Casper muralists uses nature to brighten up new pediatric center (PHOTOS)

CASPER, Wyo. – Exam rooms can be intimidating, especially for children battling serious diseases.

With that in mind, the space for the new Pediatric Specialty Outreach Clinic now being prepared inside the McMurry Medical Arts Building is getting a bright and wild facelift.

Casper muralist Tony Elmore has been commissioned to paint different animals in each of the new clinic’s 10 exam rooms.

“We’re really trying to give the children here the same experiences they’d have in Denver,” said Katie Caldwell-Burchett, founder of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation.

The clinic is a product of the foundation, as well as the CU School of Medicine-Children’s Hospital Colorado with cooperation from the Wyoming Medical Center. The clinic will allow Casper children with a variety of serious diseases to have clinical visits and checkups near their homes rather than traveling to Children’s Hospital in Denver.

The Wyoming Community Foundation helped fund the murals, according to Caldwell-Burchett. Specialized furniture and decorations to help make the waiting room more inviting and child-friendly will also be installed soon. That was made possible with money from the Blue Envelope Health Fund.

Caldwell-Burchett says the nature theme is intended to be lively but not overwhelming or too stimulating for children. “It’s simple but pretty,” she said.

The Olivia Caldwell Foundation’s headquarters will also move into the new space, which was previously occupied by Advanced Orthopedics.

Cardiac specialists from CU School of Medicine-Children’s Colorado will begin seeing pediatric patients in the clinic in November. Pediatric clinics in endocrinology and pulmonology will start in early 2020 with others to follow. 

Before that, the clinic is holding a Halloween-themed open house from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and a trick-or-treat trail will be offered for children, who are encouraged to wear their costumes.