Allegheny Valley Hospital opens Healing Garden, public wellness space

Rosemary Musolino said she couldn’t think of a more fitting project for Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison than the new outdoor respite garden.

“It’s a beautiful design because it’s so welcoming,” said Musolino, an Allegheny Township resident and vice president of the hospital auxiliary. “It’s not only connected to our facility, but also to the community. I’ve already seen someone pushing a stroller that turned in and sat under the pergola.”

The 5,000 square-foot Healing Garden sits adjacent to the hospital’s front entrance along Carlisle Street and offers visitors and staff a place to unwind. The pagoda is lined by trees and flowers, and offers public seating. It is meant to boost mental wellness.

Jeff Carlson, Allegheny Valley chief operating officer, said patients, staff and community can use the space “to step away, connect with nature and maintain a strong mental well-being.”

Construction took about three months and was paid with donations from the Alle-Kiski Medical Center Trust and the Schaub family, among others.

The late David Schaub was a longtime physician at Allegheny Valley. In addition to the landscaped greenery and benches, there is a flagpole and commemorative signs to honor Schaub’s work.

The cost of the project was not released.

Musolino said the previously unused space was given new life in the best way.

“We have a lot of patients that are able to go outside with staff, but there was never anywhere to go,” she said. “They would go down the sidewalk and come back. Now, there are masses of lilies that will bloom and there’s places for everyone to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and decompress.”

The hospital’s parent company, Allegheny Health Network, announced this week that a total of $6.2 million will be spent to expand and enhance services at Allegheny Valley and Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. Initiatives will better meet the growing needs of patients in the health system’s eastern footprint. Work includes 20 medical-surgical beds at Forbes and renovations at both campuses.

“By strategically investing in these two important services, we are strengthening both hospitals and ensuring that our communities have access to the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” hospital President Mark Rubino said.

“The Healing Garden is more than just a beautiful space,” Rubino said. “It symbolizes our connection with our neighbors and demonstrates that AVH is thriving.”

It establishes a prominent space for special events and continues an effort to beautify the campus. It also repurposes underused non-clinical space and aligns with donors’ requests for gardening and landscaping, he said.

“AVH has a long and proud history of serving this community for over 100 years,” Rubino said. “We are growing by adding clinicians, expanding services and investing in our facilities.”