Perhaps in an effort to keep pre-CES 2014 buzz going, Samsung has again released details on its new audio line-up ahead of the big show. Included in the suite is an entry-level addition to the companys brand new wireless multi-room speaker system, a new sound bar, a new all-in-one home theater audio system, and Samsungs answer to the growing popularity of speaker bases for televisions. Here are the vital details.

Samsung only recently introduced its Shape M7 speaker, a wireless multi-room audio solution similar in some respects to Sonos wireless audio solutions because it uses a wireless mesh network to allow a significant amount of control over music playback via a simple mobile device app. We recently reviewed the M7 and we think the system shows a lot of promise, but weve felt there needed to be a cheaper alternative available to attract a wider array of consumers. The M5 (picture currently not available) aims to fill that need. As a smaller speaker, we expect the M5 to come in at a lower price point than the $400 M7, but pricing wont be discussed until the official product unveiling at the show.

Samsungs previous flagship sound bar offerings saw the addition of vacuum tubes in the pre-amp stage and increasingly slim form factors. This year, the companys premium model adds compatibility with the aforementioned wireless multi-room audio systems mesh network for enhanced music distribution and control. Samsung says the sound bar packs a 320-watt amplifier, and is compatible with its Television Sound Connect feature, which offers wireless audio signal delivery and volume control from compatible Samsung televisions. Details on wired connectivity are not yet available.

The Sound Stand (pictured left and above) breaks Samsung into a rapidly developing new category of speakers that double as television stands. By making the speaker short and deep, manufacturers can capitalize on a greater amount of cabinet space than can be afforded to sound bars. The result is a speaker with richer sound quality and more bass than can be achieved by a sound bar that isnt aided by a subwoofer. Since the speakers are so slight in height, they dont take up much more real estate than a stand mounted television occupies, making them an easy addition to any entertainment setup.

Samsungs flagship all-in-one system this year offers a handful of attractive features for those seeking true surround sound from a hassle-free, all-inclusive system. The HT-H7730WMs tall boy speakers feature midrange drivers, which can be angled up in order to bounce sound off the ceiling. This approach is meant to generate an effect similar to that of the height speakers found in elaborate surround systems. The systems rear surrounds get their audio signal wirelessly, though they must be plugged in for power. The Blu-ray player in the system boasts Ultra HD upscaling for enhanced resolution from standard and high definition sources played on new Ultra HD televisions. Once again, Samsung includes its vacuum tube technology for supposedly smoother sound from digital audio sources. Finally, Samsung boasts that this system is the only one being introduced at CES 2014 that is compliant with DTS new Neo:Fusion codec, a type of surround processing which creates a virtual 9.1 system from a 7.1 speaker system.

DT

Caleb is a professional musician, amateur chef and A/V electronics guru. Growing up, Caleb was the guy you would find in the garage tearing apart vintage electronics while other kids rode bikes or played football. His early immersion in consumer electronics has led to countless car stereo, home theater and live audio installations which laid down the foundation for his current work as A/V Editor and reviewer at Digital Trends. Contact him on twitter (@caleb_denison) or via email (cdenison@digitaltrends.com).

Read more here:
Samsung dishes details on its audio lineup ahead of CES 2014

If a new wine-focused restaurant with proprietor-sommeliers who specialize in obscurity sounds like a great night out, then get yourself to The Barrel Room in Rockridge.

Sarah Trubnick and Carolyn Johnson are in launch mode for The Barrel Room, an expanded version of their San Francisco wine bar of the same name. Theyre furthering a win-win trend of successful businesses like A-16 (also in Rockridge) that are crossing the Bay for better rents and eager, sophisticated diners in Oakland.

The Barrel Room in Oakland (photo: Granate Sosnoff)

As media guests, we visited this new restaurant with a twist, which builds a menu around the wines rather than vice-versa. They feature a rotating wine list with an emphasis on small-production, terroir-expressive (buzzword alert) wines from around the world.

Accompanied by a food menu slated to change every 8 weeks, the idea is to keep it fresh and inventive, sharing new food, wines and wine education without a lot of pomp.

The Barrel Room in Oakland will feature the gifts of Chef Sam Paulding, (formerly of Paulding and Co., and Oliveto) an East Bay native, excited to live and work in Oakland as a part of this creative venture.

Sarah Trubnick and Sam Paulding

Open since mid-December, theyre starting with a French-influenced menu including classic charcuterie options paired with the certified sommeliers wine flights.

