UCLA Health System Research and Education: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAPatient Care: UCLA Health System
Increase (+) Default Decrease (-) Font Size
 
UCLA Volunteering Services
Volunteer at Westwood Facilities
Volunteer at Santa Monica Facility
People-Animal Connection (PAC)
Support PAC
PAC Application and Requirements
PAC Events
Care Extender Program
Auxiliary
Read our Newsletter
Contact Us
UCLA Health System Home

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Rated One of the Top Hospitals in the Nation for 20th Consecutive Year
Ronald Reagan
UCLA Medical Center
Rated One of the Top 
Hospitals in the Nation
20 Consecutive Years

People-Animal Connection (PAC)

Aiding in the comfort and healing of critically ill patients and their families since 1994

The Growing Need for Animal-Assisted Therapy and Activity (AAT/A)

UCLA PAC ProgramWhile medical advancement has resulted in shorter hospitalization, it also offers treatments and procedures for previously terminal diseases and injuries that may require long-term hospital care. Patients may experience stays of weeks or months, causing separation from loved ones and familiar surroundings. Prolonged pain, discomfort, and boredom often lead to loneliness, depression, and even hostility.

Dogs are naturally interactive and provide relief from long days in the hospital, helping patients to shift their focus from discomfort to enjoyment. The animals' unconditional love and attention brighten everyone's day - patients, visitors, and staff alike. Medical research has shown that AAT/A brings about physiological signs of relaxation such as decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. In addition, AAT/A stimulates activity in Alzheimer's patients and in physical therapy and rehabilitation.

About UCLA’s People-Animal Connection (PAC)

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, and Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA have one of the most comprehensive AAT/A programs in the nation: UCLA People-Animal Connection – PAC.

PAC volunteer-dog teams offer companionship and warmth to more than 500 critically ill children and adults per month. PAC was founded to enhance physical healing and emotional well-being through the canines' instinctive bond with patients of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic levels.

Each PAC team (consisting of the canine and his/her human parent) must meet UCLA's strict eligibility criteria and successfully complete a nationally standardized behavioral exam. Following the exam is a lengthy period of screening and training, including classroom studies and supervised on-site visits. Only then may a volunteer-dog team qualify to be a PAC team.

PAC provides care for many underserved and indigent individuals within Southern California’s multicultural communities. Its success at the Westwood campus has led to the expansion of AAT/A at many UCLA medical facilities. PAC also offers guidelines and materials for export to medical institutions nationally and abroad.

Contact Us

PAC has been given national recognition in Newsweek, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, and numerous other local printed media. It also has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, and a recent KNBC-Los Angeles video about PAC was nominated for a News Emmy. Several PAC teams have been the recipients of special awards for their work at UCLA. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations uses PAC protocols to promote AAT/A, nationally and internationally.

For additional information about PAC, please contact:

Jack Barron, Director
UCLA People-Animal Connection
757 Westwood Plaza, 7th Floor, Office No. 7267
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7159
Phone (310) 267-8184
Fax (310) 267-3672
jackbarron@mednet.ucla.edu

Learn More

 

This video is also available in Windows Media at
http://streaming.uclahealth.org/uclapeopleanimalconnection

 

 

 

right spacer








Carepages - create a free web page with ease to communicate with family and friends.


Proud sponsor of the UCLA Athletics