We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aimee Mitchell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aimee below.

Aimee, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

In my previous administrative roles, I learned the importance of organizational skills. Organizational skills ensure that the business runs efficiently and
effectively. As Program Manager, I use these skills daily to streamline procedures, update documents and policies, and communicate effectively. When Buckeye Paws expanded animal assisted intervention to the students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University, being able to use these skills and
adapt quickly proved to be essential for a successful launch.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Aimee Mitchell and I am the Program Manager of Buckeye Paws. Buckeye Paws is a student, faculty, and staff focused certified therapy dog program operating within The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. The idea for a therapy dog program came from Nursing leaders, Mary Justice and Beth Steinberg to provide wellness for staff while they were working in the hospital. I joined Mary and Beth about six months before the launch of the program as Mary’s Executive Assistant. During our first meeting, Mary said, “I have something weird to tell you about myself.” I sat back in my chair, hesitant. She said, “I have a therapy dog, his name is Shiloh, and he is currently laying under my desk. I want to create a therapy dog program for the staff at medical center.” I squealed with excitement and said, “I’m all in, please let me help.” I began volunteering in the evenings and on weekends to create the name, uniform, and some recognition around the program through social media and our internal network. On March 6, 2020, Buckeye Paws officially launched at the Schwartz Center Rounds within The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The program was an immediate success and continued to increase in popularity throughout the pandemic. In January 2021, I started grad school at The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. Immediately, I noticed that people within the university were also suffering from stress and burnout, similar to those in the medical center, so there was a need for a therapy dog program. With approval from Beth and Mary, I reached out to the university president’s office with the idea to expand. To our delight, on March 7, 2022, President Kristina M. Johnson announced the expansion of Buckeye Paws to assist the students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University as a cornerstone for mental health and wellbeing. Our outreach continues to grow as we’re looking for new ways to further expand Buckeye Paws.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I never imagined that I would be managing a wellness program but now, I can’t see myself doing anything else. So if I could go back, I would absolutely choose the same profession again. An employee within the medical center recently reached out and said that she wouldn’t have made it through the pandemic if it hadn’t been for Buckeye Paws. This proves that this program is changing lives for the better and I’m so proud to be apart of it.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I would first like to acknowledge the incredible 36 Buckeye Paws handlers, dogs, and student assistant, Melanie. I am very lucky to be surrounded by caring individuals that truly believe in the mission of our program.

From a young age, my parents taught me the importance of treating others with respect. This is something I continue to carry with me today. All handlers are welcomed and encouraged to share their ideas to permit Buckeye Paws to continue growing, adjusting to fit needs, and being innovative. I believe respect and communication has been key for our program. Another thing that I like to do is share feedback about interactions with the dogs with our team. It is such a morale boost to see how everyone is making a positive impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: go.osu.edu/BuckeyePaws
• Instagram: Instagram.com/BuckeyePaws
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aimeemitchell0403

Image Credits
Lindsey Pfefferle