In the coming year, diners and drinkers can look forward to German, Italian and other international and regional menus, sure to be inspired and surprising.

Because were lazy and trust, we let owner Sarah Trubnick choose our food and wine pairings. We werent disappointed.

View original post here:
The Barrel Room rolls out in Oakland

While the state government is aiming to see a 20 per cent growth in tourists visiting Gujarat in 2013-14, growth of the number of hotel rooms at popular tourist locations is unlikely to keep pace with tourist inflow growth.

Several tour operators in the state say that in the last few years, while there has been a significant rise in interest in Gujarat tourism thanks to the popular campaign Khushboo Gujarat Ki, addition of quality hotel rooms at tourist spots has been slow.In the longrun, such logistical issues can de-rail the Gujarat government's ambitious plans for tourism growth, say operators.

Data from the tourism ministry website shows that from January 2010 to December 2013, around 35 new hotel projects including even bed-and-breakfast inns, totalling around 2,300 rooms have been approved in Gujarat. In comparison, 296 hotel projects have been approved in Kerala, 130 in Maharashtra, 90 in Tamil Nadu, 68 in Uttar Pradesh during the same period.

S Maheswari of Height & Sight Holidays based in Bhuj said, "In the last few years, there has not been many quality hotel rooms added in tourist locations across the state. Major additions have been in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara which get business travellers." For that matter, Ahmedabad had seen a huge jump in hotel rooms from 519 rooms in 2006-07 to around 1,975 rooms in 2012.

Another operator, Sharvil Patel who runsAltius Travels, an Ahmedabad-based travel agency and is also a member of the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI)says that while the Saurashtra region has witnessed a decent growth in the number of hotel rooms in the recent past, in Kutch, however, the process is slow.

Data from theGovernment Information Technology Committee (GITCO)shows that in between April 2011 and April 2013, while cities like Ahmedabad have seen an addition of 2,890 rooms, tourist places like Dwarka have seen an addition of only 26 rooms,

Ambaji has seen none, Palitana has actually seen a decline of 25 rooms, Girnar and Somnath have also not seen any room additions. In comparison, 365 rooms have been added at Vadodara, 353 in Surat and 284 rooms in Gandhidham.

Even Mehsana and Anand have seen 106 and 137 rooms added respectively during the period as these are close to industrial and commercial centers.

Tourist spots like Mandvi (20 rooms), Porbandar(nil), Patan (nil) and Pavagadh (nil) have not seen many hotel rooms getting added to accommodate tourists.

M Vakharia, head of Gujarat chapter of the Outbound Tour Operators of India (OTOI) too admitted that there were logistical issues that could impact the growth of Gujarat tourism in the long run, like long road routes to reach destinations, not many quality rooms at tourist spots.

Read more from the original source:
Tourist spots see slow hotel room addition

ANN ARBOR A $7.5 million gift to the University of Michigan will advance research and discovery toward curing aortic disease, and support creation of a new hybrid operating room at the U-M Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

With their gift, Robert and Ann Aikens, of Bloomfield Hills will propel an evolution in heart care. The latest advancements in cardiovascular treatment include hybrid procedures in which catheter-based interventions, simultaneous imaging and open chest surgeries are performed in the same operating room.

The newest hybrid surgical suite, which is double the size of a regular OR, is the third for the U-M and merges the radiological and surgical techniques that make advanced hybrid procedures possible.

In order to offer this safe and more effective option, as well as attract industry partners, we must invest in facilities that provide flexible and complex operating space, said cardiologist Dr. Kim Eagle, a director of the Cardiovascular Center and the Albion Walter Hewlett Professor of Internal Medicine. It is an essential component of any state-of-the-art cardiovascular center.

The University of Michigan Health System will match support from the Aikens family for the capital project with preliminary plans for opening in 2015.

Hybrid operating rooms enable the minimally invasive repair of heart valves and treatment of arrhythmias, aortic aneurysms and coronary arteries. Patients, especially the elderly, recover quicker from less invasive procedures.

U-M interventional cardiologists, surgeons, radiologists and echocardiologists are national leaders in performing a transcatheter technique that opens the door to aortic valve replacement for patients who cannot tolerate open heart surgery.

The newest hybrid OR will serve as an anchoring element in our pursuit of the most innovative cardiovascular techniques, said interventional cardiologist Dr. Stanley J. Chetcuti, director of the U-Ms cardiac catheterization labs and the Eric J. Topol Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. We are pursuing these innovations to bring cures closer to patients in a culture of collaboration and caring.

