Methodist Healthcare System | Keeping Well | Fall 2019

Emergency Services Facility Dogs Lend a Helping Paw in El Paso In the wake of the devastating mass shooting in El Paso, the Methodist Healthcare Emergency Services Facility Dog team was flown to El Paso to lend a helping paw to first responders and emergency room staff at Del Sol Medical Center. The team included Chanel, a 2-year-old golden retriever-yellow Labrador mix; Lady, a 2-year-old yel- low Labrador; and Rudy, a 1-year-old yellow Labrador. Traveling to El Paso with the dogs were Brandon Miller, Jason Miller, Frankie Trifilio and Lee Stanphill, all EMS relations managers at Methodist Healthcare. Emergency Services Facility Dogs help first responders process the incredible stress, trauma and grief they expe- rience daily on the job. “The dogs made a huge impact,” said Brandon Miller. “They can sense when someone is in distress and they stay with that person until they feel loved and comfortable. These dogs can reach places in the heart that no human can.” Many times first responders and emergency room staff don’t have the opportunity to grieve and release stress. Interaction with the dogs gives them the ability to take a step back and do some self-healing. “When a dog is there, people let their guard down and open up to the situation in a way that they might not be able to otherwise,” said Brandon Miller. The dogs provide a sense of calm in the chaos. As one nurse said of their visit, “This made the hospital feel like it was before the shooting.” The dogs are part of the ER staff at Methodist Health- care hospitals, and their purpose is to provide care for the first responders, hospital staff and ER patients. “The bottom line is that when our staff is doing well, they will provide even better care for our patients,” said Brandon Miller. F A L L 2 0 1 9 3 K E E P I N G W E L L M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e

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