BluePearl Ophthalmologist Joins CSU Faculty
BluePearl Pet Hospital specialists will serve as hybrid faculty members as part of an initiative addressing the shortage of U.S. veterinary specialists. The first partner, Colorado State University, will welcome BluePearl ophthalmologist Dr. Trevor Arnold, who “will spend three-quarters of his time with BluePearl’s Lafayette, Colorado, hospital and one quarter with CSU,” the company stated. “BluePearl will expand the program to additional academic institutions, offering a solution to the veterinary specialist shortage, while benefiting academia and pet owners.”
Covetrus Supports MentorVet Tech Scholarships
Covetrus is collaborating with the American Veterinary Medical Association and Pets Best insurance to provide mentoring scholarships for 35 veterinary technicians. Applications for the MentorVet Tech scholarships are due Oct. 21 at bit.ly/46zZz5C. “Veterinary technicians experience a myriad of challenges and stressors, and our innovative program can give this essential group of individuals the professional skills and support that they need to have sustainable careers,” said Dr. Addie Reinhard, the founder and CEO of MentorVet.
Shepherd PIMS Works With AllyDVM
Shepherd Veterinary Software is now fully integrated with MWI Animal Health’s AllyDVM client engagement platform. “Practices utilizing Shepherd’s PIMS can now benefit from AllyDVM’s tools, including its sleek, redesigned PetPage Patient Portal mobile app, which streamlines vet and client communications while automatically writing back appointment confirmations into their Shepherd PIMS,” MWI reported.
Kara Burns Is Newest Industry ICON
The Bridge Club will celebrate Kara M. Burns as an Industry ICON, the networking group’s first veterinary technician/nurse honoree. “Kara is so deserving of this honor,” said Dr. Alex Miller, manager of veterinary services at Blue Buffalo, which is co-sponsoring the Jan. 13, 2024, event in Orlando, Florida. “She has been instrumental in advancing the role of veterinary technicians and increasing the knowledge of all practitioners in the area of nutrition.” Burns is the president of the Pet Nutrition Alliance and editor-in-chief of Today’s Veterinary Nurse.
Veterinary Practice Partners Adds 50 Locations
Pennsylvania-based Veterinary Practice Partners reported “unprecedented growth” over the past year, “expanding from 90 co-owned hospitals and clinics in June 2022 to 140 locations across 27 states today.” The newest addition is El Paseo Animal Hospital in Palm Desert, California. It’s co-owned by Dr. Rachael Jeffrey and her husband, Dr. David Jeffrey.
VCA Names Chief Operating Officer
VCA Animal Hospitals promoted Aaron Frazier to chief operating officer. His previous role was general manager of VCA Canada. “As COO, Aaron maintains responsibility for VCA Canada and leads VCA’s U.S. operations, which include the West, Central and Eastern divisions, urgent care and innovation,” the company stated.
Schwarzman’s Referral Practice Is AAHA-Accredited
New York’s Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is now AAHA-accredited as a referral practice and general practice. The new referral accreditation extends to nine specialties: anesthesia, dentistry, diagnostic imaging and radiology, emergency and critical care, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, small animal internal medicine, and small animal surgery. The American Animal Hospital Association accredited the first veterinary practices in 1933.
WSAVA Welcomes New Members
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s 2023 World Congress attracted nearly 3,800 attendees to Lisbon, Portugal. Among WSAVA’s newest association members are the Albanian Veterinary Society, the Algerian Veterinary Space Foundation, Colegio Medico Veterinario de Chile, Pride VMC, the Iran Small Animal Veterinary Association and the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology. The 2024 World Congress is scheduled for September 3 to 5 in Suzhou, China.
Medgene Targets Nipah Virus and Rift Valley Fever
South Dakota-based Medgene signed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Agricultural Research Service to apply the company’s proprietary platform vaccine technologies against Nipah virus and Rift Valley Fever. Nipah virus is a highly fatal disease currently affecting swine in Southeast Asia, according to Medgene.
Pieper Veterinary Partners With Maine Hospital
Pieper Veterinary, a Connecticut-based network of primary, specialty and emergency care hospitals, acquired an equity stake in Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care in Portland, Maine. “This partnership continues Pieper’s strategy to partner with privately owned hospitals committed to providing quality veterinarian-led medicine in the Northeast,” according to Pieper.