Not all medical professionals wear white coats. Some go to work wearing a vest and leash.
"He is truly an old soul," Children's Medical Center Plano Social Worker/Dog Handler Anne Vidacovich said, looking at Coca-Cola, a 4-year-old golden retriever mix therapy dog. "He picks up on people's feelings, even the nurses. If anybody is going through a hard time, Coca will go and be right with them."
Vidacovich is one of Coca-Cola's secondary handlers. Dr. Brad Tate, Children's Medical Center Plano's chief medical officer, is his primary handler.
"They add so much to the treatment," Tate said. "It's amazing to watch these dogs work."
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Coca-Cola is among more than a dozen therapy dogs at Children's Health campuses in Plano and Dallas. This is the 10th year of the therapy dog program.
"It's a tool that I use as a physician," Tate said. "If I've got a kid who's struggling with the hospitalization, or is missing home or any number of aspects, we can put a dog counselor or pet therapy counsel in, and they will bring the dog to the patient to address that situation."
"So this is my fourth week of actually staying in the hospital," 17-year-old patient Caleb said as he sat hooked up to a drip, petting Coca-Cola. "It's a good way to relax. Gets you sidetracked from all the machinery and stuff."
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"So my third cycle starts today, and I have five cycles in total, so it's gonna be around 120 days or something," 12-year-old patient Jad said as he visited with Coca-Cola. "You are so cute! Oh my God. Why are you so cute?"
Research shows hospital therapy dogs are more than just kisses and cuddles. They can help improve health outcomes.
"They're scared. There's things that are happening they don't understand sometimes or that they don't want to happen," Tate said. "When we decrease their anxiety, we see reduction in their pain, reduction of pain medicines. So if we can reduce the amount of medicines they use, that's the safest thing for the child."
"Coca can be like that friend coming to the hospital, coming to hang out and play with them," Caleb said. "He lightened up the rest of my year," Jad said, smiling.
