WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — After two years of being put on hold by COVID-19, animal therapy is returning at one of the most prominent health systems in the state.

Suzanne Thompson is the coordinator of the Animal Assisted Therapy Program in Winston-Salem for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

There are 12 animal-assisted therapy dog teams for the hospital, where there used to be 26. Due to COVID, the program was put on pause but is now rebuilding.

"And we have restarted in all our active areas in the hospital that had animal assisted therapy pre-COVID,” Thompson said.

They help all around the hospital system, from the pediatric behavioral health unit, where the program started in 1999, to the Sticht Center, which serves older patients.

Thompson, an animal lover since childhood, has been a part of the program since the beginning, and she feels the animals play a big part in the healing process.

"One of the comments that one of the young teenagers stated was that seeing the dog helps to provide a moment to relieve stress," Thompson said.

When interacting with patients, everyone involved wears a mask and sanitizes their hands before and after touching the animals.

"They allow for the opportunity to be fully right here, right now with the dog and everything else sort of just goes into the background," Thompson said.

Thompson is looking to add more dog teams to the program. If you’re interested, reach out to the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist volunteer program or Thompson by email at sthompso@wakehealth.edu.