Abstract
In 1985, one of the most far-reaching experiments in the realm of holistic health was launched. The first of five Planetree Model Hospitals opened at a large academic medical center in San Francisco. Everything in the unique medical-surgical unit was designed with the patient's perspective in mind. The unit was the culmination of many years of work by a group of visionaries inspired, fittingly, by a single patient. This patient had undergone a traumatic, though not unusual, hospital stay. Limited information exchange between patient and providers, limited visiting hours, imper sonal treatment by hospital staff, and harsh institutional surroundings had resulted in anything but a healing experience. Motivated by a vision of what a hospital could be, Planetree was founded with the mission to change the way health care was delivered, and to personalize, humanize, and demystify the patient experience.