CHRISTUS In-plant Helps New Hospital Open With Impact

One key benefit every organization gets from having an in-plant is fast turnaround of mission-critical print projects. So, when CHRISTUS Health, a Texas-based Catholic, not-for-profit health system, prepared to open a new micro hospital facility in Palestine, Texas, in January, and officials touring the facility laid eyes on a large blank wall in the front lobby, they realized they needed to fill that wall with something meaningful. The only trouble was, the ribbon cutting was just two weeks away.

The in-plant printed this signage and many other materials in support of the ribbon-cutting event for CHRISTUS Health's new Palestine, Texas, hospital, including all the invitations, flyers, and programs.

They didn’t panic, though; they simply turned to their in-plant for ideas.

In those two weeks, CHRISTUS Health’s mission and pastoral care department worked with Designer Allison Hernandez to come up with a concept idea that promoted CHRISTUS Health’s core values. The in-plant then designed the graphics, printed and cut them, and coordinated installation in time for the Jan. 29 ribbon cutting.

CHRISTUS Health's Kirsten Noyola

“This was a very quick turnaround,” reflects Print Services Manager Kirsten Noyola.

The display comprises 10 pieces covering a 6.5x17-ft. area, printed on ¼” Dibond and ¼” acrylic. Five panels display definitions of CHRISTUS Health’s five core values and five show images of biblical scenes. They were printed on the Tyler, Texas, shop’s Mimaki JFX600 by Jose Gonzales and cut on a Colex Sharpcut by Luis Ramirez. The results, says Noyola, are impressive.

“It looks phenomenal in that space,” she says. The “Mission Art installation” adorns a patient waiting area, showing visitors CHRISTUS Health’s mission in an eye-catching way.

As impressive as the turnaround and quality of this project was, it was not too out of the ordinary for the 15-employee in-plant, which also printed scores of other signs and graphics for the new Palestine hospital and emergency room, such as regulatory and ADA signage, colorful acrylic images for patient rooms, parking signs for the ribbon cutting event, plus all the invitations, flyers, and programs. All of it, Noyola says, carries CHRISTUS Health’s colors and branding.

“We are responsible for the brand experience,” she says.

Wall art printed by the in-plant helps with patient healing.

The in-plant feels equally responsible for helping carry out CHRISTUS Health’s mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. The graphics it prints for patient rooms in the health system’s more than 60 hospitals and long-term care facilities play an important part in the healing process, she says.

“There's lots of studies of what helps patients heal and what makes a healing environment and blank walls aren't it,” she says. “Giving something inspirational for a patient to look at … can improve healing time.”