A few hours after workers completed a new courtyard just to the left of Montefiore Medical Center’s main entrance on East 210th Street, Montefiore’s president, Steven M. Safyer, MD, could be seen making the rounds of the space in what seemed to be a final inspection.

On the surface, it might seem like a minor project in a medical institution with 17,000 employees. But it’s a major priority for Safyer, precisely because of those employees.

He wants to create a collaborative, campus-like atmosphere using underutilized outdoor spaces at Montefiore’s three hospitals. (In addition to the Moses division in Norwood, the other two are the former Our Lady of Mercy, now Montefiore’s North Division, and the Weiler Division in the east Bronx.) To do that, he says, “It’s important to have communal space that’s indoors and outdoors.”

In addition to the work breaks and lunches the space is obviously suited for, Safyer envisions the courtyards and other open spaces the hospital has created as outdoor conference areas where staff are encouraged to meet and exchange ideas.

“When people are feeling like they’re connected to each other, they perform better,” says, Safyer, who sketched out his ideas for the new courtyard space before architects took over.

Safyer and his engineering staff, led by Edward Pfleging, launched the renovations last spring when the courtyard to the right of the main entrance (known as the East Garden) was given a makeover. It is home to a large farmers market through the summer.  Just across the street, a shady spot atop a little hill that was home to a large sculpture is now a quiet space to gather as well.

The courtyard spaces, which offer free wi-fi Internet access, are gated but they are open to local residents, who can access them just by coming into the main lobby of Montefiore’s Moses Division on East 210th Street and going through the doors to the left or right.

“We’re an open community,” Safyer says. “We are the Bronx.”

The new courtyard, known as the West Garden, is part recreational plaza with teak tables and chairs, and part amphitheater with a semi-circle, terraced seating area where Montefiore staff and visitors can be already be seen reading, eating, talking on cell phones and soaking up the sunshine.

“It makes a big difference,” said Dr. Marjorie Strelzyn, a Montefiore optometrist who was enjoying her lunch in the sunshine on Monday. “It refreshes you for the rest of the day.”

The amphitheater seating is not a random design element. Beginning June 7 and running on Mondays through the end of August, the courtyard will host lunchtime concerts from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The first one will feature a female doo-wop group.  The farmers market in the East Garden begins on May 27 and continues every Thursday through the summer from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. And beginning June 1 there will be barbecues with food for sale on Tuesdays from 11 a.m until 3 p.m.

The outdoor spaces seem to be having the desired effect on morale. Enjoying lunch with three of her colleagues, Jessica Dekhtyar, MD, said it was a highlight of her day.

“I’ve been thinking about it all morning,” she said, as her co-workers laughed in agreement.

Ed. Note: Norwood News is published by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center.