Health care providers in today's market are faced with competitive pressures like never before. Patients - more appropriately viewed as "customers" - have a choice of healthcare providers and readily compare service and facilities when evaluating their options. Customers will consider medical ability, of course, but also ancillary factors such as the physical facility and general "feel" of the office. A welcoming, cheerful, and polished patient environment will enhance excellent quality care. On the other hand, a stark, out-dated, or tacky patient environment can diminish the perception of quality health care.   "Hospitals must keep sight of the 'softer' side of patient care, using design and architecture to create a feeling of wellness. Architectural elements such as large windows admitting natural light, calming, low-wavelength colors...aesthetically pleasing artwork and the introduction of nature via plants and aquariums can minimize the clinical atmosphere and make the stay less traumatic for patient and family members. The hospital of the future must never lose sight of the human factor, striving for a balance between high-tech and human touch." Robert P. Walker AIA, ACHA Vice President, HGA American School & Hospital Maintenance Magazine, October, 2003 Consider the lobby waiting area, the patient's first physical contact with the medical facility. Traditionally, canned music and dog-eared magazines have been provided to help the waiting patient pass time. Often medical posters or faded framed pictures will be haphazardly hung on the walls to add decoration. Uninspiring or dated artwork can give the patient a neutral, or even a negative impression of the quality of the care. Medical professionals rarely spend time in their own practice's waiting area, but the patients often have enough time to analyze every aspect, good and bad, of the room's décor. Even offices designed with the help of a professional interior decorator can become stale and uninviting with the passage of time. As medical science evolves, patients are undergoing more and more complex diagnostic and treatment procedures. These procedures often require the patient to stay still for an extended period of time. Historically, the patient's state of relaxation was not a factor in interior design for medical facilities. In the absence of a proactively calming environment, the patient may become anxious or restless before the procedure is completed or even started. Today's patient care areas can be enhanced with clear, colorful, photographs of scenes familiar and soothing. Even rooms with no exterior windows - typical in medical buildings and complexes - can be given a view of the outdoors. Patients can "lose themselves" as they focus on realistic scenes of parks, rivers, mountains, gardens, and other beautiful views. Photographic art provides a true image of calm, welcoming environments that invite the viewer to relax, even day-dream into a sense of ease. "The concept of art as a healing force is becoming part of the national lexicon." The Society of the Arts in Healthcare, Annual Conference 2004