Technology is changing how we think about and treat health problems, said cardiac surgeon Dr. G. Michael Deeb, director of U-Ms Multidisciplinary Aortic Clinic and the Herbert Sloan Collegiate Professor of Surgery at the U-M Medical School.

For example if we have a patient with a large aneurysm and cardiovascular disease, we would like to treat those problems simultaneously in order to decrease time on the heart-lung machine. In a hybrid operating room we can perform angioplasty and stent the lesion via transcatheter techniques and then proceed with the open surgery. Continued...

Read the original post:
ANN ARBOR: Gift to U-M supports start of a new hybrid operating room

While the state government is aiming to see a 20% growth in tourists visiting Gujarat in 2013-14, growth of the number of hotel rooms at popular tourist locations is unlikely to keep pace with tourist inflow growth. Several tour operators in the state say that in the last few years, while there has been a significant rise in interest in Gujarat tourism thanks to the popular campaign Khushboo Gujarat Ki, addition of quality hotel rooms at tourist spots has been slow.

In the longrun, such logistical issues can de-rail the Gujarat government's ambitious plans for tourism growth, say operators. Data from the tourism ministry website shows that from January 2010 to December 2013, around 35 new hotel projects including even bed-and-breakfast inns, totalling around 2,300 rooms have been approved in Gujarat. In comparison, 296 hotel projects have been approved in Kerala, 130 in Maharashtra, 90 in Tamil Nadu, 68 in Uttar Pradesh during the same period.

S Maheswari of Height & Sight Holidays based in Bhuj said, "In the last few years, there has not been many quality hotel rooms added in tourist locations across the state. Major additions have been in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara which get business travellers." For that matter, Ahmedabad had seen a huge jump in hotel rooms from 519 rooms in 2006-07 to around 1,975 rooms in 2012.

Another operator, Sharvil Patel who runsAltius Travels, an Ahmedabad-based travel agency and is also a member of the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI)says that while the Saurashtra region has witnessed a decent growth in the number of hotel rooms in the recent past, in Kutch, however, the process is slow.

Data from theGovernment Information Technology Committee (GITCO)shows that in between April 2011 and April 2013, while cities like Ahmedabad have seen an addition of 2,890 rooms, tourist places like Dwarka have seen an addition of only 26 rooms, Ambaji has seen none, Palitana has actually seen a decline of 25 rooms, Girnar and Somnath have also not seen any room additions. In comparison, 365 rooms have been added at Vadodara, 353 in Surat and 284 rooms in Gandhidham. Even Mehsana and Anand have seen 106 and 137 rooms added respectively during the period as these are close to industrial and commercial centers. Tourist spots like Mandvi (20 rooms), Porbandar(nil), Patan (nil) and Pavagadh (nil) have not seen many hotel rooms getting added to accommodate tourists.

M Vakharia, head of Gujarat chapter of the Outbound Tour Operators of India (OTOI) too admitted that there were logistical issues that could impact the growth of Gujarat tourism in the long run, like long road routes to reach destinations, not many quality rooms at tourist spots. "Infrastructure issues could eventually bring down the number of repeat visitors," he said.

On its part, the state tourism department, is working to improve infrastructure. Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) has almost completed the upgradation of the Toran Hotels, with an investment of around Rs 15 crore. Sanjay Kaul, managing director, TCGL said, "We have almost finished the upgradation work of the Toran hotels across the state, a project we had taken up around a year back." He, however, also added that the state government has taken a decision that it would not invest in building hotels and would encourage private investors to set up hotels in Gujarat. "Number of enquiries for putting up new hotel projects has definitely increased in the last few years," he said.

Gujarat had seen a 13.6% growth in the number of tourists visiting Gujarat last year, which was around 25 million.

Read the original post:
New hotel room addition at tourist spots in slow lane

(Three recent news items lead me to republish a post that predated my Boston.com days. The firstis a new study showing that antipsychotics and stimulants can be used together in treatment of aggression associated with ADHD. The second is a recent New York Times article, The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder, the third an article from today's New York Times: ADHD Experts Re-evaluate Study's Zeal for Drugs. I am hopeful that 2014 will be a year of radical rethinking about what we now call "ADHD.")In the Tony award winning play God of Carnage two couples meet in an elegant living room for an ostensibly civilized conversation about the aggressive act of one couples child against the others. The meeting soon degenerates to reveal the underbelly of conflict in the two marriages. Husband and wife hurl insults, precious items and even themselves with escalating rage. We see, as they attempt in vain to focus on the childrens behavior, the proverbial elephant in the room.

