Fitzgerald the Facility Dog [Video]

Meet Gulf Coast Medical Center’s first facility dog. “He’s our new favorite employee here at Gulf Coast.” Fitzgerald III isn’t just any pup, he’s specialty trained to work with occupational therapists like Megan Hendrix. “As an occupational therapist, my scope of practice here is a lot about emotional regulation, cognition, activities of daily living, and functional things. So, he is a huge help in that.”

He’s helping cancer and stroke patients regain independence. “He’s helping people relearn how to dress. He’s even learned how to help people take their socks off so they can work on bilateral coordination, crossing the midline, functional transfers, everything,” said Hendrix. “So, if I was sitting here, and this is my hemiplegic side, I’m motivated to move my arm maybe more than I would without thinking about it. I’m not trying to move my arm, I just want to functionally engage with him.”

His presence is a form of animal-based mindfulness. “They’re focused on one positive thing that’s outside of them, and then that can help break the cycle of pain, or anxiety, or fear that they’re having at that moment,” said Hendrix. “We’re excited to see how he can help people recover more quickly and move forward with rehab so they don’t get stuck in the hospital, and they can get back to their lives and their families.” Going above and beyond to provide the best care for our patients.

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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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