In November 2025, Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center earned the prestigious Lotus Recognition from the Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI).  Together, they coordinated with WCSI to set a recognition celebration for December 22, 2025, during the Professional Governance Council Day’s Care Experience and Caring Science Council.

San Rafael Medical Center infuses Caring Science and the Ten Caritas Processes ® as the theoretical framework throughout the medical center to create caring, healing environments; as a guide for authentic meaningful connections; to create caring moments for our patients, families, and each other every day; including evidence-based self-care practices and caring-healing modalities that foster well-being and co-create a healing environment.

Many of our clinical nurses and care teams contributed to the exemplary work that was highlighted and demonstrates KP SRF’s commitment to patient centric care and creating the best place to work.  The Lotus Recognition requires a medical center to provide evidence of Caring Science integration within the past twenty-four months in at least three of the six categories.  KP SRF selected three categories:

• Demonstrate evidence of theory of Watson’s Caring Science using one or more of the 10 Caritas Processes ® as a guide.
  • Gratitude Challenge
  • Right Words & Right Time AIDET course
  • Peer Support Program
  • PCSO Education and gratitude journaling
  • Surgery Waiting room remodel
  • Yoga Studio
  • DAISY & Petal Awards
  • Meditation corner
  • Redesign of Meditation Rooms

• Provide evidence that illustrates the experience of a Caring Moment for patients or families.
  • Caring Moments in all meetings, golden hour rounds
  • Lou Gehrig’s Disease/Giants Game Story
  • Comfort Carts for End of Life
  • OR Wayfinding, including video

• Provide evidence of care for patients/families involved use of caring-healing modalities (e.g. aromatherapy, sound therapy, guided imagery/relaxation, or other integrated health modality).
  • Aromatherapy inpatient and perioperative spaces
  • Music Therapy: licensed professional musicians
  • NICHE work: CALM 1.0 & 2.0
  • Pet Therapy