Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, established in 1855, is the critical care regional referral and teaching center within the Mercy system, a seven hospital faith-based system serving Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Composed of Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, Mercy St. Charles Hospital, Mercy St. Anne Hospital, Mercy Children’s Hospital, Mercy Tiffin Hospital, Mercy Willard Hospital and Mercy Hospital of Defiance, Mercy is a member of Catholic Health Partners, the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest non-profit systems in the country.

Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center is now housed under a green roof of lush plants. Many patient rooms face the 2,500 square-foot rooftop terrace green roof, which features a courtyard for the exclusive enjoyment of patients and their families. The LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System was selected for the terrace green roof, which was installed by Advanced Roofing Services with plants grown by Corso’s Perennials.

Patients and their visitors can see the park-like setting from over 84 patient rooms, multiple waiting rooms, and visitor lounges. While most renovations are focused on improving work flow or updating areas, this renovation stemmed from a desire to provide naturally healing and calming space for visitors, patients and staff.

“With the completion of the roof top garden, I believe it will reduce stress with our employees and improve the outcomes of some of our patients, while improving the experience for all patients and their families. This will be a place to relax and enjoy a tranquil distraction within our complex,” expressed Jennifer Yockey, an MSN, CIC Infection Control Nurse with Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.

“We delivered the LiveRoof modules full of regionally adapted and locally cultivated plants that were mature, thriving, and ready for the rigors of the rooftop environment,” said Gus Corso, owner of Corso’s Perennials (Sandusky, Oh.). Corso’s Perennials is LiveRoof’s licensed regional grower and distributor for western Pennsylvania, Ohio and parts of West Virginia.

Todd Kwapich, Project Coordinator for Mercy, said, “The space seemed perfect for this endeavor. The totally enclosed area was previously a drab ‘concrete jungle’ that was just not utilized. Now it is like the signature hole on a golf course.”