ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 25, 2023) — Don’t be surprised if you walk into the Allina Health Emergency Medical Services Communications Center in St. Paul and find a friendly Golden Retriever wandering around. Bohdi, a five year-old Golden Retriever, is now the third therapy dog as part of the Allina Health EMS team. He started work in the Alina Health EMS Communications Center in January.
Evie, a four year-old Goldendoodle, has been part of the Allina Health EMS South Metro base team in Savage since March, 2019, and Westin, a two year-old Bernedoodle, has been with the Wright County base team in Buffalo since June 2021.
Bohdi, is owned and handled by Hayley Czyson, an Allina Health EMS quality assurance and training specialist. She says from the time that she got Bohdi as a pup she always imagined him as a therapy dog of some sort, possibly visiting hospital patients. It wasn’t until much later when Hayley was working as an Allina Health dispatcher that she realized he had the right personality to fit in in the communications center.
“We started Bohdi’s training when he was two,” said Hayley. “COVID really slowed things down, but he finished his therapy dog training last year and passed his Therapy Dog Exam on the first try in January this year. Then we were ready to introduce him to the dispatch team.”
Now, Bodhi is a regular in the dispatch center two or three times every week. For dispatchers dealing with the emotions and stress of their work, having Bohdi come up to visit is a welcomed relief.
“Everybody loves Bohdi and he loves everyone in the center. When he comes in each day he makes it a point to visit everyone and that is always so nice to see,” said Hayley.
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A nonprofit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 12 hospital campuses, 14 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services. Learn more at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.