Photo by Erin Nelson.
Brittany Smith, left, and Bonnie Green, center, kneel to pet Daphne and Hazel, two dogs that are part of Grandview Medical Center’s pet therapy program.
Bonnie Atchison’s eyes lit up with happiness when she was visited by two therapy dogs in her seventh-floor room at Grandview Medical Center.
This was her second visit from Hazel, a brown and white border collie/Great Pyrenees mix with trainer Dorothy Gerr, and her first visit from Daphne, a white Goldendoodle with trainer Connie Wilson.
Atchison petted the dogs, told them how beautiful they were and that she loved them. She said while she was in the hospital, she was missing her own dog, a 4-year-old shih tzu named Barkley, and couldn’t wait to get back to see him.
“I think that is wonderful,” Atchison said of the visit. “Thank you so much for bringing those babies by to see me. They’re just precious.”
Hazel and Daphne are two of the pet therapy program animals that visit Grandview each week. This service, provided by the hospital, is a way to bring brightness into the day for both patients and staff.
Bonnie Atchison, a patient from Columbiana, shakes hands with Daphne, a 10-year-old Goldendoodle and pet therapy dog with Canines for Christ, during a visit at Grandview Medical Center on June 27.
Bonnie Atchison, a patient from Columbiana, shakes hands with Daphne, a 10-year-old Goldendoodle and pet therapy dog with Canines for Christ, during a visit at Grandview Medical Center on June 27.
Connie + Daphne
Connie Wilson and Daphne have been a duo for nine years and began their visits to Grandview in January 2019, one of the first participants in the pet therapy program. Wilson knew that Daphne, now 10, would make a great therapy dog since she is smart, low-key, trainable and people-oriented.
They make twice-weekly visits to Grandview and are immediately greeted by the nurses and doctors when they walk in. They are affiliated with Canines for Christ, an international ministry that provides certification, training and liability insurance.
“We visit behavioral health, orthopedic patients and the cancer center regularly,” Wilson said. “We are also called to different areas as requests come up, including some at the neuro ICU. I will meet people [throughout the hospital] who will ask if she can visit a loved one.”
Before her visits, Daphne goes through a special ritual that includes a bath, teeth brushing and nail trimming. Wilson said Daphne will make visits for two to three hours at a time before getting tired, but her time at the hospital is well spent.
“She’s very aware,” Wilson said. “I see in her actions how she is aware of how people are feeling. With children, they play ball and braid Daphne’s hair. Their faces light up and they get on the floor with her. She walks in the door looking for someone to love.”
Wilson said she believes Daphne removes barriers for people, even in behavioral health, to vocalize and come out of their shell.
“In four years here, I’ve seen a lot of what I’d say is God using her to work with other people,” she said.
Linda Young, who oversees volunteer services at Grandview, knows both Daphne and Hazel (and their trainers) well. Young coordinates the pet therapy program and visit requests, and she has been in her position for two years.
“We [the pet therapy trainers and I] have conversations often a couple of times a week regarding where we need to go and who needs to be visited,” Young said. “I help coordinate so it’s not just on the trainers to figure it out. When we get a request, I contact the manager or the nurse leader on that floor to see if it’s OK for them to come up. I’m learning from these ladies the best way to set up appointments and visits, and they’ve both really helped develop the program, and I’m here to help pull it together.”
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Hazel, a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees / border collie mix and pet therapy dog with Pet Partners, stands beside the hospital bed of Bonnie Atchison, a patient from Columbiana, and receives pets during a visit at Grandview Medical Center on June 27.
Dorothy + Hazel
Dorothy Gerr serves as a chaplain and provides pastoral care at Grandview Medical Center. She also works through Pet Partners and she and her fifth therapy dog, Hazel, are part of the dog therapy program. Although Hazel is only two, Gerr said she is doing a wonderful job so far.
They make their visits to patients and staff at various times on nights and weekends.
“When I’m visiting with someone, I’m paying attention if someone says they miss their dog, or they are lonely or from out of town and don’t have a lot of visitors,” Gerr said. “As I meet those people who might have that need, sometimes I’ll ask if they’d like a visit from the dogs.
Gerr also takes Hazel around for staff support, because she said they need love as well.
“Because I work here, I know when our particular units have a lot of challenges and make sure that we go by and see the staff and give them some love particularly at night,” she said. “When the dogs walk down the halls, the staff’s faces light up and they come to give them love and pets.”
Gerr said pet therapy can provide relaxation, adding that she has seen a patient’s blood pressure drop when they were petting a therapy dog.
Leisha Harris, marketing director at Grandview Medical Center, said the beauty of the pet therapy program is that the dogs are covering so many places.
“It’s not only like the patients, but also the outpatients at the cancer center,” Harris said. “You’ve got the staff, which is huge, especially if it’s on the nights. So much of our efforts are focused during the day, so it’s nice to have this for them as well, on the nights and weekends.”
Grandview is home to one additional pet therapy dog, Roxanne, who is registered with Pet Partners. She and her trainer, Madison Kirk, make visits to the hospital in addition to Dorothy and Hazel.
The therapy dogs usually come in contact with between 35 and 40 patients during each visit. Visits can be brief or sometimes last around 10-15 minutes.
The pet therapy dogs not only visit Grandview, but also other hospitals, health care facilities, special needs schools and more.
“To have the pet therapy program here has definitely been a great thing for us,” Young said.
Other volunteer opportunities
In addition to the pet program, Grandview has other volunteer opportunities that are open to the public.
Young said there are currently 43 volunteers that work throughout the hospital, including at the information desks, gift shop, cath lab and more.
Individuals have to be 18 and older, and Young said one of their current volunteers is 95. A six-month commitment is required, and volunteers have to meet a four-hour minimum shift per week, generally 8 a.m. to noon or noon to 4 p.m.
Volunteer applications and more information about volunteer opportunities are available at grandviewhealth.com/volunteer-opportunities.
