New mural brings comfort to Grande Prairie families

Intensive Care Unit display funded by local health foundation

Story & photo by Logan Clow

GRANDE PRAIRIE — A new mural inside the entrance to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (GRPH) offers comfort to patients and their loved ones.

The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation funded the mural which was created by Dr. Sean Bagshaw and designed by Nicole Pernal at the University of Alberta. Its visuals depict medical equipment and devices used in the ICU, as well as a description of their purpose.

“This is more than just a mural. It’s a teaching tool and resource intended to help families better understand the equipment used in the ICU,” says Sean Doerkson, CEO, Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation.

“GPRH is the first healthcare facility in Alberta to receive a mural like this created by the University of Alberta. We’re incredibly grateful to the university, and for support from our generous community donors for making this possible.”

At the mural’s Sept. 24 unveiling, Dr. Tafirenyika Madzimure, ICU physician, and Nathan Banda, director of Surgical Services, delivered remarks on behalf of Alberta Health Services.

“This mural is very educational. It offers helpful visuals and easy-to-read explanations about the tools we use and why we use them,” said Madzimure. “We hope it will provide some comfort and understanding to families while their loved one receives care in our ICU.”

Banda thanked the Foundation for funding the mural, and for their ongoing support of healthcare at GPRH and across the region. He also expressed gratitude to the University of Alberta for the thoughtful design of the mural.

“Our hope is that this mural will not only brighten the space but also provide comfort and reassurance to patients and families,” he said. “By helping explain some of the equipment used in the ICU, it can make the environment feel a little more familiar and less intimidating.

“The mural also highlights the commitment and professionalism of the many skilled healthcare teams behind the equipment who work in our ICU. Every day, these teams work together to deliver compassionate and excellent patient-centered care to patients and families.”