Creating a healing environment for cancer patients and their families is of paramount importance at PAMF. When PAMF's new Palo Alto campus was designed in the late 1990s, a high priority was placed on having a comfortable physical setting and soothing decor within the Department of Radiation Oncology.

Radiation oncology treatment is provided in an outpatient facility that is emotionally welcoming and friendly, avoiding the impersonal feel of many hospital settings. The department is located on Lower Level A of the Palo Alto Clinic, away from the noise and distractions of other clinical areas. Artwork adorns the walls, and a comfortable waiting area with a private entrance offers refreshments, books, games and other amenities. The 30-person department staff works long hours and places high priority on keeping the atmosphere personable and upbeat.

Outside the department's waiting area is a "Meditation Garden," which offers a place to rest and reflect among flowers, shady trees and a bubbling fountain. The garden is intended to create an atmosphere of peace, safety and contemplation that balances the high-tech environment inside the building. It also provides a comfortable setting where patients can get to know each other, which many patients say creates a valuable, informal support network. Philanthropic gifts from several grateful patients and their families made the garden possible.