Impact: Healthcare
Murals Help Hutchinson Be Healthy by Drawing Walkers
Little by little, Brady Scott is bringing a dark, narrow tunnel in the heart of Hutchinson to life with his paintbrush.
He’s painting murals in the underground tunnel that connects the Dillon Living Center with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. When completed, the panels will portray the history of medical care in Hutchinson from 1900, when there were two hospitals in the city, to the present day.
“It’s been a great experience so far,” Brady said. “I’m trying to bring some nature into that and some color to it and some history.”
The 300-foot tunnel was created in the early 1990s when the Dillon Living Center was built so its residents could reach the hospital without being exposed to unpleasant weather. The tunnel is open to the public as well as hospital employees.
“We have no restrictions on it,” said Wes Hoyt, chief operating officer for the Hutchinson Regional Health Care System. “We want people to walk. It’s a good thing. It promotes activity.”
Making walks more appealing
But the tunnel was considered an underutilized resource and hospital officials wanted to change that.
Hospital officials asked, “How do we make it more appealing so more people will walk?”
They were also looking for an engaging way to share the history of healthcare in Hutchinson. A series of murals accomplished both goals--but where to find the funding?
The Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield covered half of the cost of the murals, and the hospital agreed to pick up the rest.
Brady Scott, a local artist, was chosen to paint the murals. His first panel, spanning 1900 to 1930, is in black and white. His next panel is in sepia tones. He will add color as the panels advance toward present day.
He’s including slices of history in his paintings, among them an iron lung and a bomber airplane. He’s added flowers, too, as well as depictions of a nun, a doctor and a nurse.
Newcomers to the area may not realize Hutchinson once had two hospitals, but both hospitals are shown in the first mural.
Scott expected the project to be well-received, but he’s been surprised by the response.
“People stop me all the time and really love it,” he said. “They talk about, ‘I had a cousin in an iron lung.’ It’s crazy, the response. It’s just livened up that place. People are coming down who haven’t even been down there before. I’ve had people leave me thank you notes and little old ladies bringing me cookies. It happens a lot. It’s amazing how much it impacts the people who are in there.”
A burgeoning community asset
The murals have increased the tunnel’s use, just as hospital officials hoped.
“That tunnel has really become a community asset and a social asset for many people,” Wes said. “A lot of folks, they utilize that to get their exercise in. We will have a large influx of community members who use it. They love the fact that it’s convenient and really accessible.”
One trip up and back equals one-third of a mile, so to walk three miles requires numerous trips.
The murals are “something to break up the monotony” of so many laps.
“A lot of people put their headphones on,” he said. “They’re in their own zone. Some of them are very good walkers. All you have to do is park, walk into the hospital, take the elevator to the basement and walk to your heart’s content.”
Brady said he understands the appeal of the tunnel.
“They’re out of the elements, they can go any time of the year and it’s safe,” he said.
He hopes to have all the murals done by the end of 2019, but it may take longer. He’s known for working deliberately, and he wants to deliver something Hutchinson can point to with pride.
“It’ll take as long as it needs to take,” he said with a chuckle.
Above: The walking tunnel located beneath Hutchinson Regional Medical Center has been used for year-round exercise by the staff and public, but a mural brings new life and a sense of community into the hallway.
Above: Local artist Brady Scott is renowned for his exceptional murals all around the community of Hutchinson and beyond. This love for his community is evident in the carefully crafted motifs and depiction of the history of healthcare in Hutchinson.
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