Patient Stories

Pet Therapy Dogs: The Fluffy, Furry, Tail-Wagging Side of Medicine

Jennifer Stover | 7/5/2011 | Patient Stories

A teenage girl squeals in delight as she gazes down at Abbey, a red and white Pembroke Welsh corgi. With her mother’s help, the girl gives the eager and thankful dog some treats.

The girl is Gracie, a 14-year-old pediatric patient at UVA’s Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

Gracie watches as…

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Feb 25

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China Green is a clinical research coordinator for heart surgeries. She helps patients prepare for a clinical trial. She makes sure they’re aware of what to expect with the trial. During the trials, she keeps track of their health and follow ups. Then if they need surgery, she’s there for post-surgery follow-up appointments.

Originally from Covington, China is one of 10 kids. Most of her siblings are spread throughout Virginia but still very close with her family. After high school, she went to UVA and graduated with a biochemistry degree. She started as a pharmacy tech, then worked in the pathology lab, and finally made her way to research. She’s been in this role for three years.

China’s work life stays busy, with her running multiple clinical trials at once. So, she spends her free time with her bunny, Harley, or surrounded by music or crafting. She hopes this year, she’ll find more time to play the piano. Going to Thatch Winery? You might see China, as she pours there occasionally. She’s a seasonal wine drinker but enjoys a nice dry wine throughout the year.
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#uvahealth #TeamTuesday #ClinicalTrials #Healthcare #ClinicalResearch #MedicalResearch #PatientCare #HeartMonth #HeartSurgery

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Feb 24

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Congratulations to Tracey Hoke, MD! She is our chief of quality and performance improvement, which means she oversees the development and implementation of patient safety and patient care initiatives & improvements. This week, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association recognized her with its "Imagine a Virginia" Senior Leader Quality and Safety Award. Jeff DiLisi, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Virginia Hospital Center, also received the award, and Toni Ardabell, associate chief of clinical operations at Inova, received the "Imagine a Virginia" Distinguished Service Award. .
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@VirginiaHHA @inovahealth @virginiahospitalcenter #UVA #uvahealth #PatientSafety #Charlottesville

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Feb 18

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Feb. 22 is Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day. Our Advanced Cardiac Valve Center treats these diseases, including mitral regurgitation and heart murmurs. Over the last year, the center has been doing more procedures and has increased its staff and the number of days it does procedures to accommodate this.

Marissa Donatelle is the behind-the-scenes person coordinating all this. As the center’s program coordinator, she works across various teams to figure out logistics, streamline systems and solve problems. Marissa says she comes up with ideas, but her “awesome team” helps her execute them.

Marissa grew up in the Minneapolis area and attended St. Catherine University, swimming competitively in addition to her studies. She then moved to Milan, Italy, for medical school at Università San Raffaele. There, medical school lasts six years instead of four, and in 2017, she came to UVA for a few months to do dissertation research.

She fell in love with Virginia and, after graduation, decided to come back for this job before starting the next phase of her physician training, an internal medicine residency. Although she loves her current role, she’ll be starting that residency this summer. She’ll find out next month where it will be, but she’d love to stay at UVA.

When Marissa’s not working, she enjoys running, hiking, cooking and the Charlottesville food scene.
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@unisr @stkates #TeamTuesday #UVA #uvahealth #charlottesville #cville #HeartValve #HeartValveDisease #HeartDisease #HeartMurmur #HeartDiseaseAwareness #HeartMonth #HeartMonth2020

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Feb 11

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Emily Schneiderman is an acute care nurse practitioner for the thoracic cardiovascular intensive care unit (TCV ICU). She sees patients who are on an ECMO machine or who have had a heart bypass or a heart or lung transplant. These surgeries normally require her to collaborate with other specialties to provide the best overall care during recovery.

Emily started at @georgemasonu, heading toward a career in political science. After a summer job at a local hospital, Emily fell in love with patient care and switched her major to nursing. In 2003, she started a residency program in the coronary care unit at UVA and found her passion for the heart. Later in 2015, she joined the TCV ICU team while working on her masters.

