Throughout the pandemic, colorful paper hearts and stars welcomed Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health employees and visitors as they crossed the windowed corridor connecting the Downtown Pavilion to Lancaster General Hospital.
The hearts – with handwritten messages of support from fellow staff, patients and community members, and the stars – each honoring a patient discharged successfully following a COVID-19 hospitalization, have served as a visual representation of the bravery and resilience of all.
Those hearts and stars were the inspirational elements in a recently unveiled painting by Lancaster artist Susan Gottlieb.
“The installation of the artwork is the start of a transition,” said John J. Herman, MBA, FACHE, CEO, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “One that honors our experiences and at the same time helps us look forward to the growth and balance that are to come.”
Gottlieb’s artwork titled “The Bridge” includes three connected panels representing “Morning Light,” “Midday Light,” and “Sundown Light.” The hand-painted acrylic on canvas is vibrant and evocative, incorporating images of the stars, hearts and messaging – a nod to the original handmade versions.
“We hung our first stars on May 8, 2020. Since then, we’ve hung 3,467,” said Kellie Wilson, RN, MEd, CPXP, consumer insights project manager with the Experience Team at LG Health, who helped lead the team effort behind the display.
As part of the overall plan to transition to the permanent memorial, LG Health hung the last set of stars in early November and invited employees to take a heart or star that is meaningful to them. All remaining hearts and stars are now safely stored in the Chaplain’s Office.
The mural, which is now on display in the Downtown Pavilion, is located near where the hearts and stars once were.
“It is my hope that the painting brings a moment of radiance and gratitude for all of those who served, sacrificed, and cared for this community during the pandemic,” Gottlieb said.