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Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca
Cornell Companions has been visiting CMCI, the hospital serving the Ithaca area,
since May 1999. Currently, volunteers visit three different units at the hospital: the Mental Health Unit, which is
divided into adult and adolescent sections, the Rehabilitation Unit, and the Pediatrics Unit. Two volunteers are
assigned to each unit per visit. Volunteers may visit on Saturday afternoons or on Thursday evenings. On Tuesday
afternoons, one volunteer and her cat participate in an Animal-Assisted Therapy program that has been incorporated
into the treatment protocol of the Mental Health Unit.
Because of New York State Board of Health regulations, there is a strict protocol for the visits. For quality
assurance purposes, documentation of immunizations and a physical is required of all volunteers, as is
documentation of vaccinations, safety, and suitability of pets. Volunteers must attend a hospital volunteer
orientation in addition to Cornell Companions training sessions.
Volunteers have developed a wonderful rapport with the patients and staff. The staff looks forward to Cornell
Companions' visits just as much as the patients, as it is "therapy for [them] as well."
Distance from Cornell: 4.91 miles, 11 minutes
101 Dates Dr.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-274-4150
http://www.cayugamed.org/