Since 2006, therapy dogs have been an important part of patient care, providing gentle support and a reason to smile, a break from a stressful time for patients, caregivers and hospital employees alike.
Volunteer Services
Among the more than 450 active volunteers at Roswell Park is a dedicated mother-daughter duo who have made a special impact on patients.
You never know what’s going to happen when Bruce Baum starts rolling through the Roswell Park hallways with a cart full of surprises. One thing’s for sure — you’ll be amazed and amused.
For the past three years, Barb Murak has been an unofficial messenger for Roswell Park patients who are recovering from a blood or marrow transplant (BMT). Pulling a handcart filled with art supplies, from time to time this member of the Creative Arts Team stops by an inpatient room to deliver a surprise. “Knock, knock!” she calls out. “You’ve got mail!”
For nearly four years, a statue bearing the likeness of a beloved Roswell Park volunteer has welcomed visitors to our Kaminski Park and Gardens, located outside the main hospital. Monty, Roswell Park’s first-ever therapy dog, serves as a reminder of the compassionate power of animals, now memorialized in the form of a custom statue.
One day Barb Murak stopped by the waiting room of the Urology Clinic at Roswell Park and noticed several guys flipping idly through Field & Stream magazine, heads down, as they waited for their appointments. She had an idea.