Has New York Hospital Queens Gone to the Dogs?

FLUSHING, N.Y., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ — It’s rare to find a child who looks forward to going to the doctor’s office. Not so at New York Hospital Queens, many children are smiling, laughing and excited to be in the waiting room of the children’s health center. Every Wednesday afternoon, Roxy, a gentle three- year-old Chihuahua, greets young patients coming for doctor’s exams at the hospital’s Theresa Lang Children’s Ambulatory Care Center and goes on her rounds to visit children who are hospitalized on the children’s unit.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051206/NYTU135-a            http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051206/NYTU135-b )  

“Pet therapy uses the benefits of animal interaction to decrease children’s stress and anxiety about illness, injury and the hospital experience,” says Joseph J. Abularrage, MD, Chairman of Pediatrics at New York Hospital Queens. “The children absolutely love seeing the dog at the hospital. A dog visitation really puts little patients at ease before their medical exam and helps hospitalized children with the healing process.”

Studies have shown animal-assisted therapy as a psychological and behavioral tool to support anxious patients. A recent study of pre-school children who had routine physical examinations combined with animal-assisted therapy showed reductions in blood pressure rates, heart rate and behavioral distress. (Source: http://medline.cos.com/cgi-bin/getRec?9420370 ).

This month the Department of Pediatrics plans to welcome a second canine, Memphis (a terrier) for visits with children thanks to this program’s immediate success. Each of the dogs and their owners are certified for pet therapy and trained for patient contact through the Good Dog Foundation, a Brooklyn-based organization.

“Pet therapy has been a great addition to the Child Life Program in Pediatrics,” says Alisha Rappaport, Coordinator of the Child Life Program. “It has really made a huge impact on our patients, their families and our staff. I really feel that it is a wonderful addition to our growing range of therapeutic services.”

The Theresa Lang Children’s Ambulatory Center is an outpatient health center for children located at the hospital, 56-45 Main Street, Flushing, (entrance on 141st Street). The Center provides general well-child care and as well as a wide array of specialized services. For more information on the center, call (718) 670-1033.

New York Hospital Queens is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and is affiliated with Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

The Good Dog Foundation, a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization, is dedicated to all aspects of animal assisted therapy. The Foundation makes a concerted effort to educate and inform the public of the benefits and possibilities of animal assisted therapy. Through the use of professionally trained volunteer adult and animal teams, the Foundation strives to aid the healing process in humans in need and enhance their quality of life. (http://thegooddogfoundation.org/ )

                            http://www.nyhq.org/    CONTACT:   Cynthia Bacon   (718) 670-2515  

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051206/NYTU135-ahttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051206/NYTU135-bAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5-PRN6PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

New York Hospital Queens

CONTACT: Cynthia Bacon, +1-718-670-2515, for New York Hospital Queens

Web site: http://www.nyhq.org/http://thegooddogfoundation.org/