June 28, 2002

Members of the subcommittee pose in front of one of the murals. From left, Marttila, Dejean, Velazquez, MacInnes and Greene.

The many faces of the MGH:
Murals on display

The responsibility of ensuring that every aspect of the MGH operates smoothly on a daily basis falls on the shoulders of its many employees — more than 18,000 MGHers in all. With such a large number — the size of a small city — the MGH employs people from all walks of life, representing different races, ages, religions, gender and socioeconomic status.

To help celebrate the diversity of the MGH, three new murals now are on display at locations on the first floor of the hospital. Each mural represents a component of the hospital's mission — patient care, education and research — and includes hundreds of images of MGH employees, past and present. Called the "Faces of MGH," the murals are located in the corridor near Coffee Central, the corridor leading to the Gray Lobby and the first floor of the WACC near the Pharmacy.

Two years in the making, the murals project was the brainchild of the Association of Multicultural Members of Partners (AMMP) and the hospital's Diversity Committee, chaired by James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH. A subcommittee was formed to coordinate the project that would enhance the workplace environment with artwork that is welcoming to all employees, patients and visitors. Members of the subcommittee include Jacqueline Dejean of Radiology, who chairs the AMMP subcommittee; Ron Greene, RN, of Case Management and chair of AMMP; AMMP members Mary Chambers of the Development Office and Wanda Velazquez of Community Benefits, along with Nancy Marttila of the Office of the President and Arch MacInnes of Public Affairs. The murals were designed by Ekua J. Holmes of EJ Designs.

"These murals epitomize the hospital's present and future commitment to diversity," says Dejean. "We hope that each mural will evoke a sense of community and help us celebrate the wealth of diversity we have at the hospital." According to members of the committee, the murals already have generated a great deal of interest among employees who have been seen gathering around the artwork to find pictures of themselves or their colleagues.