Helen Woodward Animal Center Therapy Animals Spreading Smiles to Sharp Memorial Hospital Nurses and Doctors
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (March 7, 2022) – They have dedicated the last two years to healing our community, now they’re getting some healing of their own. Helen Woodward Animal Center’s therapy animals are helping to put smiles on the faces of Sharp HealthCare medical staff. Volunteers from the Center’s Pet Encounter Therapy (PET) program recently paid a visit to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where nurses and doctors got the chance to relieve some stress by staring into furry faces. Overwhelmed by the PAWsitive response, the hospital has invited PET volunteers back to meet their ICU and emergency room heroes. The media is invited to capture the healing power of animals in action on Friday, March 11, 2022 between 6:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. at Sharp Memorial Hospital.
Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pet Encounter Therapy is, in essence, “cuddle therapy.” The program normally brings the unconditional love and tactile benefits of animals to patients inside skilled nursing facilities, children’s shelters, hospitals, psychiatric units and many more. The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, improved long- and short-term memory, and sensory stimuli.
Now, PET animals are providing that invaluable cuddle therapy to our local healthcare heroes. The daily stresses and emotional job fatigue experienced by hospital staff have been compounded with the hardships of working through the COVID-19 pandemic and today, it is more important than ever to provide them with the incomparable compassion found in the eyes of a furry friend.
“These incredible healthcare professionals have worked so hard over the last two years while being faced with incredible challenges in the battle against COVID-19,” expressed PET Manager Robin Cohen. “Seeing these amazing nurses and doctors finally take a deep breath, sit down and run their fingers through the fur of our therapy animals and smile, is incredible and I’m thrilled that more staff will be able to experience that.”
During a recent PET visit to Sharp Memorial Hospital, staff told PET volunteers that the visit made their day and reenergized them.
“We can’t thank the Helen Woodward Animal Center and the volunteers enough for gifting us with a pet therapy day,” said Emergency Department nurse Jese B. “At this point in the pandemic, we’re all feeling emotional and physical fatigue. Spending even a brief moment with the dogs really makes your heart smile!
Members of the media are invited as dozens more hospital staff members have the opportunity to sit with Center therapy animals at Sharp Memorial Hospital located at 7901 Frost Street this Friday, March 11 during the emergency room staff planned therapy session between 6:45 and 8 a.m. ICU medical and surgical personnel will be part of such a session later in the morning but the hospital area will not be accessible to media at that time.
***