It brought to mind another depiction of the nature of the elephant, presented by the pharmaceutical industry. A recent issue of The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics features prominently a two page ad from Shire, makers of drugs commonly used for treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A mother and her son sit at the desk of a doctor in a white coat. Behind them is a large elephant draped in a red blanket on which is printed the words, resentful, defiant, angry. The ad recommends that these symptoms, in addition to the more common symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, should be addressed. This is the message: doctors should be treating these symptoms with medication.

From my vantage point of over 20 years of practicing pediatrics, where I sit on the floor, not in a white coat, and play with children, I believe that the plays depiction of the nature of the elephant is much more accurate and meaningful than that of the pharmaceutical industry. In the play the elephant is the environment of rage and conflict in which the aggression occurs, while in the ad the elephant is the childs symptom. Consider these two stories from my pediatric practice (with details changed to protect privacy.)

Everything was a battle with six year old Mark. Though I asked both parents to come to the visit, Mom came alone. She was furious.Tell me what to do to make him listen. We had a full hour visit, and as she began to relax, she shared a story of constant vicious fighting between herself and her husband. Mark, who had been playing calmly and quietly, took a marker and slowly and deliberately made a black smudge on the yellow wall. His mother was too distracted by her own distress to stop him. I said, You cannot draw on the wall, but maybe you are upset about what we are talking about. He came and sat on his mothers lap. She reluctantly revealed her suspicion that his angry behavior was a reflection of the rage he experienced at home. She agreed to get help for her marriage, and Marks behavior gradually began to improve.

Janes parents became alarmed when her aggressive behavior began to spill over into school. Her third grade teacher told them that not only was she distracted and fidgety, but she seemed increasingly angry. At our second visit, Dad became tearful as he described his cruel and abusive father. He acknowledged being overwhelmed with rage at Jane when she didnt listen. He yelled at her and threatened her. He longed for a positive role model to learn how to discipline her in a different way. He realized he needed help to address the traumas of his own childhood in order to be a more effective parent for Jane.

If the elephant in the room is the childs symptoms, as the drug companies would have us believe, then medication may be the solution. Children taking medication for ADHD often tell me that it makes them feel calm. The full responsibility for the problem then falls squarely on the childs shoulders.

For Mark and Jane, and countless children like them, the elephant in the room, however, is not the childs symptoms. It is the environment of conflict in which the symptoms occur. If the family environment is the elephant, the treatment of the problem is not as simple as prescribing a pill. Families must acknowledge and address seemingly overwhelming problems. The parents relationship with each other, and each parents relationship with his or her own family of origin, often contributes significantly to this environment.

In the supportive setting of my office, Mark and Janes parents were freed to think about their childs perspective and experience. Rather than focusing on what to do they understood what their children might be feeling growing up in an environment of conflict and rage. This ability for parents to think about their childs feelings has been shown, in extensive research at the intersection of developmental psychology, genetics and neuroscience, to facilitate a childs development of the capacity to manage strong emotions and adapt in social situations.

In another interesting link between this ad and God of Carnage, one of the fathers is an attorney representing a drug company. He speaks loudly on his cell phone, seemingly oblivious to the effect of his behavior on the other people in the room. His conversation reveals the profit motive of the drug company taking precedence over the well being of the patient.

God of Carnage was written by Yasmina Reza, a French playwright. While the play itself is hugely entertaining as a witty farce about family life, an important message was in a brief scene at the very end. The telephone rings. The mother answers. It is her daughter, all upset about the loss of her pet hamster, which the father had set free one night because he was annoyed by the animals habits. Suddenly the mood of the play, which was lively with scintillating dialogue throughout, becomes serene as the mother speaks lovingly to her distraught daughter. Perhaps most of the audience was barely aware of the sudden mood change. Yet it lifted this delightful play into universal significance. Freeing herself from the preceding chaos, she calmly gives her full attention to her daughters experience.

