LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Some Louisville health care workers are not only taking care of patients, they're also tending to the plants in their yards.
The garden consists of several raised flower beds on the grounds of Bowman Field and is maintained by Norton Healthcare's transportation team. The garden is planted with a variety of flowers and vegetables, including eggplant, sunflowers, and radishes.
“It started small but has grown to this point,” said Lauren Podvin of the Norton Child Transport Team.
A Norton Healthcare Transport team tills a garden (WDRB image, July 13, 2024).
Podvin is a registered nurse and has been with Norton Children's Hospital's transportation team since 2015. It was her idea to create the garden after the team moves to Bowman Field in 2021.
“Our job is really stressful, we have a lot of sick children, babies and teenagers,” she said.
The transport team is responsible for transporting the patient, either by ambulance or helicopter, to the hospital where they can receive the necessary treatment.
Norton Pediatric Air Transport in Louisville, Kentucky (WDRB image July 13, 2024)
“Our transport teams are extremely busy and sometimes only have 30 minutes between each transport,” said Penny Berry, director of transportation and EMS services for Norton Healthcare.
Berry said the team can fly as far north as Michigan and as far south as Alabama, but primarily serves patients in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
“The transport team has been around for over 45 years and transports over 3,000 patients a year,” she said. “When called upon, they respond no matter the weather. Always with a positive attitude. Words can't express how amazing they are.”
Berry admits she wasn't sure what to expect when Podvin first approached her with the idea to plant a garden, but the concept has literally grown into a haven for workers on both the adult and pediatric transport teams.
A Norton Healthcare Transport team tills a garden (WDRB image, July 13, 2024).
“It's physical activity, which is good for both physical and mental health,” Podvin said, “and the garden provides a great place to relax, especially after a tiring journey.”
The CDC said health care workers' jobs involve demanding and sometimes dangerous duties, and the COVID-19 pandemic has added even more stressors.
“Research has shown that touching the ground, picking vegetables and pulling weeds has a soothing effect and it's just a way to relieve stress,” Berry added.
A Norton Healthcare Transport team tills a garden (WDRB image, July 13, 2024).
Podvin said the garden is a place of calm. Besides tending to it, many employees enjoy the added benefit of being able to take home fruits and vegetables. In the fall, the garden will produce pumpkins.
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