Springfield Memorial Hospital Expands Therapy Dog Program With Four New Certified Animals

Springfield Memorial Hospital (SMH) has expanded its animal-assisted therapy program with four newly certified therapy dogs, thanks to a $4,500 grant from the Springfield Memorial Foundation. The program, called "DOGtors on Call," pairs hospital staff members who volunteer their time and their dogs to interact with patients.

"We were delighted to help fund the DOGtors on Call program," said Pam Hulten, director of the Springfield Memorial Foundation. "The joy it brings to our patients and colleagues is priceless."

The program expansion builds on the work of Kylo, a 6-year-old German shepherd who has visited patients weekly alongside his handler, Michelle Geiss, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Positive patient response to Kylo's visits prompted nursing leadership to pursue broader programming.

"Patients adore Kylo," Geiss said. "They love to hang out with him in the activity room, play fetch with him and give him belly rubs. He brightens their mood and provides comfort and companionship."

The four new DOGtors include:

• Bandit: an 8-year-old Corgi handled by Maureen Brusnighan, a member of the environmental services team. Brusnighan rescued Bandit from a Missouri breeder. Bandit passed his certification exam first among the four dogs.
• Huck: a 3-year-old golden retriever handled by registered nurse Ashley Ferris. Ferris adopted Huck after seeing him available on social media. Her previous dog, Willow, was also a certified therapy dog.
• Lucy: a 2-year-old goldendoodle handled by Christine Waldhauser, SMH director of nursing. Waldhauser and her husband spent 14 weeks training with Lucy before certification.
• Stirling: a 9-year-old red and white tri-colored Australian shepherd handled by Craig Frank, a mental health technician who has worked at SMH for 43 years. Frank said Stirling helps patients open up and provides a calming presence in high-stress areas.

The foundation grant covered Alliance of Therapy Dogs membership fees, background checks and handler uniforms. All dogs and handlers completed months of training and earned certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs before beginning patient visits.