Emily is from Augusta County but recently moved to Nelson with her wife, two kids, four dogs and three cats. Well, one cat came with the house. Both she and her wife are healthcare professionals and, on the side, own @sadiesrulesk9training. Rumor has it, they’ve trained most of our employees’ dogs.

Emily is also chair of the Advanced Practice Committee, which meets monthly to review new health information, legislation, announcements, upgrades or changes at UVA. When she has some down time, she loves to cook and find new ways to make the recipe healthier.
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#uvahealth #TeamTuesday #NursePractitioner #AcuteCare #NurseLife #CardiacCare #HeartMonth #HeartHealth #CardiacSurgery #heart #medicine #surgery #ThoracicSurgery #ICU #nursing

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Feb 7

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Betty’s big day is coming to an end, but she still has to promote #HeartMonth for 3 more weeks. Tonight, she decides to "wine" down with a small glass of red wine, as it has heart-healthy antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. And she knows she has a little piece of dark chocolate waiting for her at home.
Happy Heart Month!
xoxo, Betty Beat
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #HealthyHeart

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Feb 7

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Betty has been very active today, but squeezing time in to walk her dog is important. Walking is good for you and your dog, as moving more lowers your risk of diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Plus, Betty loves her furry friend, who keeps her smiling.
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #HealthyHeart

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Feb 7

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Time for a quick chat with our new executive vice president for health affairs, Dr. K. Craig Kent, MD. New to Virginia, Dr. Kent is excited to work with our teams and enhance patient care, research and education. As a vascular surgeon, he had a lot to talk about with Betty. Thanks @kcraigkentmd for celebrating Wear Red Day!
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #healthyheart

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Feb 7

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It’s been a busy morning for Betty, so she’s enjoying a heart-healthy lunch at the Wahoo West Cafe. She fixed a salad with nutritious greens, colorful peppers and broccoli with a low-fat dressing. A colorful plate ensures you’re getting nutrient-rich foods your body needs. Thanks @uvanutritionmorrisonhealthcare!
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #healthyheart

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Feb 7

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Feb 7

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After the gym, Betty is happily promoting #HeartMonth on grounds. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the U.S., but with one small change, you can improve your health. Betty will be sharing some heart-healthy tips from 10 am-1 pm in the hospital lobby today (Feb. 7). Stop by and snap a selfie with Betty!
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #HealthyHeart

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Feb 7

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Betty wakes up bright and early to start her morning off at the @uva_recreation Aquatic & Fitness Center. Trying to stay heart-healthy, Betty spends some time on the treadmill for cardio. Then she hits the circuit and weights to improve blood flow. She cools down by walking the track and staying hydrated with water.
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#uvahealth #OurHearts #HeartMonth #HeartDisease #HeartAwareness #WearRedDay #HealthyLiving #HealthyChanges #HealthierChoices #AmericanHeartAssociation #GoRed #HeartHealth #HealthyHeart

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Feb 7

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Feb 5

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Repost • @uvanutritionmorrisonhealthcare • Peppers 🌶 are abundant in Phosphorus, which helps to reduce the pressure on veins. This helps to ensure proper blood flow to maintain a healthy heart ❤️. Onions provide Vitamin C to help build a strong immune system. #morrisonhealthcare #localproduce #healthyfood #hearthealth

