Ellie and owner Karen Wissinger have been side by side for over a decade. ![\"Therapy](\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/12\/therapy-dog-ellie-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
After 45 years in the medical field, Wissinger is spending retirement channeling her lifelong passion for dogs and healing into pet therapy. Along with her husband, she travels to hospitals, colleges and elementary schools so kids and adults alike can find comfort amid stressful moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like what I’m doing is very valuable,\u201d Wissinger shares. \u201cWhat really keeps me going is Ellie. She enjoys it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a gray morning, Ellie sits in the waiting area of Mary Bridge Children’s Therapy Center \u2013 Renton, patiently watching for arriving kids. Her ears perk up and her tail sways whenever they walk through the door, as Wissinger invites patients in for a gentle pet. The moment their hands brush the pup’s soft, spotted fur, smiles aren\u2019t far behind.<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s eyes tell the story \u2014 she\u2019s in her happy place.<\/p>\n
The duo is elated to be back at the clinic; they\u2019ve been volunteers for years. Soon, they\u2019ll begin visiting MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital.<\/p>\n
Animal-assisted staff care<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn addition to patient visits, the PAWS program is relaunching with an emphasis on MultiCare staff.<\/p>\n
Kristi Martin, director of professional outreach at Good Samaritan and board member of MultiCare Good Samaritan Foundation, is utilizing her educational background to help expand the program at the hospital. She\u2019s currently writing her dissertation on the benefits of pet therapy for health care professionals.\u00a0 ![\"Boy](\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/12\/boy-with-therapy-dog-200x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cWith high levels of burnout and stress, how can we as an organization use something like PAWS that we already plan to use for patients?\u201d Martin says. \u201cHow do we also take care of our team members?\u201d<\/p>\n
Research shows that even a small amount of time with pets has positive effects \u2014 releasing endorphins, lowering blood pressure and decreasing anxiety. An opportunity for staff to visit with a furry friend during their shift can provide important rejuvenation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to create moments that are more meaningful than just \u2018Do you want to pet my dog?\u2019 and then moving on,\u201d says Fran Waller, executive director of MultiCare Volunteer Services. \u201cIt\u2019s a more engaged opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the future, pet therapy teams will be available on-call for MultiCare\u2019s donor-supported Code Lavender program, providing additional care for staff who\u2019ve experienced an emotionally stressful event.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want all staff to feel supported, to feel like MultiCare is a great place to work, a healthy place, and that we’re taking care of all of their health needs, too,\u201d Martin explains.<\/p>\n
The impact of giving unleashed<\/strong><\/h2>\nVolunteers like Wissinger and Ellie are the heartbeat of MultiCare PAWS. While only previous volunteers are returning at the moment, teams will soon be invited into more hospitals and clinics. This expansion can be expedited with donor support.<\/p>\n
To safely enter MultiCare facilities, all dogs must have specific certifications, vaccines and health tests \u2014 costs volunteers currently take on themselves. Giving toward this beloved program reduces financial barriers, meaning more pets and handlers can spread joy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so thankful for our pet therapy volunteers, those with two legs and four,\u201d Waller says. \u201cAnd to everyone who supports this program, you\u2019re bringing much-needed comfort and smiles to our patients and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tails are wagging again in MultiCare hospitals and clinics. After a multiyear pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MultiCare\u2019s Person & Animal Wellness Support (PAWS) program is back, returning volunteer therapy dogs like 13-year-old dalmatian Ellie to hospitals and clinics to the delight of patients and staff. A paw-fect pair Ellie and owner Karen Wissinger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":629,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-foundations","category-profiles-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\nVolunteers like Wissinger and Ellie are the heartbeat of MultiCare PAWS. While only previous volunteers are returning at the moment, teams will soon be invited into more hospitals and clinics. This expansion can be expedited with donor support.<\/p>\n
To safely enter MultiCare facilities, all dogs must have specific certifications, vaccines and health tests \u2014 costs volunteers currently take on themselves. Giving toward this beloved program reduces financial barriers, meaning more pets and handlers can spread joy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so thankful for our pet therapy volunteers, those with two legs and four,\u201d Waller says. \u201cAnd to everyone who supports this program, you\u2019re bringing much-needed comfort and smiles to our patients and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tails are wagging again in MultiCare hospitals and clinics. After a multiyear pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MultiCare\u2019s Person & Animal Wellness Support (PAWS) program is back, returning volunteer therapy dogs like 13-year-old dalmatian Ellie to hospitals and clinics to the delight of patients and staff. A paw-fect pair Ellie and owner Karen Wissinger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":629,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-foundations","category-profiles-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n