Leadership Message: The CARE Project—Advancing healing through compassion

Dear Colleagues,

As employees of UC Davis Health, we are in the unique and privileged position of helping people heal. While patients come to us for our expertise and innovation, it is often our compassion, humanity, and everyday acts of kindness that leave the greatest impact.

As manager of The CARE Project, I hear about remarkable recoveries made possible by our clinical teams, but I also hear about the nurse who remembered a patient's birthday, the EVS employee who checked in each day with a smile, and the therapy dog that “made their day.” These moments remind us that healing more than treating illness or injury—it is helping people feel seen, supported, and cared for.

The CARE Project  was created in 2021 to complement the exceptional medical care our adult patients receive by supporting their emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. What began with one staff member during the pandemic has grown into a multidisciplinary program sustained entirely through philanthropy and volunteers. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we provide evidence-based, integrative services including Art Therapy, Reiki, Touch Therapy, bedside music, pet therapy, meditation, CARE Carts, recreational activities, and cultural celebrations.

Together, these programs help patients cope with their hospitalization while promoting connection, facilitating creative self-expression, and reinforcing positive identity, which ultimately contributes to holistic healing.

Pet therapy for staff support

This fall, The CARE Project is excited to welcome Darla, a 2-year-old black Labrador Retriever trained by Canine Companions, as our first certified therapy dog dedicated to staff support. Thanks to the generosity of our community through the annual Canine Calendar fundraiser, Darla will provide comfort not only to patients and families, but also to the employees who care for them every day.

Darla will be available by request to celebrate joyful moments with staff or provide a calm, grounding presence during difficult times. Almost every time we visit a unit with a therapy dog, I hear a staff member say, often with tears in their eyes, "You don't know how much I needed this right now." You are not alone in needing support and as a community, we can unite to lift each other up.

Working in healthcare is deeply meaningful, but it also carries significant physical and emotional demands. Through The CARE Project, I have witnessed how supporting our staff ultimately strengthens the care we provide our patients. Whether it's a visit from a therapy dog or the support of a colleague, these opportunities to care for ourselves and one another are not extras—they are an integral part of sustaining the compassionate and inclusive culture that defines UC Davis Health.

Together, we create an environment where patients, families, and colleagues feel valued, connected, and supported, and that is something truly worth celebrating.

Together in healing,

Katie Lorain, MPS, ATR-BC, Reiki III
Creative Arts and Recreation Therapy Manager
The CARE Project