View post:
ADHD, the aggressive child and the elephant in the room

(Three recent news items lead me to republish a post that predated my Boston.com days. The firstis a new study showing that antipsychotics and stimulants can be used together in treatment of aggression associated with ADHD. The second is a recent New York Times article, The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder, the third an article from today's New York Times: ADHD Experts Re-evaluate Study's Zeal for Drugs. I am hopeful that 2014 will be a year of radical rethinking about what we now call "ADHD.")In the Tony award winning play God of Carnage two couples meet in an elegant living room for an ostensibly civilized conversation about the aggressive act of one couples child against the others. The meeting soon degenerates to reveal the underbelly of conflict in the two marriages. Husband and wife hurl insults, precious items and even themselves with escalating rage. We see, as they attempt in vain to focus on the childrens behavior, the proverbial elephant in the room.

It brought to mind another depiction of the nature of the elephant, presented by the pharmaceutical industry. A recent issue of The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics features prominently a two page ad from Shire, makers of drugs commonly used for treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A mother and her son sit at the desk of a doctor in a white coat. Behind them is a large elephant draped in a red blanket on which is printed the words, resentful, defiant, angry. The ad recommends that these symptoms, in addition to the more common symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, should be addressed. This is the message: doctors should be treating these symptoms with medication.

From my vantage point of over 20 years of practicing pediatrics, where I sit on the floor, not in a white coat, and play with children, I believe that the plays depiction of the nature of the elephant is much more accurate and meaningful than that of the pharmaceutical industry. In the play the elephant is the environment of rage and conflict in which the aggression occurs, while in the ad the elephant is the childs symptom. Consider these two stories from my pediatric practice (with details changed to protect privacy.)

Everything was a battle with six year old Mark. Though I asked both parents to come to the visit, Mom came alone. She was furious.Tell me what to do to make him listen. We had a full hour visit, and as she began to relax, she shared a story of constant vicious fighting between herself and her husband. Mark, who had been playing calmly and quietly, took a marker and slowly and deliberately made a black smudge on the yellow wall. His mother was too distracted by her own distress to stop him. I said, You cannot draw on the wall, but maybe you are upset about what we are talking about. He came and sat on his mothers lap. She reluctantly revealed her suspicion that his angry behavior was a reflection of the rage he experienced at home. She agreed to get help for her marriage, and Marks behavior gradually began to improve.

Janes parents became alarmed when her aggressive behavior began to spill over into school. Her third grade teacher told them that not only was she distracted and fidgety, but she seemed increasingly angry. At our second visit, Dad became tearful as he described his cruel and abusive father. He acknowledged being overwhelmed with rage at Jane when she didnt listen. He yelled at her and threatened her. He longed for a positive role model to learn how to discipline her in a different way. He realized he needed help to address the traumas of his own childhood in order to be a more effective parent for Jane.

If the elephant in the room is the childs symptoms, as the drug companies would have us believe, then medication may be the solution. Children taking medication for ADHD often tell me that it makes them feel calm. The full responsibility for the problem then falls squarely on the childs shoulders.

For Mark and Jane, and countless children like them, the elephant in the room, however, is not the childs symptoms. It is the environment of conflict in which the symptoms occur. If the family environment is the elephant, the treatment of the problem is not as simple as prescribing a pill. Families must acknowledge and address seemingly overwhelming problems. The parents relationship with each other, and each parents relationship with his or her own family of origin, often contributes significantly to this environment.

In the supportive setting of my office, Mark and Janes parents were freed to think about their childs perspective and experience. Rather than focusing on what to do they understood what their children might be feeling growing up in an environment of conflict and rage. This ability for parents to think about their childs feelings has been shown, in extensive research at the intersection of developmental psychology, genetics and neuroscience, to facilitate a childs development of the capacity to manage strong emotions and adapt in social situations.

In another interesting link between this ad and God of Carnage, one of the fathers is an attorney representing a drug company. He speaks loudly on his cell phone, seemingly oblivious to the effect of his behavior on the other people in the room. His conversation reveals the profit motive of the drug company taking precedence over the well being of the patient.

God of Carnage was written by Yasmina Reza, a French playwright. While the play itself is hugely entertaining as a witty farce about family life, an important message was in a brief scene at the very end. The telephone rings. The mother answers. It is her daughter, all upset about the loss of her pet hamster, which the father had set free one night because he was annoyed by the animals habits. Suddenly the mood of the play, which was lively with scintillating dialogue throughout, becomes serene as the mother speaks lovingly to her distraught daughter. Perhaps most of the audience was barely aware of the sudden mood change. Yet it lifted this delightful play into universal significance. Freeing herself from the preceding chaos, she calmly gives her full attention to her daughters experience.

