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Dog Days of Summer: Meet the pets of Asante
Asante employees introduce their furry and scaled co-workers.
Time’s up for the Dog Days of Summer contest. Check out the drawing winner and the honorable mentions chosen by our staff!
Stephanie Jacobson, clinical pharmacist, ARRMC
"This is Woody. We like to call him Woody Goodboy Guthrie. He is a rescue Belgium Malinois who came to us during the pandemic. We tragically lost both our dogs months apart at the beginning of the year. Although not intentionally looking to adopt another dog so soon, life happens when you're making other plans. He lives for love and tennis balls!"
Belinda Saites, sterile processing lead tech, ATRMC
Pete is a mini Schnauzer. Check out his video below.
Carol Gibson, cook, AACH
"My cat's name is Pootie Cat. She is an Abyssinian. We adopted her one year ago when she was 2 1/2. She just took her first road trip with us to Bandon. She was very excited about climbing every rock and watching all the birds. When she was done, she would jump back into her backpack carrier."
Margaret "Janie" Alden, Asante Lifeline Program manager
"Higgins is our donkey and provides much entertainment for our family. This photo is of his birthday, but he attends all family gatherings! That's Mable photobombing in the background!"
Sarah Carlyle, clinical practice adviser, Nursing Professional Development
"Linus and Lucy were foster kittens of one of my ICU coworkers. I adopted them in July. They make my home so fun! Lucy likes to sleep on the modem (it's warm), and Linus likes to watch me participate in work meetings from over my shoulder since I won’t let him sit on the keyboard."
Chrysi Thomson, financial clearance coordinator, Asante
"Mochi came home in June of 2021, and since she has been here she has been my constant companion. As part of my job role in FCC, I make a lot of phone calls to insurance companies, and one time during one of these phone calls, I hear Mochi behind me, growling, barking and jumping. I turned to take a look at what she was doing. In that moment she was attacking, and riding the robot vacuum (Sharknado), causing me to burst out in laughter on the phone with the poor insurance rep. Thankfully she told me that she works from home too, and had a similar story."
Tonya Hawk, sterile processing tech, ATRMC
"Daisy Mae is a Walker coonhound. She came to me after the tragic loss of another pet and has filled my heart with joy!"
Natalie Tucker, occupational therapist, ATRMC
"Grimm, a question mark mix, is 4. 5 months old now and was adopted on June 26 from Southern Oregon Humane Society. He is adjusting well to his new home and puts up with wearing raincoats in the dry season. He's a bundle of energy and love and can't wait to share it with anything that moves."
Angela Lloyd, medical lab tech, ARRMC
"Bandita, aka Banda the Akita, was adopted from Northwest Akita Rescue during the pandemic. She had double knee surgery before her arrival in Oregon. She enjoys long walks, pouncing at critters in the backyard and being the best companion she can be."
Karen Ridgway, PSR, APP–Occupational Health
"Archie is a goldendoodle. He loves to sneak a sock daily. He loves people!"
Heather Daylene Ayers, CNA, ARRMC Post Surgical Unit
"Bailey Jack Bauer is a 3-year-old Dalmatian that loves to hike."
Melanie Westfall, FNP, APP–Endocrinology, Grants Pass
"This is my Boston terrier, Fiona. She is enjoying her river time when not helping me at work."
Louise Kezer, sterile tech, ARRMC Sterile Processing
"Meet Rider. This was on Valentine's Day. He got dressed up to be Mommy's valentine."
Jennifer Marks, patient access supervisor, ATRMC
"Buddy the wonder mutt is a rescue and we don't know his breed. We love him. He just likes to chill and be with his people. He loves being at the beach, rafting and traveling with his family."
Eliza Kauder, staff assistant, AACH Facilities
"My husband, Brad, and I have been fostering newborn kittens for Friends of the Animal Shelter for 15 years. When I'm not home they go to Brad's office to be nurtured. Thhis summer's 'crop' are all named after flowers: Dahlia, Poppy, Cosmos and Zinny."
Heather Hicks, nurse, ARRMC Ortho/Neuro
“When I venture out into the night to photograph the night sky I bring along the best travel companion anyone could ask for and that is my yellow lab, Ginger. She is also known as Yellow Dog, the Adventure Dog. Ginger is 6 years old, easygoing, well trained and always alerts me when something is not right. She sees me grab my camera bag and her tail begins to wag as she knows that we are headed out on an adventure. Here is a photo of Ginger and I under the Milky Way this summer while camping at Crescent Lake in the Deschutes National Forest.”
