New Volunteer-Driven “Comfort Program” Aims to Lower Pain and Anxiety during Hospital Stays
BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2016 – It is no secret that babies born prematurely do better when they are held and comforted in between receiving expert medical care. This simple formula, which results in healthier babies who are often discharged earlier from the hospital, has been embraced by the veterinary team at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.
The organization’s new volunteer-driven Comfort Care program is the brainchild of Drs. Lisa Moses and Megan Whelan, who understand that while the world-class 24-7 emergency and specialty care hospital can deliver increasingly sophisticated medical care for animal patients, many of them—particularly critically ill or injured animals—recover faster when trained volunteers spend time with them in between procedures.
“We are taking everything Angell Animal Medical Center is known for—compassionate and state-of-the-art medical care—and adding human touch in the form of volunteers petting, helping to feed or just spending time with animals who are understandably anxious about being in the hospital,” said Dr. Whelan.
Research indicates that comfort care makes a big difference for human babies—with faster weight gain, shorter hospital stays and improved social, emotional and physical development resulting from a well-executed program.
The Angell veterinary team expects its Comfort Care program will result in similar benefits for animals, including the reduction of patient anxiety and pain sensation.
“Spending just a few moments administering ‘TLC’ to our animal patients is so rewarding,” said Jez Magarinos, a certified veterinary technician at Angell who has volunteered for the last three months. “I see the animals soften and relax just by offering my presence and my attention and it’s a reminder of just how impactful these simple measures can be.”
Volunteer Driven
Volunteering for the Comfort Care program is limited to MSPCA-Angell employees, who undergo training in animal behavior before starting. Veterinarians support the program by identifying which patients will benefit from comfort and which may not. Volunteers spend anywhere from ten to 15 minutes with each animal before moving on to other patients.
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Angell Animal Medical Center cares for more than 50,000 animals every year and is one of the most acclaimed veterinary practices in the country. Angell’s76 doctors, including 36 board-certified specialists, work as a team to ensure high quality general wellness, emergency and specialty care. With 36 board-certified specialists and medical capabilities that include nuclear medicine and high speed 3D imaging, Angell is committed to providing a broad range of specialized expertise and experience, and delivering this care with one-on-one compassion that animals and their owners deserve. Angell at Nashoba provides low cost basic veterinary care for low income pet owners while Angell’s Boston and Waltham locations are open for emergencies 24 hours of every day of the year, and offer night and weekend appointments with our specialty services.
The VECCS is an international professional society of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and managers dedicated to promoting the advancement of knowledge and high standards of practice in veterinary emergency medicine and critical patient care.