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Feb 4

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Pap tests can detect abnormal cells before they develop into cervical cancer. However, there’s no similar test for ovarian cancer, so women often aren’t diagnosed until the cancer is very advanced.
Rachel Lacy wants to change this. In her role as a clinical trial coordinator, she educates our ovarian cancer patients about our studies. Since the patients already have cancer, the trials won’t benefit them directly, but they help researchers develop future prevention and detection methods.
Rachel is sensitive to the fact that many of our cancer patients live hours away and have very long appointment days. She usually sees patients at the end of their appointments and tells them to take the trial information home and think it over.
Rachel grew up in Charlottesville and has a bachelor’s degree in arts and theatre from @loyola_nola. There, she realized she really loved learning about the social issues and history behind each performance, but she couldn’t act on what she learned. So she sought a master’s degree in public health with a nutrition concentration at @tulaneu.
While in New Orleans, Rachel met her two loves — her pit bull, Caroline, and her husband, who just happened to be from Charlottesville as well. They thought it would be nice to live in Charlottesville again, so they moved back. In March, Rachel will celebrate her third work anniversary with the Cancer Center. Coincidentally, Caroline had gynecological cancer but is now healthy and “very adorable.” .
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#TeamTuesday #uva #uvahealth #UVACancerCenter #CancerResearch #ClinicalTrials #research #TeachingHospital #Charlottesville #NewOrleans #nola

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Jan 28

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Taylor Burton is a radiologic technologist and mainly assists with spine surgeries with X-ray guidance. She uses a mobile X-ray machine called C-arm to allow the surgeon to check the placement of the patient and the instruments (like rods and screws) being used. During football and basketball season, she volunteers with the sports medicine team, taking X-rays of players with possible injuries.

Taylor is from the southern part of Augusta and went to Riverhead High School. After graduation, she went to Blue Ridge Community College and then Piedmont Virginia Community College for their imaging program. She fell in love with X-rays after her clinical training at here at UVA.

She took her boards and started at UVA immediately afterward. She started as a “floating tech,” working all around the hospital. Then, two years ago, she moved to her full-time operating room role. She truly loves her role at UVA Health, especially the high level of care and impact on her patients’ lives.

Taylor is still in the newlywed phase and recently bought a house. She and her husband love to travel and go on cruises. Her favorite spot is Belize. At home, Lilly, their little Pomeranian, rules the house. Taylor also loves spending time with family and friends and attending sporting events.
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#uvahealth #TeamTuesday #radiology #imaging #xray #XrayTech #SpineSurgery #NeuroSpine #XrayTechnologist #RadiologyTech #SportsMedicine #MedicalImaging #MedicalImagingTech #SportInjury

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Jan 21

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Bryan Price has always been passionate about statistical work and health and wellness. His role as the Danville-based outreach and education specialist for UVA Cancer Center combines those passions.
Bryan works in several counties along the North Carolina/Virginia border, educating residents about cancer prevention, screening, treatment and survivorship. He talks to people about everything from smoking to screenings to the best way to dispose of cancer medications. He’s working with the Regional Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention to reduce vaping.
The other half of Bryan’s job is devoted to cancer prevention research. Right now, he’s testing two programs to determine which is more effective at reducing BMI z-scores, a measure of obesity risk in children, in the Dan River region.
Bryan also grew up in Danville and graduated from @virginia.tech with a statistics degree. Before his Cancer Center job, he worked as the city of Danville’s health and wellness coordinator. He and his husband live in Halifax County on a 125-acre working farm with cows, donkeys, dogs, cats and chickens.
#TeamTuesday #uvahealth #UVA #CancerPrevention #CancerTreatment #EndCancer #UVACancerCenter #CancerOutreach #DanvilleVA #virginia

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Jan 21

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Jan 17

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Tattoos are popular. But are they safe? Urologist Ryan Smith, MD, can’t provide a hard and fast answer. There’s just not enough research to determine the impact of tattooing and the ink on the human body over time. But Smith is trying to raise awareness of the potential health hazards as consumers deserve to know the risks and what's in the ink.

Considering that some tattoo inks have the same ingredients used in printing and car paint, the answer is unsurprising: chemicals that cause cancer. 190 tattoo inks were banned or removed from the European market. Many of these were imported from the U.S., which lacks regulation on ink constituents. Read more about tattoo safety, link in bio.
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#uvahealth #TattooSafety #TattooSafe #tattoo #TattooInk #inked

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Jan 14

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Chris Keith is an electronic medical records manager. So, what does an EMR manager do? He manages a team of people who do behind-the-scenes work on our electronic medical records system, so it’s easier for doctors and clinicians to use.

