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6 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
IF YOU
walk through the halls of
Archbold Memorial Hospital, you may be
surprised to find a dog wagging its tail.
But don’t be alarmed—dog therapy is
just what the doctor ordered.
Archbold introduced dog therapy
in 2011 to help bring love and comfort
to hospice patients and their families
during the patients’ final days at home.
And made possible by financial support
through the Archbold Foundation, the
same concept is now part of the care
available to patients in the hospital—
specifically patients going through
inpatient rehabilitation and those staying
in the cardiac progressive care unit (CPU)
at Archbold Memorial Hospital.
Professionals on paws
Experts say this type of therapy has proven
to help patients relax and stress less while
speeding their recovery. It also provides
much-needed emotional and social
support for patients and their families.
“Our patient care team does a fantas-
tic job of supporting patients’ medical
needs,” said Archbold nurse practitioner
Donna C. Vickers, ANP, who also serves
as the inpatient dog therapy program
coordinator for the hospital. “And be-
cause they are caring for several patients
who require their constant attention, the
time they have available just to socialize
with patients is limited. So many of my
patients would speak of feeling lonely,
isolated and just wanting to spend time
with others. So I began to really research
the topic and look into potential comple-
mentary programs we could offer that
would provide support for our inpatients—
both emotionally and socially.”
DOG DAYS
at
Archbold Memorial Hospital
Waylon and his
handler, Archbold
nurse practitioner and
inpatient dog therapy
program coordinator
Donna C. Vickers, ANP,
enjoy a visit with a
patient in Archbold’s
Inpatient Rehabilitation
gym.