November 2025
Above: Caregivers from the nutritional services team prepare for a day of clipping stems and harvesting flowers in the Providence Portland Medical Center community garden.
At Providence, we believe healing happens in many forms. Sometimes, it’s a breakthrough in treatment. Other times, it’s a quiet moment of beauty delivered with a meal. At Providence Portland Medical Center, small acts of kindness are making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients—one bouquet at a time.
Years ago, caregiver Patrick Helling had a simple idea: Share the beauty of his flower garden with patients. That heartfelt gesture blossomed into the “Let Your Compassion Bloom” program, where Providence Portland Medical Center caregivers harvested baskets of flowers from their gardens and adding them to the food trays delivered to the patients. The result? A moment of joy, a touch of nature, and a reminder that every patient is seen and cared for as a whole person.
The program went by the wayside with Patrick’s retirement, but it was not forgotten.
Today, thanks to the leadership of Michael Tjaden, senior director of Nutrition Services, the tradition has returned with a new name and a renewed purpose. The Compassion Care Floral Gift program now sources flowers from Providence Portland Medical Center's own community garden—grown, harvested, and arranged by caregivers who believe in the healing power of beauty and connection.
Located just east of the Providence Professional Plaza, the community garden is a collaborative space where health care teams adopt raised beds to plant and harvest throughout the growing season. Throughout the summer and fall, Michael’s team planted, tended to and harvested flowers, sharing small bouquets with patients throughout the hospital.
Above: Caregivers from the nutritional services team assemble freshly cut bouquets for patient meal trays.
Related news:
- Learn more about our services at Providence Portland Medical Center.
- Schedule an appointment with the Providence Portland Medical Center nutritional services team.
- See a compassionate story about community care from the Providence Portland Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit.
