August 26, 2024 – HCA Florida Highlands Hospital, a 126-bed facility, and part of HCA Florida Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in the state, recently partnered with Highlands County Sheriff’s Office to host a therapy dog training at the facility. Therapy dogs and their sheriff’s office K-9 teams from counties across the state of Florida gather on a quarterly basis to stay up-to-date on their ‘Paws and Stripes’ certification, run by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. This particular get-together included 15 therapy dogs.
“Today we focused on hospital familiarization, so that’s different sights and sounds, and it’s preparing the teams to help victims should they come here on a call,” said Liz Fischer, therapy dog handler at Highlands County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s acclimating dogs to different exposures and experiences.”
Kimberly Goddard, the manager of the medical/surgical/telemetry/orthopedics unit at HCA Florida Highlands Hospital, was the main facilitator of bringing the dogs to the facility. She had often encountered Liz in her previous unit, the emergency room, and once asked if the dogs could come to the hospital. Liz thought it would be beneficial for the therapy dogs as not all counties go to hospitals for their training. “It helps the dogs desensitize to the different noises and a different environment,” said Goddard. “For this area, they come to our hospital, mainly to show the staff some extra love and affection to help our staff de-stress a little bit.”
In numerous studies, therapy dogs have been proven to have a calming effect on both hospital colleagues and patients. According to UCLA’s Animal-Assisted Therapy Research, petting animals can elevate moods, lower anxiety, and increase mental stimulation.
About HCA Florida Highlands Hospital
HCA Florida Highlands Hospital is a 126-bed acute care facility accredited by The Joint Commission. Key services include orthopedic and spine care, urology, cardiac catheterization, and vascular, gynecological and minimally-invasive surgeries. Additionally, the facility is also home to the area’s only dedicated senior emergency room. Proudly serving the Sebring community since 1965, Highlands Hospital aims to provide high-quality, exceptional patient care.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. United as a statewide network in 2022, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues working together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 11.6 million patient encounters each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provides more than $903 million in uncompensated care and contributes nearly $2.2 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly-trained specialists, including the state’s largest cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
