Harrison The Therapy Dog Making An Impact At Stamford Health

STAMFORD, CT — A hospital setting can sometimes be stressful for patients and staff alike. On any given day there could be uncertainties, questions and difficult decisions that have to be made.

In order to provide extra care and bring some happiness and joy to people's everyday lives, Stamford Health has brought on its first facility therapy dog in Harrison, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever.

Harrison came to Stamford on July 31 from Precision Canine, a nonprofit organization that trains puppies to be service dogs and places them around the country.

Unlike traditional therapy dogs, Harrison came to Stamford with specialized training to help support pediatric and adult patients, along with health care workers.

He works 40 hours a week and currently has shifts in inpatient rehabilitation, behavioral health and the emergency department at Stamford Health.

Harrison knows 53 commands and can demonstrate pill swallowing (not real medicine) for certain pediatric patients who are afraid to take their medication.

He can model simulations of intravenous line insertions by pretending to accept a needle, and he can instruct patients on how to breathe through a nebulizer mask.

Harrison can also guide patients through physical therapy and improve their motor skills by rolling a ball to the patient, playing balloon toss, or retrieving rings in a ring toss exercise.

In a behavioral health setting, Harrison can lay on a patient and apply light pressure therapy, similar to the effects of a weighted blanket.

According to his primary handler and caretaker, Cynthia Tanacea, who works as a patient experience program administrator at Stamford Health, just Harrison's presence on the Stamford Health campus makes everyone happy.

Tanacea recalled a recent instance in which a woman from out of town was traveling in the area when she became ill and was admitted to Stamford Hospital.

"She was missing her dog at home terribly. The nursing unit called me and they said, 'Can you come up?'" Tanacea said.

Harrison walked into the room, and the woman's demeanor changed.

"She just got up, she got out of bed and she sat on the floor with him and was like, 'I can't even believe this,'" Tanacea added.

Even in the Emergency Room, a place that can be a hectic environment, Harrison's presence is felt.

"I think he's invaluable," Tanacea said. "Especially in the ER, nobody wants to be there. People are nervous, they're anxious, and really scared. If they're a dog lover and he's standing in the doorway, what he can do... I don't know how to quantify that. It's just immeasurable."

Tanacea said Harrison's impact is equally felt by staff members.

Recently, there was a traumatic event in the Maternity Department. Stamford Health has a peer-to-peer support group called RISE — Resilience In Stressful Events — that's led by Stamford Health's Manager of Pastoral Care the Rev. Rebecca Sala.

Debriefing sessions are held with members of RISE after such events.

During a recent session, Tanacea brought Harrison.

"All I did was walk in the room and you could just see it," Tanacea said, noting the reaction from the staff during a difficult time in their day.

The Stamford Hospital Foundation raised the necessary funds from donors to acquire Harrison.

Stamford Health is Planetree Gold-Certified for Excellence in Person-Centered Care, which prioritizes the active participation of patients and their care partners throughout the health care process.

Shannon Patterson, executive director of patient experience at Stamford Health, said Harrison was a missing piece.

"We thought it would really round out our person-centered human experience approach," she said. "The reaction has been overwhelming. I think people feel so joyful when they see his face. He just provides a lot of support to everyone he comes into contact with."

Harrison takes needed breaks throughout the day and has weekly appointments with his doctor. He also has plenty of space to run around and exercise at the Stamford Health campus.

"We make sure he has enough space to have a little downtime because he is very empathic and he picks up on a lot of feelings and emotions from people," Patterson said.

In the morning, Tanacea holds up Harrison's vest and tells him to get dressed. He steps in head-first and goes off to work.

When Tanacea takes Harrison home at the end of the day, the vest and badge come off right away and he turns into a regular Golden Retriever.

"He knows the difference," Tanacea said. "One of his favorite things is chasing his tennis ball and getting belly rubs."