Major Expansion Underway at D.C. HospitalDecember 17, 2014A Washington, D.C., veterinary hospital that employs 43 doctors will more than double in size when an 8,000-square-foot addition opens in 2015. Friendship Hospital for Animals, accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association, is adding a second floor and enlarging its 6,000-square-foot first floor. Seven exam rooms and three surgical suites are being constructed to help with a caseload of more than 60,000 patient visits a year. The first phase is scheduled for completion in late winter and the final piece by springtime. Friendship, which opened in 1936 and occupied its current building in 1960, offers primary care, specialty services and around-the-clock emergency medicine. The hospital bills itself as the only veterinary facility in Washington to employ full-time, board-certified specialists in surgery, critical care, internal medicine, radiology, oncology, neurology and clinical pathology. The hospital director, Peter S. Glassman, DVM, who launched the practice management system VetInsite in 2000, said the time was right for an expansion. “With 43 veterinarians and a total team of 176 operating under such physical constraints, Friendship was simply running out of the ability to provide the quality of care which our clients demanded,” Dr. Glassman said. “Doubling the size of our facility permits …
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University of Glasgow Adds Penn State to Joint Vet School ProgramDecember 16, 2014Students in the Department of Animal Science at Penn State will soon have the opportunity to enroll in the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine’s FEEPASS program. FEEPASS stands for Facilitated Early Entry Program for Animal Science Students. Under the program, students will complete the first three years of their undergraduate degree at Penn State. Their senior year will then be completed at the University of Glasgow, which equates to their first year of veterinary school. After successfully completing their senior year, they will receive a B.S. degree from Penn State while continuing to pursue their veterinary degree at the University of Glasgow. The program, known at the 3+1+4 system, was offered for the first time to universities in the United States in 2014. While the total time spent in school is the same as the traditional vet school route, eight years, there is a distinct advantage in having a guaranteed entry into vet school, according to Penn State. “We are thrilled to offer our students this innovative opportunity to study veterinary science with Glasgow’s internationally renowned program,” said Tracy Hoover Ph.D., associate dean for Undergraduate Education, who helped work out the details of the articulation agreement. “We are …
AKC Foundation Honors 6 Research FundraisersDecember 15, 2014Six organizations that over the past 20 years combined to donate more than $3.3 million to the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation have been named Distinguished Research Partners. Recognized Dec. 11 during the foundation’s Canine & Cocktails event in Orlando, Fla., were the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, the Irish Setter Club of America Foundation, the Newfoundland Club of America Charitable Trust, the Collie Health Foundation, the Golden Retriever Foundation and the American Boxer Charitable Foundation. The amounts raised by the groups to assist with canine research ranged from the Irish Setter Club’s $131,100 to the American Boxer foundation’s $1,180,130. “These clubs and organizations are making a lasting impact on canine health,” said Shila Nordone, MS, Ph.D., the Canine Health Foundation’s chief scientific officer. “Their donations … are supporting research that addresses some of the most prominent health concerns for our dogs. We are tackling cancer, subaortic stenosis, hypothyroidism, degenerative myelopathy, epilepsy, bloat and cardiomyopathy. “Together, we are working to provide better treatments and more accurate diagnoses for all dogs.” The Canine Health Foundation, a grant-making institution, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2015. The foundation also honored Thomas A. Grabe, publisher of The Canine Chronicle, with …
PetSmart to be Sold for $8.7 BillionDecember 15, 2014PetSmart Inc., one of the largest U.S. pet store chains, has agreed to be taken over by an investment group in a transaction valued at $8.7 billion. The tentative deal is expected to have no effect on the more than 800 Banfield veterinary hospitals that operate inside PetSmart stores. “Banfield Pet Hospital has an agreement that governs its relationship with PetSmart which, by its terms, is not affected by a change in PetSmart ownership,” the Portland, Ore., veterinary chain noted. “Banfield will continue to operate its hospitals as usual.” The sale, announced Sunday and subject to the approval of PetSmart shareholders and regulators, is led by the London-based private equity firm BC Partners and two other investors: Quebec-based La Caisse and New York-based StepStone. Longview Asset Management of Toronto, Canada, has held a 9 percent stake in PetSmart and will vote in favor of the transaction, PetSmart reported. The sale is priced at $83 a share, a significant jump from mid-June, when PetSmart stock was trading at under $58. “This transaction is a testament to the strength of the PetSmart brand and franchise and reflects the dedication and commitment of our 54,000 associates to serving our customers and …
Virginia Tech Relocates Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary MedicineDecember 13, 2014The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has moved its Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine to Blacksburg, Va. The center was previously located in College Park, Md. “The move allows the center to have a closer relationship with the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in Blacksburg with greater access to students pursuing the public and corporate veterinary medicine track,” said Valerie Ragan, DVM, director of the center. Dr. Ragan took the helm of the center in 2009 following more than two decades of experience in public and corporate veterinary medicine. She and Bess Pierce, DVM, who was previously an associate professor of community practice in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, are joining the college’s Department of Population Health Sciences. They will continue the center’s work to teach courses, advise students, coordinate senior veterinary student clerkships, assist veterinarians wishing to transition into public practice and develop programs to advance the veterinary profession in government, industry and the nonprofit sector. The move to the Department of Population Health Sciences will also strengthen the center’s connections with the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health programs and advance the college’s commitment to One Health, …
