HJAR May/Jun 2022

62 MAY / JUN 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds Therapy Dog ProgramExpands at Mercy Fort Smith New co-workers are always welcome at Mercy — especially the four-legged kind. When Baxter, the therapy dog, first began vis- iting patients and co-workers at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith last summer, the positive response was immediate. Now, a trio of new canines has joined Mercy’s therapy dog program, with River, Honey- bun, and Lola Belle now part of the volunteer staff. “We are thrilled to have additional therapy dog teams visiting us every week,” said Jenni Pow- ell, manager of volunteer services at Mercy Fort Smith. “We began the therapy dog program last year and saw significant benefits. The dogs really brighten everyone’s day and help bring a sense of calm to those who need it most.” Faith Walker is a full-time student at the Uni- versity of Arkansas at Fort Smith and a full-time nanny. When she first heard about Mercy’s ther- apy dog program, she knew it would be a great opportunity for herself and her dog, Honeybun. The 8-year-old long-haired Chihuahua has been Walker’s emotional support animal for several years and is a familiar face at the university. “She loves seeing everyone and making every- one happy,” Walker said. “She brings a lot of joy to me while also spreading a little love around the community. That’s something I’m really pas- sionate about.” Walker hopes to open her own mental health practice someday. Until then, she enjoys bringing Honeybun to brighten the day of Mercy co-work- ers and patients. They generally visit hospice and the pharmacy team and stop by labor and delivery and the emergency room. The two try to visit the hospital at least once a week and often arrive dur- ing shift changes. If a co-worker has had a tough day, a visit from Honeybun can be therapeutic, Walker said. And for co-workers just beginning their shifts, seeing a therapy dog can bring a little comfort before the work ahead. “Honeybun knows when we’re going to ‘work,’ and she gets really excited,” Walker said. Visits from therapy dogs can help reduce patients’ anxiety. Other goals for the program include improving patients’ quality of stay, mood, and emotional well-being while providing com- fort and joy; increasing interactions and dia- logue; increasing overall patient satisfaction; and providing stress relief for hospital staff, visitors, and families. Volunteer Kaley Moore, an assistant coach for the Southside High School girls’ basketball team, brings therapy dog, River, to the hospital regu- larly. River is a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees-Austra- lian shepherd mix. “He loves it; he’s awesome at it,” Moore said of River. “I definitely think dogs make everything better.” Moore also teaches biology and a credit-recov- ery class and oversees virtual learning at South- side. A student once told her he would want to come to school every day and do his work if there was a dog in the classroom. Her interest in ther- apy dogs further took root after she learned more about Mercy’s program. She signed up soon after- ward, and River began his therapy dog training. The pair has been visiting the hospital on Sundays; Moore is hoping to expand the visits to a couple of days each week. River has been most helpful when he and Moore are with patients and families when they receive difficult news. “People will cry and just hug him,” Moore said. “It’s awesome to see the energy they get back. It’s really cool to see how instantly a dog can change things, whether it’s the mood or the energy in the room.” Walker agreed, saying, “I get a lot of peo- ple who have heard really hard news. I will walk through the ER, and you can tell everyone has a sigh of relief just for a second, being able to bring just a little bit of the outside world in.” Baxter’s handler, volunteer Robert Mercer, said calm, controllable dogs are a good fit to serve as therapy dogs. Dogs should be receptive to strang- ers, not prone to nipping or barking, and nonre- active to other dogs. Mercer assists in getting the dog trained and certified as a therapy dog, while Powell works with the dog’s caretaker on the volunteer side. The Alli- ance of National Therapy Dogs vouches for the dog following the certification process. Because both dog and handler are one team, both are signed up as volunteers. The therapy dog certifi- cation process takes several months. Anyone interested in Mercy’s dog therapy pro- gram can email Jenni Powell at jeanette.powell@ mercy.net. Brittani Arnold, APRN, Joins Washington Regional NICU Brittani Arnold, APRN, recently joined the Wash- ington Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she provides care for premature and sick newborn infants. Arnold earned a Doc- tor of Nursing Practice and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama. She has more than three years of experience as a neonatal nurse practitioner and served 13 years as a NICU nurse. Arnold most recently worked at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Awarded Primary Heart Attack Center Certification from The Joint Commission CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Heart Attack Center certifica- tion. The certification, which was awarded during Heart Month, recognizes the hospital’s demon- strated commitment to a high standard of service and framework to consistently improve patient outcomes for heart attack patients. CHI St. Vin- cent is one of only two hospitals in Arkansas and 30 nationally to receive this recognition. “This certification recognizes the work of our entire team to drive better outcomes for heart attack patients and our commitment to ensuring they receive the highest standard of care possible when they come through our doors,” said CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs President Douglas Ross, MD. “Because someone can be at risk for heart disease without experiencing any clear symptoms, many Brittani Arnold,APRN