Ventura, CA - Community Memorial Health System will unveil its Dr. Peter Gaal Dog Therapy Program during a ceremony on Monday, March 9, at Community Memorial Hospital’s Huntsinger Garden.

The ceremony, which will run from noon to 12:30 p.m., will provide the public the opportunity to meet the therapy teams, including the dogs and their handlers. CMHS President and CEO Gary Wilde and a representative of the Gaal family will give short remarks.

The program is named in honor of Dr. Gaal, a much loved cardiovascular surgeon at CMHS. A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in CMH’s eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 12 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.