16 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com “How do you feel about dogs?” Katelyn Leitner, child life specialist, asks a nervous patient at Prisma Health-Upstate. When the little girl says she loves dogs, Leitner nudges the conversation a bit further. “What if I had a dog that worked here and could come help us with what we’re doing today? If I did, would you want to meet her?” A nod. Leitner leaves the room and returns with Kalle, a golden retriever/Lab mix. Then comes Leitner’s favorite moment in the introduction: the patient’s reaction. “It’s the same face every time,” Leitner laughed. “When the dog is brought into the room, the patients always make the face. It’s joyful and surprised and it’s the purest, most genuine thing I see in the course of a day.” In addition to her duties as a child life specialist with Prisma Health-Upstate, Leitner is the facility canine coordinator for Friends Encouraging Therapeutic Coping and Healing – F.E.T.C.H. – a 6-year-old program that is the first of its kind in South Carolina. Eight dogs share the duties of the F.E.T.C.H. program. Five of them focus on pediatrics, while two dogs help with adults and one “floating” pup goes wherever it is needed. Kalle, King, Cookie, Becky and Vivi make up the four-legged pediatric F.E.T.C.H. team. “This program was started with lots of passion behind it,” Leitner said. “We had visiting volunteer therapy dogs, and, every time they visited, things were better for the kids. We thought, ‘Why can’t better be always?’ We decided to work to make it be always.” “We still have our volunteer therapy dogs, and we love our volunteer family,” Leitner added. “But the facility dog model allows us to go beyond some of the limitations associated with volunteer pups.” Each dog has a primary handler and is identified as the dog’s “mom or dad,” plus a secondary handler – “the fun aunt”; there currently are no fun uncles – who also trains with them and serves as backup. F.E.T.C.H.’s handlers are child life specialists, physicians and a psychologist. Though they might be fluffy, the dogs’ presence isn’t “just fluff.” They work hard for their money, errr . . . treats . . . and they have measurable effects. From consolation to education to finance, these dogs illustrate their value daily. Vivi, a doodle specializing in pediatric sedation and radiology, is a good example of how these dogs can help save the hospital, patients and insurance companies money. One of Vivi’s patients requires MRIs on a regular basis. Prior to the dog’s involvement, the child’s stress level required sedation to keep her calm and still for every MRI. Sedation involves IVs, fasting and perhaps an overnight stay. These daunting experiences and expenses are moot when Vivi jumps onto the table, lies on her patient’s feet and “takes the ride” through the MRI machine with her friend. When Vivi is present, the patient “ “ F.E.T.C.H. PROGRAM NUDGES HEALING FORWARD By Amy Gesell When the dog is brought into the room, the patients always make the face. It’s joyful and surprised and it’s the purest, most genuine thing I see in the course of a day.
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