See the original post here:
ADHD, the aggressive child and the elephant in the room - Child in Mind - Boston.com

By Brian Swartz

Weekly Staff Editor

HAMPDEN The past comes to life each Tuesday at the Martin Kinsley House, a circa-1794 two-story, wood-frame house located at 83 Main Road South.

Inside this building that witnessed British soldiers marching past in early September 1814, Hampden Historical Society members spend each Tuesday cataloging documents and photos, researching information in the societys extensive archives, and expanding those same archives. Even though they live in the present, for several hours a week, these volunteers delve into the past, sometimes deep into the 19th century

and they would not have it any other way.

All my ancestors back generations have lived in Hampden, said Jerry Stanhope, the Hampden Historical Society president. Some of us have never left.

Past President Ken Rowell was young when he moved away from Hampden. Now a Bangor resident, he retains close ties with his hometown and currently focuses his research on Hampden schools, especially the rural schoolhouses scattered across the town not that many decades ago.

The society has 200 members, not all active, and everyone helping to catalog and expand the societys archives written and material, documents and letters, clothing and furniture volunteers to do so. Its because you love it is why we do this, said Archivist Jean London.

Local preservationists founded the Hampden Historical Society in 1970. According to its constitution, the society exists to bring together those people interested in history and especially in the history of Hampden and the surrounding area.

Understanding the history of our community is basic to our democratic way of life, gives us a better understanding of our state and nation, and promotes a better appreciation of our American heritage, the HHS constitution states.

Excerpt from:
Volunteers keep history alive and pertinent in Hampden

Land Park-Freeport 3 Brm + Bonus room! Updated Throughout!
Remodel just completed! Three bedrooms with updated kitchen featuring new cabinets granite tops, gas range, tile flooring dishwasher. Living room...

By: virtualtourcafe

See the article here:
Land Park-Freeport 3 Brm + Bonus room! Updated Throughout! - Video

Lorrel Boughton, RN, a nurse in Chilton Hospital's Operating Room, pioneered this new service with her certified pet therapy dog, "Brodie." They visited patients on a fourth-floor medical/surgical unit who opted for the therapy, and then headed downstairs to the Surgical Services waiting room to ease anxiety for visitors. According to Boughton, Brodie was "like a magnet."

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHILTON HOSPITAL

Bill Schaefer of Pequannock is one of the first patients to enjoy Chilton Hospital's new Pet Therapy Program. He is joined by Operating Room Nurse Lorrel Boughton, RN (left), Chilton Vice President and CNO Joanne Reich, DNPc, RN, MA, NEA-BC; and new friend, Brodie.

"Everybody in the hallways and lobby wanted to pet him," she said.

Boughton began training Brodie at the Ramapo Kennel Club in Butler when he was just 4 months old. At a year, he was eligible to take the pet therapy class and became certified upon passing a test. The certification class was taken at The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc., in Morris Plains. Dog trainers from Ramapo Kennel Club will be coming to Chilton in the near future with their dogs to help expand the program.

According to Boughton, the certification process is quite comprehensive.

"The instructors bang pots and pans and ring doorbells to test the dogs' calmness," she said. "In one of the exercises, you have to say, 'stay,' then leave the room for three minutes and come back. Also, they'll approach the dogs using wheelchairs and crutches and other things you'd expect them to be exposed to in a health-care setting to make sure they react appropriately."

Brodie, who is now just a little over 2 years old, has visited Cedar Crest Village in Pequannock, Morristown Medical Center, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute across the street from the hospital. He has also made appearances at a reading group for autistic children. In addition to pet therapy for patients, Morristown Medical Center also hold "Ruff Days," which are therapy dog visits to ease the anxiety of hospital employees. Boughton would like to look into a similar program for Chilton employees when there are enough pet therapy dogs and owners.

Many steps had to be taken before Brodie could visit Chilton. He needed a veterinarian's clearance to prove he had a complete physical and vaccinations. All medical requirements must be shown each year to prove eligibility.

Boughton had to do her share as well. She discussed the service with Chilton's administration and the Infection Control Department. The Medical Board then had to approve it. Boughton needed to also register as a volunteer. Brodie wears an Atlantic Health System (AHS) vest with the words, "Pet Therapy Dog" on one side and "Healing Paws," the name of AHS' pet therapy program, on the other.

Read more:
Chilton Hospital's 'Pet Therapy Program' helps patients heal in Pequannock