The rewards of working in pediatric healthcare are great. But seeing kids and their families face illness and injuries can also test your strength and your spirit.

At Children’s, we provide a variety of resources so that our team doesn’t have to face these emotional challenges alone. One of our team’s favorite pick-me-ups: visits from our furry fleet of facility dogs.

The Canines for Kids team is growing to help provide comfort and companionship to staff and patients across our System. We’re excited to welcome golden retrievers Marvel and Blanche!

Meet Marvel

Marvel joins Children’s Hughes Spalding Hospital as the location’s first-ever facility dog. Named for Marvel’s Avengers, she will bring comfort and love to kids throughout the hospital, including inpatient and outpatient areas. With her soft fur and gentle spirit, Marvel will help patients reach their treatment goals and keep their spirits up through tests and procedures.

When she is not with her primary handler, Charice Holt, Project Coordinator, Marvel will support secondary handler and respiratory therapist Abby Hardeman in providing motivation and comfort to patients who require respiratory treatment, particularly those in the hospital due to a sickle cell pain crisis.

The Hughes Spalding staff will get their much-deserved Marvel snuggles at events held just for them called “staff supPAWt events.” These dedicated team time-outs are especially welcome in this busy, high-stress hospital environment. When she’s not planning puppy play dates for staff, secondary handler Haley Reagin, Emergency Department (ED) Clinical Educator, will put Marvel’s calming presence to use visiting patients in the ED.

Meet Blanche

Blanche can be found loving on patients in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Scottish Rite Hospital. Named for a character from “The Golden Girls” TV show, this golden girl will be delivering animal-assisted therapy with handlers Melinda Pauly, MD, Medical Director of Oncology and pediatric oncologist; and Becca Doobrow, Child Life Specialist.

Blanche will join Dr. Pauly in supporting kids with leukemia and lymphoma on the inpatient floor and at the outpatient clinic. She will use her tail-wagging personality to reduce patient and parent anxiety, build rapport, minimize pain and encourage patients to open up about their feelings.

The sweet-natured pup will also assist co-handler Becca with patient education, medical play and will provide a fun distraction during procedures. Blanche will serve as the perfect motivator to get patients out of bed and walking laps around the unit, hopefully decreasing the amount of time they must spend in the hospital.

With the addition of Marvel and Blanche, our Canines for Kids Program now has 12 facility dogs specially trained to be a friend—and more—to those in need. They inspire confidence and instill strength. They provide comfort and companionship, and they bring out joy even in challenging situations. We are fortunate to have them available to our staff who need a pick-me-up and as a resource as we work to make kids comfortable in the hospital setting.

. . .

It's a great time to be on our team

Now is a pivotal moment to join our team! Our healthcare System is transforming for the better. One of the most visible signs of our growth: the expansion of our North Druid Hills campus, which will include the Arthur M. Blank Hospital, a 19-story, 1.5-million-square-foot hospital opening in 2024. Join us as we take a giant step forward in our effort to expand access to advanced pediatric care.

See the future →

Join our Talent Community

Join our Talent Community to be the first to know about hiring events and new job opportunities tailored to your skills and interests. You'll also get a special newsletter that will provide a closer look into what it's like to work at Children's.

Join Today →

undefined