Photo Credit: Children's Memorial Hermann HospitalNews
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital expands facility dog program with two new canines
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has introduced two new furry employees to the team: Stephan and Boris, a golden retriever and lab-golden cross, who are now ready to take to the floor and provide care to pediatric patients as facility dogs.
The facility dog program at Memorial Hermann was founded in 2019. Through their partnership with Canine Companions, the program has now expanded from three to five dogs, increasing access across pediatric units to the medical and emotional support services the dogs and their handlers provide. As puppies, the two spent time with their respective caretakers to develop their skills and temperament. After undergoing extensive training for six months and learning over 40 different commands, they were selected as pediatric facility dogs for Memorial Hermann.
Their handlers, Katie Rehm and Rachel Graves, are Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) and were specifically matched to Boris and Stephan based on their personalities and proven success in their respective treatment areas. Boris and Rachel will service the pediatric oncology and outpatient clinics, while Stephan and Katie will oversee the pediatric heart center.
“Stephan and Boris will perform a multitude of tasks to educate and comfort patients,” Rehm said. “This will include mimicking practices such as laying in the CT scanner to demonstrate to patients that procedures are not as scary as they seem.”
The pairs work side-by-side, providing individualized support to their patients. These highly skilled companions take commands from their CCLS handler to help normalize an unfamiliar environment, making them an invaluable addition to the pediatric medical care setting. Their patient, calming demeanors help to foster relationships between patients and care teams and bring positivity to a patient’s day during what can often be a frightening or uncomfortable time.
“With their training and their temperaments, they’re able to connect with patients in ways people can’t always do,” explains Graves. “The impact the dogs are making on our patients has been incredible.”
The Children’s Memorial Hermann team hosted a graduation ceremony for the dogs to honor their impact and officially welcome them to the facility dog team.
Source: Memorial Hermann Health System
