Hospital dramas fill our screens during prime time, so it’s easy for
one to visualize the constant flurry of activity that one might witness
on any given day. A reception room fills with patients and their
anxious family members await the report from their doctor.
Techs scurry to assist an accident victim while specialists in
radiology study radiographs, CAT scans and MRIs. A patient in ICU is
quietly observed for progress following cardiac surgery. Cancer
patients anxiously await their chemo treatment. So what happens when
the patients are not humans, but animals?
Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) are best known as the
Johns Hopkins of the veterinary world. This specialized facility,
located in Annapolis, exists as a referral center and emergency room
for pets in need of more specialized care than your regular vet may be
able to provide. Housed under one roof, CVRC provides departmentalized
services for medical treatment that is initiated by referral from your
veterinarian. This state-of-the-art hospital holds seven specialty
departments and incorporates a fully functioning veterinary hospital
staffed with board certified specialists and technicians in each
department. This makes the Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center one of
select veterinary centers in the country that functions as the
equivalent of its human counterpart.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the emergency clinic
handles all of the emergency patients that come in. It is not unusual
to see a family travel from an hour away or more for specialized care
for their pet. The emergency clinic relies on the strength of the other
departments including surgery, internal medicine, cardiology,
ophthalmology, dermatology and, to the surprise of many pet owners,
dentistry. Within the same building your furry family member can
receive chemotherapy, have hip replacement surgery, eye surgery and
even have a root canal.
The building, which equates to the size of a small supermarket, is
expertly designed for maximum efficiency. Just off the spacious lobby
and reception area there are two hallways of shared exam rooms staffed
with an army of scrub-clad veterinary assistants answering phone calls
and ushering patients and their companions in and out of rooms.
It’s behind the exam rooms that the true scale of this center
can be seen. Like Alice walking through the looking glass, an immediate
jaw-dropping experience ensues as you enter the doors of the treatment
area. Every veterinary practice has an area where the procedures take
place. The difference at CVRC is size. Think of a triage area in a
major metropolitan hospital. It’s tremendous. This is the real heart of
the operation, with rows of examination tables, patient kennels,
computers and numerous staff in constant motion. This area serves as a
staging center for all pets. Here, animals can get a quick exam before
heading to x-ray, or receive an IV while recovering from surgery. In
this shared space, the staff can easily communicate with each
department, allowing for each pet to get the best possible health care.
Dr. Kris Evans admits that you might find animals requiring seeing all
seven practices within their lifetime. The seven specialty departments
are all individually owned, but function seamlessly with each having
their own treatment suite off a common area. So how can things operate
smoothly with so many different specialties under one roof? “Color
coding is one of the keys,” says Sally Strange, clinical administrator.
She explains that every department has its own color and supplies
including drugs, equipment and kennels. Colored dots and labels appear
on everything from patient charts to boxes in the supply room. One may
see how efficiency of the operation of the hospital saves time and
energy.
As Dr. Roa looks from his surgical suite he sees a dog heading off to
surgery, another two dogs are being prepped for emergency surgeries,
and a third, Sampson, is having an ultrasound after being admitted to
Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine (one of the practices at CVRC)
after vomiting for two days.
Sampson’s concerned owners took the yellow Lab puppy to their regular
vet when he began vomiting and showing signs of straining when trying
to go to the bathroom. Their vet performed an x-ray that showed a
foreign object in the abdomen. Unable to tell where the object was,
Sampson’s vet referred the lethargic puppy to Chesapeake Veterinary
Surgical Specialists.
Dr. Evans orders tests, including an ultrasound, as she suspects a
foreign body. To rule out more serious conditions they draw blood and
do an abdominal tap. Sampson is sent to the main hub to await the
results from the house lab.
His blood work is consistent with dehydration and possible sepsis. With
no sign of improvement in Sampson’s condition, Dr. Evans has a
consultation with the pup’s anguished owners, recommending emergency
surgery.
It’s now early evening as Sampson is wheeled into surgery. His stomach
looks fine, but Dr. Evans recovers a large chunk of a hard rubber toy
from his upper intestine. ”Unfortunately, I see this a lot,” says Dr.
Evans “Dogs eat everything.” Groggy from anesthesia, Sampson is sent to
recovery while Dr. Evans gives an update on his condition to his family
in the waiting room, and allows them to peek in on their sleeping puppy
before they go home to get some much needed rest. Dr. Evans says, “It’s
been a long day for everyone. Go home, take it easy. He’s going to be
fine. The overnight emergency clinic will keep a watchful eye while
monitoring his progress.”
The next morning Sampson is up and alert as Dr. Evans enters. She looks
at his chart and is happy with the progress he has made overnight. The
pup’s blood is taken one more time and he is given some time to rest
and recover before being discharged later the next day.
Sampson’s family is grateful that their vet had the forethought to
refer them to CVSS. Jim Dietrich of Pasadena said, “If you love your
pet like a member of your family, you go above and beyond the call to
supply them with the best possible care. I’m glad CVSS was there.”
For more information on Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center, visit www.cvrc.com .
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the emergency clinic
handles all of the emergency patients that come in. It is not unusual
to see a family travel from an hour away or more for specialized care
for their pet. The emergency clinic relies on the strength of the other
departments including surgery, internal medicine, cardiology,
ophthalmology, dermatology and, to the surprise of many pet owners,
dentistry. Within the same building your furry family member can
receive chemotherapy, have hip replacement surgery, eye surgery and
even have a root canal.
It’s behind the exam rooms that the true scale of this center
can be seen. Like Alice walking through the looking glass, an immediate
jaw-dropping experience ensues as you enter the doors of the treatment
area. Every veterinary practice has an area where the procedures take
place. The difference at CVRC is size. Think of a triage area in a
major metropolitan hospital. It’s tremendous. This is the real heart of
the operation, with rows of examination tables, patient kennels,
computers and numerous staff in constant motion. This area serves as a
staging center for all pets. Here, animals can get a quick exam before
heading to x-ray, or receive an IV while recovering from surgery. In
this shared space, the staff can easily communicate with each
department, allowing for each pet to get the best possible health care.
Dr. Kris Evans admits that you might find animals requiring seeing all
seven practices within their lifetime. The seven specialty departments
are all individually owned, but function seamlessly with each having
their own treatment suite off a common area. So how can things operate
smoothly with so many different specialties under one roof? “Color
coding is one of the keys,” says Sally Strange, clinical administrator.
She explains that every department has its own color and supplies
including drugs, equipment and kennels. Colored dots and labels appear
on everything from patient charts to boxes in the supply room. One may
see how efficiency of the operation of the hospital saves time and
energy. 
It’s now early evening as Sampson is wheeled into surgery. His stomach
looks fine, but Dr. Evans recovers a large chunk of a hard rubber toy
from his upper intestine. ”Unfortunately, I see this a lot,” says Dr.
Evans “Dogs eat everything.” Groggy from anesthesia, Sampson is sent to
recovery while Dr. Evans gives an update on his condition to his family
in the waiting room, and allows them to peek in on their sleeping puppy
before they go home to get some much needed rest. Dr. Evans says, “It’s
been a long day for everyone. Go home, take it easy. He’s going to be
fine. The overnight emergency clinic will keep a watchful eye while
monitoring his progress.”
