No matter how close a health care center comes to resembling a spa, or how well a hospital room imitates a hotel suite, its primary job is to heal, not pamper. With the scarcity of health care dollars already preventing people from receiving access to basic care, it's easy to look on hospitals' pouring of money into design as unconscionable excess. But while indulgence surely occurs for indulgence's sake, numerous studies have established that the environment—its colors, sounds, and other design characteristics aside from its cleanliness—may have a direct influence on health and healing.
