CHI Health trains employee dogs for therapy use

A grant from the Beryl Institute is helping CHI Health in Omaha integrate therapy dogs into their hospital to alleviate stress for health care workers.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Volunteers in guest services at CHI Health in Omaha have found a cuddly way to mitigate the stress of working in health care, thanks to a new grant from the Beryl Institute that supports the integration of therapy dogs into the hospital environment. The grant allows CHI employees and volunteers to bring their dogs to work for a five-week training session, helping the dogs acclimate to a hospital setting.

Why it matters

Working in healthcare can be extremely stressful, and CHI Health is hoping that integrating therapy dogs into the hospital environment will help alleviate burnout and improve morale among their staff. This program has become a blueprint for other hospitals looking to support their healthcare workers.

The details

The grant from the Beryl Institute allows CHI employees and volunteers to bring their dogs to work for a five-week training session. The training helps get the dogs acclimated to a hospital setting, with its various equipment, noises, and activity. Nurse Joyce Miller Andersen hopes her dog Peaches can help boost morale, as she "just loves to be around people." CHI staff say their program has become a model for other hospitals looking to support their healthcare workers in this way.

  • The grant from the Beryl Institute was awarded in 2026.

The players

CHI Health

A healthcare system in Omaha, Nebraska that is integrating therapy dogs into their hospital environment to support their staff.

Beryl Institute

A grant-providing organization that awarded funding to CHI Health to help integrate therapy dogs into their hospital.

Joyce Miller Andersen

A nurse at CHI Health who hopes to have her dog Peaches participate in the therapy dog program.

Tammy Rivera

A guest services volunteer at CHI Health who discusses the benefits of the therapy dog program for healthcare workers.

Julie Cobos

A CHI Health staff member who explains the training process for the therapy dogs.

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What they’re saying

“They're the ones that are first responders. They're the ones that take patients in that, you know their most vulnerable times, and they've got to take all that stress from that patient, their families.”

— Tammy Rivera, Guest services volunteer (KETV)

“There's lots of beeping, lots of different equipment, things that are rolling, things that are big and kind of towering over the dogs. And so there's a lot of different things for them to get used to.”

— Julie Cobos, CHI Health staff (KETV)

“She just loves to be around people, so we're going to see whether or not this is going to be a good fit.”

— Joyce Miller Andersen, Nurse (KETV)

What’s next

CHI Health plans to continue the therapy dog program and expand it to more of their facilities in the Omaha area.

The takeaway

By integrating therapy dogs into the hospital environment, CHI Health is taking an innovative approach to supporting their healthcare workers and mitigating the high stress levels that come with working in the medical field. This program could serve as a model for other hospitals looking to boost morale and improve employee well-being.