The long-range plans for Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital call for construction of a new wing to house the community and exotics practice. Thanks to a gift from point-of-care blood analyzer company Abaxis®, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has taken the first step toward making those plans a reality.
Abaxis recently pledged a $200,000 gift toward construction of the new facility ($50,000 over four quarters). The gift is a result of a long-term relationship between Abaxis and Dr. Matthew Johnston, an Assistant Professor and exotics practitioner in the hospital. Dr. Johnston has worked with Abaxis since 2000 when he received a research grant to test a new Abaxis product that enabled blood analysis on birds and reptiles using only two drops of whole blood, serum or plasma.
“We are very pleased with our partnership with CSU as this relationship allows us to demonstrate Abaxis’ commitment to serving the veterinary and research community with high quality, innovative, and always cost-effective laboratory systems,” said Martin Mulroy, Abaxis Vice President of Marketing and Sales, North America.
Abaxis provides point-of-care blood analyzers to the medical and veterinary markets. Founded in 1989, Abaxis is headquartered in northern California with operations around the world.
“The proposed Community Practice Wing fits well with the work I’ve been doing with Abaxis, particularly with their focus on point-of-care blood analyzers in veterinary clinics,” said Dr. Johnston. “For our students, the training they get in this type of technology will profoundly affect the quality of care they will provide in their own clinics after they graduate from the Professional Veterinary Medical Program. To have Abaxis’ support for the Community Practice Wing is a logical extension of a great partnership.”
Currently, the hospital’s community practice is housed within the main hospital building. The new wing, planned for the southeast corner of the existing facility, would allow the practice to have the look, feel, and operations of a true community practice similar to what most PVM students will be working in when they graduate. In addition to the community practice, the new wing will house the exotics practice in a more accessible location to enhance client service and patient care.
“The Community Practice Wing is an important component of our South Campus development plan,” said Dr. Lance Perryman, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We greatly appreciate the investment Abaxis is making in Colorado State University to enhance and improve animal care at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.”
