Facility Dogs Offer Comfort at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital

PHOTO: LIZ MARTIN/UI HEALTH CARE Nacho, a golden retriever-poodle mix, brings a smile to a pediatric patient.

PHOTO: LIZ MARTIN/UI HEALTH CARE A facility dog prepares to meet with a patient at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Two new employees at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital are comforting patients and their families without saying a word. This past August, Corrin and Nacho became the first members of the hospital’s Facility Dog Program. These four-legged, full-time staff members work alongside their handlers to motivate, encourage, and offer companionship—making hospital stays more manageable through their calming presence.

The extensively trained golden retriever mixes visit 10 to 15 patients each day and ease worries by demonstrating how to take medicine or undergo an imaging scan. During procedures, they offer support through distraction and help patients establish positive coping skills. Additionally, they promote healing by walking with patients during physical therapy and after procedures.

“The Facility Dog Program provides an advanced standard of care for patients and families at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital,” says Emily Bradley (12BS), Nacho’s primary handler. “Through evidence-based practice, facility dog interventions assist in decreasing stress and anxiety amongst patients, family members, and staff, and create a welcoming environment for all within the children’s hospital.”

PHOTO: LIZ MARTIN/UI HEALTH CARE UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital facility dogs, Nacho (left) and Corrin (right)