NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln and NYC Health + Hospitals/TheFund, the philanthropic arm of the city’s public health system, have teamed up with Brooklyn artist Katie Yamasaki to create a one-of-a-kind mural inside a hospital stairwell that encourages staffers and patients to envision residents of the South Bronx living their healthiest life. The two-and-a-half story mural was unveiled Dec. 18 at a ceremony with Lincoln Executive Director Milton Nunez and a crowd of more than 100 community members, elected officials and hospital staff members.
In the spring, Yamasaki met with community groups and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln staff and asked them to imagine the people of the South Bronx living their healthiest lives. The discussions and suggestions became the basis for the mural. Research suggests that exercise is a step towards prevention of some common ailments and can improve one’s overall health. The newly installed murals will visually encourage employees and visitors to use the stairs in the main stairwell instead of the elevator.