Former Louisiana Vet Elected to CongressDecember 12, 2014The veterinary duo now serving in Congress will become a trio in January when Louisiana Republican Ralph Abraham, DVM, is sworn in. The 1980 graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine won the runoff election for the state’s 5th District on Dec. 6. Dr. Abraham’s career as a practitioner lasted 10 years, until 1990, when he entered the LSU School of Medicine and later earned a human medicine degree and re-entered the work force as a general family practitioner. “We are thrilled to see another elected official with a DVM on his resume serving in the next Congress,” the American Veterinary Medical Association reported. Abraham won election over Democrat Jamie Mayo by collecting 64 percent of the vote. “Grateful for this win!” he told supporters in a post on his campaign Facebook page Dec. 7. “My family and I will be at church in the morning, but we will begin aggressively going to work for the voters of [District 5] bright & early on Monday.” Abraham is a self-described conservative, opposing abortion, gun control, new taxes and career politicians, according to his campaign website. He wants to fix the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, explaining that …
$500,000 Dog Park Debuts in Prescott, Ariz.December 12, 2014What does $500,000 buy? In Prescott, Ariz., that amount of cash has given the community a renovated dog park done up in a firefighter theme. Prescott’s Willow Creek Dog Park was chosen for a half-million-dollar makeover a year ago when resident Linda Nichols won the annual Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest, a competition sponsored by pet food maker Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. Months of work were unveiled Wednesday as Nichols was joined by project managers Jason Cameron, host of the TV shows “Desperate Landscapes,” “Man Caves” and “Sledgehammer,” and pet expert Arden Moore. Nichols and more than 1,000 other dog owners nationwide entered the contest. Nichols’ winning entry was selected from among 14 finalists after a round of judging and public voting. Moore, whose task was to oversee the project from a dog’s point of view, helped bring to life Nichols’ wish for a firefighter theme. Today dogs can race around a miniature red fire truck, run though giant fire truck tires, rest in a covered firehouse lounge and cool off next to fire hydrant misters. The makeover fixed what Nichols described in her contest video as a “large, fenced dirt field with lots of weeds.” Prescott …
AAFP, Colorado Clinic Prep for TV RolesDecember 12, 2014Lights, camera, action. Veterinary medicine will be in the public spotlight sometime in 2015 when the American Association of Feline Practitioners and a Colorado hospital are featured on the television series “Innovations with Ed Begley Jr.” The Discovery Channel show, hosted by actor Ed Begley Jr., focuses on cutting-edge advancements in areas such as health, wellness, business and renewable energy, according to its creator, DMG Productions. Air dates have not been announced for the episodes starring AAFP and Peak Veterinary Specialists & Emergency in Windsor, Colo. AAFP will show up in mid-2015 and Peak in the second quarter. Filming has yet to start, series producer Ryann Watkin said. The AAFP episode will inform viewers about how the Hillsborough, N.J., organization works to advance the field of feline care. AAFP’s Cat Friendly Practice program, which helps clinics better serve feline patients and which certifies qualifying hospitals, will draw attention, too. “Our participation in the ‘Innovations’ series will allow us to showcase how our members and the association are positively impacting and improving the quality of care for cats,” said AAFP President Susan Little, DVM, Dipl. ABVP. The “green” features employed at Peak Veterinary Specialists are among the attributes …
Survey: Most Practices Solicit Pet Owner InputDecember 11, 2014Nearly three in every four veterinary practices request client feedback through surveys, but whether the comments are helpful is another matter. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) of Alachua, Fla., reported Tuesday that a survey of its own members found that 72 percent issued client questionnaires and that more than half of them did so after an office visit. Among the reasons 28 percent of practices refrained from putting out surveys were low response rates during previous efforts or not enough time, money or resources. Some of the survey-free practices justified their decision by noting that the request for input puts pressure on a client or can present the image that the clinic is trying to fix something. VHMA urged that hospitals invite feedback from clients. “When clients are dissatisfied, they register their complaints with their wallets, which can have a devastating effect on a practice’s bottom line,” the organization stated. The 272 VHMA members who returned their surveys noted that not all client feedback was valuable. Twelve percent of those that use surveys said the results were insufficient to effect meaningful change, and 5 percent said the responses were often too rosy and therefore not very helpful. The other 83 …
Tufts Vet School Launches Master’s Program in Infectious DiseaseDecember 11, 2014Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has created a 12-month Master’s Program in Infectious Disease and Global Health. The program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to pursue careers in infectious disease as well as related areas of disease management, transmission, prevention, treatment and control. Students may also choose the program as a means to make them more competitive for doctoral level programs such as a DVM or Ph.D., according to the school. The creation of the program stems from a critical need, according to Saul Tzipori, DVM, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health. “The future will likely witness more frequent emergent diseases with increased virulence than in the past,” Dr. Tzipori said. “Many human, biological, environmental and climatic factors contribute to this phenomenon, including the exponential growth in human and domestic animal populations along with shrinking wildlife habitats. Infectious diseases will be, therefore, an increasing scientific and global public health concern with significant economic consequences.” The program’s coursework will examine the natural history of infectious agents and the diseases they cause, as well as aspects of detection, pathogenesis, transmission, prevention, control, treatment, ecology, immunology, vaccinology and animal models. Among infectious …
