Mercy’s Kathy Sullivan, BSN, RN, Selected as Healthcare Hero

Mercy's Kathy Sullivan and Gus. 

In addition to daily responsibilities that include managing a team of 140 interdisciplinary staff, Kathy is also credited with starting the popular Comfort Dog Program at Mercy. She began by inviting two local law enforcement agencies to bring their therapy dogs to Mercy and provide hospital staff with a few moments of joy. Soon after, she approached Mercy administrators about having her golden retriever Ollie come to the hospital as a comfort dog – a role he maintained until his unexpected passing last year.

Encouraged to continue Ollie’s legacy, Kathy now brings Gus, a Fox-Red English Labrador, to Mercy where he is a source of comfort and happiness during stressful days. Escorted by Kathy, Gus attends new employee orientation and makes special visits whenever a patient or family requests him. During a mock code held in the middle of the night, Gus provided a calm presence and support to staff who often carry the weight of high stress situations while the rest of us are sleeping. Balancing her clinical responsibilities and escorting Gus can be challenging – so it takes intentional planning on Kathy’s part to make sure Gus can be shared with as many people as possible.

You can read her full profile here.

Kathy will join other members of the Class of 2026 on Thursday, October 22, at the annual Healthcare Heroes Gala at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.