Megan Samuelson, legal analyst, Asante
"Nori loves the water and going on fishing trips! Her favorite thing is to swim and scare the fish. When she’s not at the river, Nori likes to put her paws to the dirt for some hiking."
Shonna Zimmerman, staff assistant, Asante Foundation
"Morgan is an approximately 10-year old cat who displays partial hind-end paralysis from a spinal injury from before I adopted her. She is the sweetest little drama queen who feels very slighted that her crazy hind legs won’t let her climb up and get in the frame of my webcam, but she’s very creative about interrupting my Zoom calls anyway. When she hears the characteristic sound of a conference call, she calmly pulls herself under my desk, takes a deep breath, and yodels her little lungs out. I’ve had people stop the meetings to ask whose cat or child was injured. No, she’s not hurt, just wounded to her heart that she’s not the center of attention."
Kitty Sallas, health educator, Asante Health Promotion
“This is a collage of Belle’s many reactions during my remote days, while I’m sitting outside on our back patio working. They portray what I can only assume are the following thoughts: ‘Lifestyle??’ ‘Healthier??’ ‘Yes! FOOD!’ ‘The Employee Fitness Center sounds cool.’ ‘WebEx meetings make me sleepy too, mama.’ ‘Squirrel!’ ‘Where’s MY paycheck?!’"
Megan Miles, mammography tech, ARRMC
"Gus and Rue are French bulldogs. They spend their day napping, chasing kids, playing, and then napping some more."
Danielle Ennis, supervisor, Asante Laboratory Services
"Tasha is a very vigilant sighthound, with no bark. Lilly is a very lazy scenthound, with a large barrel-chested bark. We got them both as puppies and Tasha learned how to ‘ask’ Lilly to bark at things for her. So you’ve probably heard Lilly bark in the background, but she rarely knows why she is barking. She just knows her sister told her to!"
Robin McCoy, PSR, AACH
"My fur-babies, Robin (momma bear) and Chuck are 7½ years old. I have had the joy of having them since they were 8 weeks old. Bailey is the alpha and likes to push her little brother around. Chuck (aka Senor Circles) is a lover and puts up with her. They love the beach and treats 😊 I hope to take them back to the beach soon!"
McKenna Frison, CNA, ATRMC
"My sweet 8-month-old border collie puppies! They were the best gift in the midst of the pandemic, and have made every day brighter ever since! Lily and Dixie crave any outdoor adventure that keeps their little minds busy and are always snuggled right by my side at the end of the day."
Shea Quinn, patient experience coordinator, APP
"Teddy was born with only one eye, and Lydia is the newest addition to the Quinn family."
Trisha Castillo, social worker, ATRMC
“Mooshie Booshie and Stubbs are rescue cats. Stubbs came to live with me about 10 years ago after she was abandoned by a neighbor who moved. Stubbs seemed to be very sad being an only cat, so Mooshie Booshie moved in a few months later. Stubbs loves to sleep on shoes and spy on people from the stairs. Stubbs also loves to watch “Star Wars.” Mooshie Booshie waits for me at the gate every night to greet me when I come home from work. She is my snuggle cat and loves to be wherever I am, especially on the keyboard when I’m in video meetings.”
Jessica Larson, project manager, Asante
"Lucky is a dachshund/Jack Russell mix. She spends her days building nests to burrow in on the guest bed behind my desk. I was in a meeting with Dennie Conrad [chief strategy officer] one day while all the blankets were moving violently behind me. Finally, when she got the blankets just right, she popped her little head up. Dennie noticed the little furry thing in the back with big ears, stopped the meeting and said, 'Is that a rabbit?!' It’s become a line we say in our home whenever Lucky has her ears sticking up."
Bonnie Kirby, buyer, Purchasing
"This is my boy, Koba. He’s a papillon mix. He loves to go everywhere with me and even though he is not a huge fan of water, he will tolerate going on the Tahiti with me. He likes to sit on the very tip like a masthead, or in my lap so that I can’t paddle. He’s so happy that I am working from home and he has a companion every day. I am there to comfort him if he hears a gunshot or if the mail lady is 'trespassing.'”
Shirley Wilson, nurse, ARRMC NICU
"This is Roscoe. He's a 12-year-old rescued, paralyzed chihuahua. He is taking a break from his pool therapy. He is saying naner, naner, naner. This is a dog's life!"
