FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Julie Beatty, Director of Communications & Community Engagement
Julie.Beatty@HCAHealthcare.com | Cell: 410-206-7412
ENGLEWOOD, Fla. August 28, 2024 – Having a ‘ruff’ day? This will make you smile.
For fifteen years, pet therapy dogs and their handlers have been valued members of the animal therapy program at HCA Florida Englewood Hospital. They visit the hospital three times monthly and have touched countless lives of patients, their loved ones and care teams.
To celebrate International Dog Day, hospital colleagues collected seven boxes of food and supplies for the Suncoast Humane Society, which provides this service. The canine caregivers enjoyed a pup party with special toys and treats. The hospital announced a $500 donation to support the outreach of the pet therapy team.
Long-time handler Mary Szydlowski visits patients and colleagues with her labradoodle, Max. She said, “The thing that I find every time I come here is that the patients and their visitors say, “You made my day,” and we watch the stress leave their faces. They light up. It’s remarkable.”
Claire Berten, pet therapy team manager who has been with the Suncoast Humane Society program since the beginning, said, “We have 28 handlers and dog teams. Every two years, they are evaluated on obedience, tolerance and enthusiasm for seeing people. It is a bond between the dog and the handler.”
On both ends of the leash, the handler and canine must meet the highest standards of practice in animal-assisted interventions. They are registered with Pet Partners, a leading organization in the therapy animal field that registers volunteer teams on five continents.
A study by the American Heart Association found that animal-assisted therapy helped heart and lung function by lowering pressures and decreasing anxiety among hospitalized patients after a 12-minute visit with man’s best friend.
“When we first resumed visiting the hospital team members after the COVID-19 pandemic, I was visiting with my Golden Retriever, Bentley. One nurse dropped to her knees to pet him, and I will never forget that.”
Ingrid Simke, also a volunteer who visited the hospital on the first day of the program in 2009, said, “I was a counselor. My job was to help people feel better. Having a dog with me now just makes me feel so good. I see the smile on their face.”
Philomena Lyon shared, “I went into a room where a patient was having a panic attack. Piper, a Pomeranian, and a Labradoodle, Willie, visited the patient and put their chin on her lap. The patient petted the dogs, and when the nurse returned, she said those dogs did more than the medication could have.”
CEO Joe Rudisill said, “We are grateful for the service provided by the Suncoast Humane Society and proud to support them. They put a smile on the faces of our patients and give our healthcare team a moment to recharge before returning to patient care.”
Learn how we partner with other organizations to provide various community benefit programs and services. Visit https://bit.ly/4fYDYsG
###
Source: https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/documents/PAC-Heart-Article.pdf?f=1e74dcfd
About HCA Florida Englewood Hospital
HCA Florida Englewood Hospital is a part of HCA Healthcare. The 100-bed, acute care hospital has a team of 235+ active and affiliated physicians and 400+ colleagues working together to deliver advanced, collaborative care to nearly 44,000+ patients each year. In 2023, the hospital represented more than $61 million in total economic impact in the region and provided more than $3.4 million in uncompensated care. A $10 million HYPERLINK “https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/locations/englewood-hospital/about-us/newsroom/englewood-community-hospital-begins-10-million-renovation-of-emergency-services”renovation of the Emergency Department was completed in 2022 and is projected to open a $31 million free-standing emergency center in the Wellen ParkTM residential community in North Port in Q1, 2025. The hospital offers a wide range of healthcare services to Sarasota and Charlotte Counties and was awarded Healthgrades 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award among other Specialty Excellence AwardsTM for cardiology, critical care, GI and orthopedic care. The Leapfrog Group awarded the hospital 24 straight “A’s” for its Hospital Safety Grade in Spring, 2024. For a full list of hospital accreditations, awards and distinctions, visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. United as a statewide network in 2022, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues working together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 11.6 million patient encounters each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provides more than $903 million in uncompensated care and contributes $2.2 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly-trained specialists, including the state’s largest cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCA Florida Healthcare.com.
