Tidelands Health to support patients, visitors, team members through new therapy dog program

For a patient recovering from surgery, a family member waiting anxiously for news, or a healthcare worker coming off a shift, comfort sometimes arrives on four legs.

Tidelands Health has partnered with Love on a Leash’s Grand Strand chapter to bring certified therapy dogs to Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital and Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital, offering comfort, connection, and joy to patients, visitors, and team members. 

Through the program, trained therapy dog teams will make regular visits throughout the hospitals. For patients, the visits can provide a welcome distraction from illness, treatment, or recovery. For loved ones, they offer a brief break during stressful days. For healthcare workers, they create opportunities to recharge and reconnect amid the demands of caring for others.

“Hospital visits can be stressful, emotional, and sometimes lonely,” said Drew Grey, chief operating officer at Tidelands Health. “A therapy dog can instantly change the atmosphere in a room. And a few minutes spent petting a dog can help ease anxiety and stress, while also promoting healing. We’re excited to bring this therapy dog program to Tidelands Health and offer another source of comfort and support for patients, visitors, and team members.”

Research has shown that interactions with therapy animals can help reduce stress and promote emotional well-being. For many patients, a visit from a therapy dog also brings a sense of normalcy during an otherwise challenging time.

The partnership reflects Tidelands Health’s commitment to caring for the whole person. Tidelands Health is grateful to Love on a Leash’s Grand Strand chapter and its dedicated volunteers for sharing their time and specially trained dogs to bring comfort, encouragement, and healing to those receiving or providing care. 

About Tidelands Health

Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.