The focus of the 2005 Acer Symposium is the client and user profiles, preplanning process, design process, program development, funding, installation, maintenance, and post-occupancy evaluations of outdoor environments/gardens for:

1)  Acute Care Hospitals (general, used by all: patients, visitors and staff), and

2)  Facilities serving dementia residents and their families.

These discussions will move us closer to our goal of defining the Standards of Practice for Therapeutic Gardens.
 
The 2005 Acer Symposium will be hosted on Legacy Health System's Good Samaritan Hospital campus in Portland, Oregon, which has received national attention for its gardens that apply current research findings related to patient well-being and rehabilitation and customer and staff satisfaction.  Portland has become a nationally recognized leader in therapeutic garden design, collaboration, and application featuring Legacy Health System's gardens in Landscape Architecture Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.  For the past seven years, Legacy Health System has provided outstanding educational opportunities on the topic of therapeutic gardens with 2004's conference as a joint effort with the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.