CarePoint Health recently announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the Good Dog Foundation, an organization dedicated to utilizing the incredible bond between humans and dogs to alleviate suffering and enhance learning through animal-assisted intervention.
This partnership will introduce a four-week Therapy Dog Certification Program at Hoboken University Medical Center, where individuals interested in participating are welcome to apply to join this transformative initiative.
“At CarePoint Health, we understand the profound impact that the human-animal bond can have on health care and overall well-being,” Justin Drew, vice president, marketing, strategy & patient experience at CarePoint Health, said. “We are thrilled to partner with the Good Dog Foundation to bring this exceptional program to Hoboken University Medical Center, enriching the lives of our patients and enhancing the healing environment within our facility.”
The Good Dog Foundation specializes in training, certifying and deploying volunteers and their dogs to provide invaluable support in hospitals, schools, nursing homes and various other facilities. Through this program, individuals and their canine companions will undergo specialized training to become certified therapy dog teams, equipped to provide comfort, companionship and therapeutic benefits to patients and staff at Hoboken University Medical Center.
The four-week program will encompass comprehensive training sessions, imparting essential skills and knowledge necessary for volunteers and their dogs to become certified therapy teams. The program is open to enthusiastic individuals eager to contribute positively to the community and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and whose dogs have the characteristics needed to make a successful therapy dog team member. Both online application and in-person evaluation are required prior to acceptance into the program.
“We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with CarePoint Health in extending the reach of our therapy dog program,” Tia Biasi, vice president for business growth at the Good Dog Foundation, said. “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to leveraging the human-animal connection to bring comfort and support to those in need. We look forward to welcoming participants from Hudson County into our training program and witnessing the transformative impact these therapy dogs will have at Hoboken University Medical Center.”
Dog owners interested in applying for the Therapy Dog Certification Program can find further information and application details here.
