Thanks to generous donations from the community, the CMH Foundation is pleased to announce that the Dogs on Call hospital-based therapy dog visitation program is now available at VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU Health CMH). During the pandemic, generous donors gave $10,000, made possible by a $5,000 match from an anonymous donor. Over the past two years, we’ve been eagerly waiting for visitation to open back up to start the program.

What is Dogs on Call?

Dogs on Call (DOC) is a program that brings teams of volunteers and their own registered therapy dogs to visit patients and staff in the hospital. DOC teams have been providing animal assisted therapy and animal assisted activities at VCU Medical Center for two decades. Each team is usually in the hospital one to two hours with visits lasting from a quick touch to - 15 minutes. Inpatients, outpatients and staff must use hand sanitizer before and after each visit. VCU Medical Center has 91 dogs in its program, with 43 different breeds.

Visits can take place at different times of the day in most areas of VCU Health CMH, including the patient’s room. Visits may be limited in the beginning due to our having only one approved DOC team at the time this article was published. Thanks to our generous donors and dedicated volunteers, visits are free.

Health benefits of Dogs on Call

Fifteen minutes of interacting with a DOC dog decreases fear in patients. For health care professionals, just five minutes with a DOC dog decreases workplace stress. In a patient satisfaction survey, 59% reported feeling less anxious, 90% reported an improved mood and a whopping 99% found the visit to be helpful.

In a recent quality assurance study conducted at VCU Medical Center, patients spend the most time with DOC teams, but health care workers represented 71% of touches. This is an amazing and timely addition to the services at VCU Health CMH to take care of mental health needs of both patients and staff.

How do you request a visit?

Patients should request a visit from their nurse. All VCU Health CMH staff can make visit requests via email (CHAI@vcuhealth.org) or phone (804-827-PAWS).

How do you become a Dogs on Call team?

Handlers and their dogs must meet the following requirements to become a DOC team. Register with Pet Partners, or Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Canine Good Citizen. Contact the Center for Human - Animal Interaction (CHAI) to complete a health verification form and ask any questions you may have about the program. Complete CMH Auxiliary training. You can complete shadowing requirements at VCU Health CMH, just schedule everything with CHAI.

If you have a friendly, well-behaved dog, visit the CHAI website to learn more or email chai@vcu.edu.

The time it takes to become a team depends on the handler, their skills and their relationship with their dog. To pass the test, dogs need to be able to follow basic commands like sit, stay and heel. They must accept touches from a friendly stranger and not be reactive to environmental stimuli. They can’t display any form of aggression and must interact well with people. Barking and growling are not allowed. While there are several younger dogs in the program at VCU Medical Center, the majority are more mature dogs.

Handlers will receive a DOC-logoed polo shirt, fanny pack, and trading cards to publicize and promote the program. The dog gets a vest and leash to show they are part of the DOC team. All of this is provided to the team at no charge.

Meet the first DOC team at VCU Health CMH

Our first DOC team, Brenda Palmore and her dog, Leroy, started visiting patients and staff in March 2022. Palmore is the vice president of practice management and business development at VCU Health CMH. Leroy is an eight-year-old Jack Russell, Yorkshire and dachshund mix.

“I hope more people will join in on this effort,” Palmore said. “It would be great to have people participate during the day.”

As a full-time employee, Palmore’s volunteer hours are limited to nights and weekends.

Palmore and Leroy recently completed her shadowing with J.T. Hosack, the Dogs on Call Teams Coordinator with CHAI.

“The wife of one patient that I went to see said it was the first time she’d seen her husband smile in a long time,” Brenda recalled. “This makes it all worthwhile.”

Hosack said, “Leroy was so sweet. He brought so much joy to the patients at VCU Health CMH.”

The need isn’t new

CHAI is in its 21st year at VCU Health System and they love bringing Dogs on Call dogs to brighten everyone’s day. The CMH Foundation made it possible to bring this program to VCU Health CMH.

CMH Foundation Chair Bill Solari said, “People who support our foundation contribute to programs that would otherwise not be available. I am so proud of our community for making this happen.”

As you can imagine, it takes a lot of coordination and cost to run this program. We have a goal to raise $10,000-$15,000 annually to support Dogs on Call. Please donate today to CMH Foundation to keep this program in our community.