By Steffen Klenk
Last week, nurses and staff at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s Galloway and Atlantic City campuses were treated to a special day of treats, performances, and smiles. Students and faculty from Absecon Public Schools showed up in recognition of and to thank those on the front lines of health. Over 40 students, representing the school choir and band, performed several pieces of music, as therapy dogs Skye and Hope brought a plethora of joy to all in the room.
The visit was coordinated as part of National Nurses Week (celebrated May 6-12) and National Hospital Week (May 7-13). As part of the day’s activities, elementary students delivered hand-written cards of appreciation for nurses, along with flowers. Area businesses, such as McHugh’s in Galloway, delivered pizzas, and Wawa contributed over 100 hoagies.
This day of community engagement was developed and planned over a span of two months, incorporating things the staff enjoy. Tracy Reighard, AtlantiCare’s clinical Director of maternal and child health, says it is a great way of giving back to the staff. “They’ve given so much to the patients and the community; it’s nice to give back to them and for them.”
What started as a visit by Absecon’s two therapy dogs last summer has grown into a great appreciation for those in healthcare, according to Dan Dooley, superintendent of Absecon schools. “It was about everything that the nurses had been through during the pandemic, and the things they had seen on the frontline day after day.”
This visit to AtlantiCare hit home personally for Dooley, who suffered an aneurysm less than four months prior.
He praised the hard-working staff of Atlantic City’s campus who were on-call and saved his life. “I’m grateful to be here. To be able to give back to the people that save lives every day is so special.”
Absecon Schools adopted its therapy dog program five years ago. With the goal of improving students’ well-being, the program is an effective way of providing emotional, academic, and social support for students. Research has shown that therapy dogs can be used to assist with social and emotional learning needs and have been used as a form of engagement among students with vast social and interpersonal benefits.
Samantha Stoll, a preschool teacher at Absecon, has seen these advantages firsthand, having used therapy dogs to help students with confidence and compatibility with reading. “The dogs are really the star of the show in the school,” Stoll describes. “They have the ability to brighten up everyone’s day if someone’s feeling a little down or they just need a four-legged friend to cheer up and lean on for some support.”
As a handler and pet owner, Stoll has also experienced the amount of joy that therapy dogs can bring to so many in the community. “Nothing fills my heart more than being able to give some peace and calm to others.”
Both Skye and Hope have been Nationally Certified as Official Therapy Dogs by PetPartners, an organization with a mission of promoting the health and wellness benefits of human-animal bonds. They have also been recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). As of last Thursday, Skye made his one-thousandth visit to AtlantiCare.
For the hardworking staff and faculty at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, last week’s visit served as a much-needed respite from the daily stresses of work life. Reighard is grateful for the support of the community and the businesses that made this recognition possible. “The nurses, staff that work in hospitals have been through a lot. To bring joy to their day really does take a village.”
All photos by Steffen Klenk
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