Chris started out not as a tech guy but as an artillery Captain in the Army. He served for over 22 years with multiple tours and received two bronze stars. Along the way and on the side, he became a registered nurse and was recruited by UVA.
In 2013, Chris joined the Health Information & Technology department after his best friend mentioned an opening. Some days, he misses working with patients, but he loves where he is now.

Chris was adopted and grew up in Tennessee. Through a passion for genetic research, he found his birth mother and family, who are from North Carolina. Now he’s close with both families. Chris has a son and daughter and two grandchildren. After he retires, he hopes to be playing golf in southern Florida.

Have you heard of Bubba's Sweet Nectar in Waynesboro? That’s Chris and his best friend’s company. Chris started working with bees back in the ‘70s with his dad and continues the tradition with his son. They have around 10,000 hives. You can find clove, wildflower or even habanero honey at #Kroger and #HarrisTeeter.
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#uvahealth #TeamTuesday #ElectronicMedicalRecord #MedicalLife #RegisteredNurse #charting #honey #RawHoney #bees

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Jan 8

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Repost • @presjimryan • You might see the Rotunda in the snow, which is beautiful. But I hope you also see the clean sidewalks and staircase, which are clean and safe thanks to our hardworking and dedicated facilities team. Thanks to all and stay warm tonight! #uva #uvahealth #snowday #snow

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Jan 7

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About 13% of nurses are men, up from 2.2% in 1960, according to a Washington Center for Equitable Growth analysis. 4th-year student @uvaschoolofnursing student Ryan Thomas (pictured here with Kenny, the school’s therapy dog) wants to crush stereotypes around healthcare careers.
High school students “just automatically assume if they’re a guy, they can’t be a nurse,” Ryan recently said in a UVA Today interview. “I think those gender norms kind of hurt what they want to do with their lives. Men and women can both be nurses, men and women can both be doctors, and that’s totally normal.” Ryan’s involved with the @uva.manclub, which in 2017 created and sold a calendar of male nurses with dogs. He’s also heavily involved with our local community, including volunteering for @warsrescue5.
Watch a @UVA Student Spotlight to learn more about Ryan. Link in bio.
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#TeamTuesday #UVA #UVANursing #UVASchoolofNursing #uvahealth #MaleNurse #MaleNurses #NursingStudent #NursingSchool #nursing #nurse

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Jan 1

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We’re excited to introduce you to Charlottesville’s first baby of 2020! Edahi Valentio Gaona Maldonado was born at 12:08 a.m. His proud parents, Norma and Salvador Gaona, also have three older sons. Edahi is 18.31 inches long and weighed 5.5 pounds at birth.
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#UVA #Charlottesville #Cville #2020 #NewYearsDay #BabyBoy #NewYearsBaby #HappyNewYear #uvahealth

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Jan 1

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#Repost @uvanutritionmorrisonhealthcare with @get_repost
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Wishing a wonderful New Year’s Day to all. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2020! #morrisonhealthcare #deliciousfood #deliverflavor

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Dec 31

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In 2007, Bushiri Salumu and his siblings wanted to leave their home, the Democratic Republic of Congo. They walked for 11 months to get to a refugee camp, where they lived for four years before they were granted asylum. Bushiri then moved to Charlottesville. His sister also came to Charlottesville, while his brother went to Chicago.

Bushiri’s first language is French, and he didn’t speak any English when he arrived in Charlottesville. With help from the #Charlottesville International Rescue Committee and Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle, he learned English and ultimately earned his GED.

Bushiri also worked for UVA housekeeping, which led to his current role as a patient care assistant on our neonatal intensive care unit, helping to care for very sick or premature babies. He’s also pursuing nursing school. He was honored as the @dollargeneral Student of the Year at the 2019 ProLiteracy Conference in San Diego.
Read more about Bushiri at the link in our bio. .
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@rescueorg #UVA #uvahealth #NICU #NICULife #refugee #Charlottesville #patientcareassistant

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Pet Therapy Dogs: The Fluffy, Furry, Tail-Wagging Side of Medicine

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