Paula Young, care transformation nurse, APP–Grants Pass
"Jojo is an 8-year-old pomeranian. I did telemedicine from home for about eight months. Every time I was on speaking to a patient he would look at me like 'Can I work too?'"
Hannah Deter, patient access, ATRMC
"It's hard to be sad around Oscar. If you've lost your smile, he'll gladly give you one of his."
Fernando Ramirez-Barrett, program director, Children's Miracle Network
Rue, a 4-year-old Australian shepherd, "prefurs" chardonnay.
Victoria Dalzell
"When I was in nursing school I took in this delightful little ball of fuzz that we found outside. It was undeniably adorable and it even mewed! She became my partner in crime, dissected pharmacology jargon and helped me memorize the Davis's drug guide. Ultimately, she helped me get where I am all because who isn't motivated by a kitten in pajamas!? Mischa Mae (adopted last month) took her first trip to the lake!"
Jo Swayze, courier, ARRMC lab
"Buddy is a yellow lab. He loves to go on boat rides. The only problem with taking him fishing is you can't use a bobber because he will jump in after it thinking it is a ball."
Heather Craft, PSR, APP–Family Medicine, State Street
Heather's dogs, Panda and Sarge, inspired this "pup art."
Melanie Lyda, nurse, ATRMC Radiation Oncology
That's not Melanie in the photo, but co-workers Shelley and Larry Laahs, who are taking Melanie's biker pup, Bisay, on a ride.
Laura Nelson, manager, ARRMC Surgical Services
"Charlie, my baby dachshund, took his first rafting trip with the surgery department."
Kimberly Little, ambulatory coding supervisor
"Emmy thinks that sitting on the desk while I work from home isn’t close enough. Instead, she perches on my shoulder like a 12-pound bird."
Shannon Nilsson, staff assistant, Asante Foundation
"This is Noodle, so named for her floppy puppy disposition (though that will likely change as she gets older). Mom worked through the pandemic and Dad retired from Erickson so he needed a friend. Noodle walks Mom to work and meets co-workers, making friends wherever she goes."
Boone Richardson, clinical practice adviser, Nursing Professional Development
"Bigsby 'Biggs' is a miniature Australian shepherd. This photo was taken while hiking on the North Umpqua River."
Stephanie Baker, sonographer, ARRMC
Stephanie's hairless terriers, "Nora Jean, the Trouble Machine, and Sawyer the Destroyer."
Stephanie Silani, nurse, ARRMC NICU
Skiddles, Heidi and Shelby have the outdoors bred into them. Heidi is a German short-haired pointer; the others are Brittany spaniels.
Dee Perez, Epic trainer
"Fergus has loved having me work from home since the pandemic started! He spends the days beside me while I work from my home office as an Epic trainer on the Inpatient Orders Team. Sometime he tries to help me proofread new tip sheets and study for Epic tests. But then he gets tired and naps on his back. Sometime he snores so loudly that I have to mute my mic if I’m in a meeting. 😉 He makes the work day so much more enjoyable by being a lovable goofball and convincing me we need to take a break for walkies."
Clint Parenteau, anesthesia tech, ATRMC
"This is my boy Biff. He is a reverse brindle pit bull. Biff enjoys long naps on the sofa, handfuls of treats and butt scratches. Biff is always willing to pick up a shift for his dad."
ITS analyst Karen McMillen
"This is me and my dogs Daisy and Arlo Guthrie in Crescent City, California. We rode out the pandemic in our house on the ocean, which has a very calming effect. Arlo can be heard blowing salt out of his nose during a conference call or two. Asante's Dawn Wipf was Arlo's first mom. She breeds miniature Aussies."
Ron Hackett, cook, Guest Services
"Harmony is a purebred German shepherd. It was friends at first bite."
Kristin Sweem, MA, APP-Family Medicine
Ariat, a blue heeler, is a perfect companion for a summer hike.
Karen Dumont, Sr. HR representative
"Pugsley sits next to me all day when I'm working from home. He's my personal security guard."
Debbie Daggett, development officer, Asante Foundation
"My two boys. Whenever I get up, Willy [left] comes and lays right in my spot. Every. Single. Time! He is so cute, I can’t get mad at him so I just sort of skooch him over a bit. The tri, Maxie, is Karen’s McMillen's dog’s brother. We got him from Dawn Wipf. They are great brothers."
