come to hang out," she said. "People come in to eat. They have halfway decent food here."
The North Mall represents one attraction of DHMC, but the modern architecture provides further motive for a visit. Just inside the main entrance in the middle of the rotunda lies the information desk, analagous to the town square. In one corner sits a piano, where various piantists come to play each day at noon. Signs point patients to various care centers and offices and invite visitors to walk down the wide hallway to the left, "Main Street."
Artwork and other visual aspects also contribute to the aesthetics of the building. Various pieces of artwork line the hallways, and sculptures stand in corners. In the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, a mural covers one wall of the waiting room. Woodwork accents the green- and cream-colored walls, which are lined by cushy armchairs. Enormous windows and skylights let in natural light and futuristic, globe-shaped lamps are placed at intervals along Main Street.
Neurosurgeon Ann-Christine Duhaime said that the design was one of the reasons she came to work at DHMC. "It is one of the prettiest hospitals I have ever seen ... and I have seen a lot of them," she said during a break, munching on a cookie in the caf.
Loretta Grate, a research assistant, agreed. "The scenery is wonderful," she said, "And the food is really good." The hospital has an ample cafeteria on its lower level, which serves meals seven days a week. The cafeteria provides a variety of choices, including grill items, sandwiches, soups and snacks -- and all at a fair price, according to Grate.
The architecture and interior design of the medical center also contribute to a relaxed atmosphere for both patients and staff. According to Deborah Kimbell,spokesperson for DHMC, designers put forth "a lot of effort to make the public areas feel warm and welcoming." She mentioned some details that aren't obvious to visitors, but that nevertheless make a big difference.
"There is no overhead paging. All the doctors wear internal pagers," she said. Additionally, "all the public areas are carpeted to reduce noice. Just having the carpet so that things aren't clattering along on the floor makes a big difference."
The structure of the medical center creates a relaxed environment and encourages friendly interactions, according to patients and staff.
"I like the people here. They are all friendly, everyone says hello. It's nice," Calvin Koch of Chester, Vt. said.
Robert Durkee, a patient relations specialist who works at the information desk, commented on another activity that adds to the relaxed environment of the hospital.
"People come in and walk -- for exercise," he said. "The distances are measured off." He noted that in the middle of a New Hampshire winter, "sometimes there is no better place to be." According to Durkee, "Working in an environment like this is such a treat."
Kimbell agreed, comparing the medical center to a community. "If you think about it, the medical center, with 5000 employees, is almost like a small city. When patients and families come through the door, they are part of that community," she said.
Built 10 years ago, the modern DHMC, one of only a few large-scale medical care facilities in New England, provides care for patients from Vermont, New Hampshire and other parts of the northeast. Since its construction, the number of patients has continued to rise, leading to the medical center's ongoing expansion.
The planned expansion, which will double the size of the hospital, should be completed in 2005, according to Kimbell. The same architect has designed the addition to the hospital, which includes more space for the department of internal medicine, the emergency department and the cancer center.
"They are stressing the continuity of the design," Kimbell said. "We are using the same principles."
