Newsworthy

Topeka, Kan. (Aug. 6, 2026) – Visitors to the Stormont Vail Events Center will notice a fresh new look for the Mother’s Room, one of the building’s most frequently used family amenities. The installation was completed during World Breastfeeding Week, August 1–7, a fitting time to highlight a space dedicated to supporting parents and caregivers.

“Providing designated spaces for breastfeeding families allows access to a clean, calm, safe environment to care for and feed their babies,” said Laura Odom, registered nurse at The Breastfeeding Center. “This can improve and prolong breastfeeding success and contributes to physical and emotional well-being of families.”

The space received an updated wall wrap inspired by the colorful barn quilts found throughout Kansas. The design reflects the agricultural roots of the Stormont Vail Events Center while creating a warm and welcoming environment for parents and caregivers who use the room.

“We wanted the Mother’s Room to feel warm, welcoming and distinctly local,” said Mikell Burr, Stormont Vail Health Marketing and Communications web and graphic designer. “We transformed ideas submitted by our team members into a quilt-inspired mural. It was an honor to bring those individual contributions together into a single piece of artwork.”

Ideas submitted by Stormont Vail team members were combined into a single quilt-inspired composition, creating artwork that represents the people, relationships, and values that define the organization and the community it serves.

About Stormont Vail Health: Stormont Vail Health is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare system that has served Kansas for more than 140 years. With a medical staff of more than 570 providers, including 280 physicians, Stormont Vail delivers care across more than 35 locations in eastern Kansas. In addition to its acute care hospitals in Topeka and Junction City, Stormont Vail provides access to a wide range of ambulatory and procedural care in the region. Learn more at stormontvail.org.