Washington state's first
hospital-based K9 security
program is providing staff and
patients at Providence with
much more than security.
When Patrick McKenna, a police sergeant with more than
25 years of experience in law enforcement and K9 handling,
first got the call about starting a K9 program in a hospital,
he wasn't sure that aligned with his retirement plans.
Nevertheless, he helped Providence Health Care (PHC)
explore the potential of K9s in health care and became
intrigued with the possibilities. And through that
exploration, he became PHC's K9 Supervisor.
Today, Pat and his K9 partner Sarge are two of the most
popular caregivers at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
But it took a lot of training and planning to get here.
Photos by Mike Hollingworth
Meet Patrick McKenna
and his canine
companion Sarge
10 HEART BEAT FALL 2019
Watch the video at
youtube.com/ProvidenceSpokane
