Therapy dogs Holly and O’Malley assisted staff at Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital in Sandwich, recently celebrating National Rural Health Day.
O’Malley’s owner Jan Sofranco and Holly’s owner William H. Staub III celebrate the better care the hospital provides to rural communities and Valley West Hospital’s new ranking in the Vizient Critical Access Hospital Cohort Because of this, I accompanied the dog around the hospital. The hospital ranked him 6th out of 134 hospitals and was highly rated for quality and safety across a wide range of patient care.
National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to “Celebrate the Power of Rural” by celebrating the selflessness, community focus, and resolute spirit that permeate rural America. National Rural Health Day also showcases the efforts of rural health care providers, organizations and cooperatives dedicated to addressing the social determinants of health and the unique health challenges facing rural residents now and in the future.
