Northwest Missouri State University students are working to renovate the St Francis Hospital Cancer Treatment Center in Maryville.

The students were enrolled in the merchandising of furnishings and accessories course during the spring trimester and spent the time planning out the renovations and taking in donations from the community.

The students gained approval for the renovation from the St Francis Hospital Foundation, professor Jean Memken said.

“Through this project, the students have been able to not only learn about various ways to make an environment more peaceful and conducive to healing, but they have had a chance to do a little fund-raising in the community,” Memken said.

Teri Harr, nurse liaison for the breast cancer program at St. Francis, called the project exciting and said it gives her goose bumps to see the students’ passion for the project.

“I think it says a lot for our community that the university and the community and the hospital can come together to work on a project to help our cancer patients,” Harr said. “I think that is a phenomenal thing. I never imagined we’d have design boards and they’d come out here and actually do the physical work, which I think is a great learning experience for them, too.”

Currently the facility is designed to meet the needs of up to 25 patients who visit multiple times per week for treatments that may last up to six hours. During their planning, students interviewed staff, patients and cancer survivors about how they thought the facility could be improved. The students eventually drew up plans calling for an environment that is more vibrant, comfortable and timeless.

“We had to keep in mind that the materials had to be easy to clean and durable,” said Alison Jones, a senior merchandising major from Omaha.

The students also secured donations of goods and help to improve the existing furniture.

The project is estimated to cost between $30,000 and $35,000. Expenses include redoing the floors, ceilings, walls as well as purchasing new chairs and making improvements to the bathroom so it is handicapped-accessible. The renovation work could begin sometime this summer

“It’s good to know a lot of people will benefit from it,” said Emily Homan, a junior merchandising major from Lee’s Summit. “It’s not just redoing one person’s house. It’s redoing something that will help the whole community.”