Welcome Waggers History (continued)

  In 1998 Welcome Waggers was invited to become the named participant in a proposal for the use of therapy dogs in the Mental Health Unit of Samaritan Health Services (now Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, GSRMC) in Corvallis.  This was the first introduction for the use of dogs in this capacity at that facility, and after six months of making the rounds of various administrative committees, the proposal received approval.  Welcome Waggers members are honored to be able to serve in that program; the visits are very popular with patients and staff. Additional visits to the Good Samaritan Hospital medical areas, including the intensive care unit and orthopedic units, began with the first visit on Feb 27, 2007.  Until the COVID restrictions of 2019 Welcome Wagger teams visited the Hospital medical areas three times a month. Limited visiting restarted in 2022, and it is hoped to expand in the next year.  Teams were also invited to ‘drop in’ at the Cancer Center and to make prearranged individual visits to the Dialysis Unit.

The following is a list of some other facilities that Welcome Waggers members have visited, both past and current:  Albany Residential Apartments, Benton Hospice, Benton Plaza, Cambridge Terrace, Camlu Retirement Apartments, Camp Attitude, Children's Farm Home, Corvallis Boys and Girls Club, Corvallis Care Center, Corvallis Manor, Conifer House, Evergreen Hospice, Good Samaritan Hospital, Grace Center for Adult Daycare, Heart of the Valley Nursing Home, Heritage Mall Heritage Meadows, Mennonite Nursing Home, Mighty Oaks Camp, Oak Creek Youth Corrections Facility, Park Place Assisted Living, Regent Retirement Center, Regent Court, Safety Town,  Stoneybrook Lodge and Assisted Living, Timberhill Place and others. 

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