Deeanna Patton, cancer registry analyst
"Joey is an English bulldog. During Zoom meetings it never fails when someone will stop and say, “What is that sound?” And I have to reply with, “It’s just Joey!” My snoring, snorting
, and tooting bulldog! Noah the Manx is my work-at-home boss. She sits on my desk and watches my every move. Occasionally, she will wave at me and demand that I pet her."
Heidi Diaz, MA, APP–Colorectal Surgery in Grants Pass
"My sweet boy and adventure buddy, living his best lake life. 😊 Partner is an American pit bull terrier."
Patricia England, Asante Financial Services
"We have Mocha, who is almost 13 and getting used to another puppy in the house. We believe she is a beagle, terrier mix. Then we have Tiva. She is a deer-legged chihuahua and English and French bull dog. She is 7 months old. They weren’t friends, but now they are inseparable. Thank you for letting me share what helps me get through the days."
ARRMC facilities engineer David Hooper
David and his father, David Hooper, Sr., spent some quality park time with goldendoodle Henry.
Shar Stenseth, patient access lead, ARRMC
"Lobo was rescue. We believe German shepherd mix, from the back woods of Grants Pass. No one claimed this adorable pup! My husband and I decided to try him out at home and, as they say the rest is history."
Tamra Hutchings, PSR, ATRMC rehab
"We lost our 16-year-old cat, Rosie. My husband and I were thinking that since I was working from home it would be a good time to get a kitten, so we adopted Alice. (Alice the Wonder Kitten.) She made working from home a lot less lonely and she helped out by sleeping on my desk, stepping on my keyboard, and climbing me during our online Town Hall meetings. I think she just wanted to see where the voices were coming from. I’m very thankful to Asante for allowing me to work from home during this time. As much as I miss 'working' with Alice, I’m glad to be back to working with my Asante team."
Danielle Whipple, patient service rep, Asante Urgent Care
"Roxy Ann, my 2 1/2-year-old pit bull, has a tendency to be really needy throughout the day. While training at home, being on WebEx calls and ALEC she would get jealous of the computer getting the attention. She made it her mission to close the laptop as much as possible. I started doing WebEx meetings outside on my porch and ALEC training locked in my bedroom so I could get through it without having to log back in every five minutes. She is happier now that I'm working in office and can't witness me giving attention to something other than her."
Russ Hearing, ARRMC chaplain
"Tucker is a golden retriever. I caught him getting a closer look at what Mama was serving for dinner. That’s my boy!"
Ashley Larkins, patient access rep, ARRMC
"This is Noah and his dog, Ruger. They were the dynamic duo, Ruger was always right there with Noah getting into things they were not supposed to. In this picture Noah was trying to reach the light switch to turn the lights on and off. He couldn’t reach it them by himself so he brought Ruger over to the light switch, Ruger laid down so Noah could climb on him and turn the lights on and off. "
Carol Wilson, a stroke coordinator at ARRMC
Carol has two coworkers: Thor and Loki. She created a slide to introduce them in video conferences. "I was in a WebEx meeting and they were chasing each other. As I was talking, there was a loud crash that everyone on the meeting heard. Loki had jumped on a bookshelf and knocked off a large jar candle, which shattered when it hit my hardwood floor. Someone asked, 'What was that?' I replied, “That was Loki, the goddess of mischief!”
VIDEOS
McKenzie Myers, a nurse practitioner at ATRMC’s Wound and Ostomy Clinic, introduces the newest member of her family. His future’s so bright, he’s got to wear shades.
Stephanie Feeley, RN, Epic analyst: “Zoe is a shepherd-mix puppy. When she is not trying to convince us that she is a lap dog, she works on her Kool-Aid man impression bursting through screen doors while I’m working from home. Her best asset, however, is her ability to wake my teenage boys up if they forget to set their alarms. She is quite enthusiastic when she bounces onto their beds in the morning.”
Because some pets prefer to do the talking, we introduce Panda, who works with April Rosenthal at her home office.
HELLO, ASANTE PEOPLE,
I’m Panda, The Pandemic Cat. I come to you from Nurse April’s desk. We do follow-up calls for TCM patients and patients seen in the ED. And nurse triage for two APP clinics in Ashland and Talent. Of course, I had to sign a HIPPA agreement before I could become a triage cat.
I give my nurse person the best of my knowledge and experience, which makes me very tired. Most of the time, I pretend to sleep on the desk so I can eavesdrop on her core team meetings and WebEx webinars.
Well, it’s time for my nap. Good chatting with you. Signing off,
Panda, the Asante cat-viser
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