SITUATION
Hospital leaders wanted more than a clinical experience for their patients.
Hospitals and clinical environments can feel intimidating to patients, especially young children. During such a pivotal time in a child’s life, it’s important to punctuate the experience with empathy, care, and compassion.
Bethany Children’s Health Center in Bethany, Oklahoma, partnered with PlainJoe, A Storyland Studio, to create a themed experience that brings joy to kids and their families during some of the most challenging times in their lives. The hospital serves children with complicated medical conditions, some of which are severe and terminal. As a result, many of these kids return for repeat visits over a long period of time, or even remain at Bethany for extended stays.
SOLUTION
Embracing a Route 66 theme – inspired by its location along the Mother Road and the journey of each patient.
The PlainJoe team started with a BlueSky concept to develop the hospital’s new look and feel, as well as a full master plan for its new campus.
We’ve partnered with a local hospital architect in the design of a new four-story, 200,000-square-foot tower. In that new structure, as well as a design refresh to the rest of the hospital, the goal is to inspire a sense of curiosity, adventure, joy, and fun in each child who enters, even in the midst of uncertainty.
The landscape architecture is designed to be intentional about creating a beautiful, inviting space with walkable paths for parents, kids, visitors, and employees to explore.
Bethany’s location along historic Route 66 offers plentiful opportunities to dream up metaphors that pair well with the journey of each child. It is just one stop on their journey. We’ve leveraged Route 66 imagery and icons for the journey, while simultaneously creating an original cast of characters children can interact with during their stay.
Our concept features a four-stories-tall caterpillar that spans the hospital’s entrance and serves as one of the characters children meet along the way. Just as each child will encounter the unexpected and the transformative, the caterpillar will transform, too. The caterpillar is destined to become an icon not only for Bethany, but perhaps the next great roadside attraction along Route 66, in the company of giant whales and dinosaurs.
TRANSFORMATION
Fun drives away fear.
When kids arrive at Bethany Children’s Health Center, they’re immediately greeted by whimsical imagery to make them feel welcome. And when they enter the hospital, they’re met with a friendly sense of surprise and delight at every turn—giving them hope for the journey ahead.
The story of transformation continues to evolve at Bethany Children’s Health Center. PlainJoe Studios recently produced a children’s book based on Kal the Caterpillar, a character central to the hospital’s immersive theming. This book was then incorporated into a beautifully designed donor gift box by Bethany’s creative team, tying into the Route 66 theme seen throughout the hospital. This thoughtful addition further enhances the patient experience, providing young patients with a tangible and comforting story of growth and transformation.
Additionally, PlainJoe Studios completed its first round of Cast Culture consulting with Bethany Children’s Health Center. One of the key deliverables from this engagement was a set of Cultural Landmarks, carefully developed to align with the hospital’s identity as the “Landmark of Hope on Route 66”. These Cultural Landmarks reinforce the hospital’s core values and serve as guiding principles for its staff, ensuring a patient experience rooted in compassion, care, and storytelling.
“PlainJoe’s incredible design transforms our facility into an immersive, child-friendly wonderland, featuring a four-story caterpillar right off of Route 66 and a kaleidoscope of butterflies in the lobby. Together, we’re creating a space that feels inviting for patients and their families.”
– Richard Mills, Chief of Marketing at Bethany Children’s Health Center
