Patients and families receiving care at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., which treats childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening disorders, often live in off-campus housing provided by St. Jude during treatment—sometimes for weeks or months at a time.
Recognizing this situation, St. Jude offers services for family that go beyond traditional healthcare needs, such as a pharmacy or medical supply pick-up, to include a post office and bank as well as respite and activity spaces on campus.
“It was a constellation of things that weren’t necessarily connected and not always easy to access,” says Catherine Corbin, chief business innovation officer, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Creating the Family Commons
As part of a strategic plan, the organization conceived an idea to consolidate those services and activities into…
