8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 9
W
hether you're looking to relieve the pre-procedure anxiety of
your patients or to help your staff through trying or stressful
times, consider adding a furry four-legged friend to your staff.
We rely on Lulu, a 5-year-old golden retriever-labradoodle mix who is a
registered pet therapy animal, to quell a good amount of the anxiety that is
common in many people who undergo any type of surgical procedure.
After getting explicit permission from patients on days she visits our facili-
ty, Lulu spends time with both pre-op and post-op patients — outside of
restricted and semi-restricted areas — and the benefits of these interac-
tions are many. She helps with everything from reducing anxiety (pre- and
even post-op), offering a diversion (patients tend to forget about their
upcoming or even delayed procedures when they're petting Lulu) and
Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
CANINE CURE-ALL
Meet Lulu, the Pet Therapy Dog
WellSpan
Health
