Patient Experience Team Charter
PURPOSE
To build awareness, processes, and environments that ensures our patients
and our families receive world-class service. Through effective communication
and acts of kindness, we will deliver the best possible experiences to
our community.
Pets with a Purpose
Pet therapy touches the heart and helps heal the body
Walking through the halls on a sunny Friday morning, squeals of joy could
be heard on each floor of Kaweah Delta Medical Center. Groups of people
– patients, doctors, and everybody in between – gathered around
for a chance to meet four very special four-legged visitors, the Animal-Assisted
Therapy team known as “Paws 4 Healing.” The team of canines
traveled from room to room leaving a trail of delight behind everywhere
they went.
“Our patients light up when they see pets in the hospital. Also,
our healthcare team is visibly energized when the dogs come for a visit,”
shared Kaweah Delta Director of Patient Experience Ed Largoza. “The
pets have a calming effect while also bringing a sense of excitement and
comfort.”
Paws 4 Healing is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing
animal-assisted activity and therapy services to healthcare facilities,
schools, and other kinds of social agencies. Animal-assisted activities
and therapy services are designed to promote improvement in human physical,
social, emotional, and cognitive functioning for the purpose of improving
one’s quality of life. Simply put, the team hopes to heal the mind,
body, and spirit of others through the unconditional love of their pets.
That love is one of many reasons why dogs are called man’s best friend.
Not only do they offer unique companionship, but dogs promote a healing
environment and reduce certain psychological symptoms for patients with
a variety of diagnoses, including cancer. So much so, in fact, that even
Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, recommended the use
of animal-assisted therapy in patient care and recovery, stating that
“a pet is often an excellent companion for the sick, for long chronic
cases especially.”
Interactions with gentle, friendly pets significantly benefit our physical
and mental health by reducing blood pressure and stress levels, offering
a sense of happiness and hopefulness, giving motivation and energy needed
during recovery, and providing a welcome distraction. “Many patients
who’ve been in the hospital a while are missing their pets at home,”
said Paws 4 Healing Co-Coordinator Tana Bennett. “Engaging with
our dogs reminds people of their own pets and gets their minds off of
what they’re going through.”
The benefits of pet therapy don’t end at a patient’s bedside.
Hospital staff also experience the rewards. An animal therapy program
from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago revealed that employees
reported lower stress, more satisfaction, and higher productivity when
they were visited by dogs at work. Staff even reported feeling more relaxed
and showed signs of lowered stress and blood pressure.
Ed shared similar sentiments about Kaweah Delta staff. “We can positively
impact patient care when we serve our care providers well. The dogs show
unconditional love which resonates with our animal-loving doctors and
staff. When pet therapy visits first rolled out, there were managers crying
tears of joy.”
Amy Baker, Director of Renal Services at Kaweah Delta, was one such manager.
“When the dogs first visited, we had a patient dealing with a really
long length of stay. Many times these patients are getting some heavy
medical information. It can be a sad time in their lives, so seeing the
smile on this patient’s face when Lexi, the Great Dane, came to
his bedside was so moving and touching to see. There wasn’t a dry
eye around. Lexi was big enough that all the patient had to do was reach
out his hand to pet her. The power of a dog is amazing. It’s just
the sweetest thing.”
Amy and her staff were also deeply affected by the healing powers of the
kind visitors. “As soon as the dogs come on the floor, all the staff
comes over to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over them. It gives
them a moment to not think about the hard stuff going on with their patients.
The visits give them a brief moment to think of something light. Who knew
that something so small could be such a big deal?”
Delivering that kind of bliss is why Roberta Torres decided she and her
dog, Scout, would volunteer with Paws 4 Healing. “I was a nurse
for many years and when I retired, I knew this is what I wanted to do.
I saw the effect pets make on people and I wanted us to help people like
that.”
As is apparent, these caring canines have a lot to offer patients and staff
alike. The Paws 4 Healing team helps patients recover from life situations
that may be emotionally taxing and give patients and staff a reason to
smile when times are tough. When it comes to pet therapy, Kaweah Delta
is barking up the right tree.
Paws 4 Healing – Tulare County Chapter is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization serving our local communities heal through pet
therapy and activities. The team visits Kaweah Delta Medical Center once
a month, and touches the lives of everyone they meet. Learn more about
their impact online at paws4healing.info. To learn more about patient
services at Kaweah Delta, visit kaweahdelta.org/forpatients.