UF Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital gets new name

The University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital has been renamed the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center to more accurately reflect the scope and sophistication of its inpatient and outpatient services. The new name is effective immediately and was developed with input from clients, clinicians in private practice and faculty.

The VMC is part of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and is located on the university’s Gainesville campus. The college’s mission includes providing superior patient care, educating veterinary students in clinical and practice skills, and discovering new knowledge to enhance animal, human and environmental health.

“Although the center continues to implement the college mission, we felt our old name failed to adequately reflect the extent of the hospital services we provide,” said the college’s dean, Joseph A. DiPietro, D.V.M. “Our new name better represents the comprehensive and sophisticated array of diagnostic capabilities and innovative services we offer our animal patients, including cardiology, animal behavior, dentistry, acupuncture and integrative care.”

DiPietro added that the new name better communicates UF’s large number of board-certified veterinary specialists, most of whom have training on par with medical oncologists, cardiologists, surgeons and other practitioners of human medicine.

The VMC consists of a small animal hospital that cares for companion animals including dogs, cats and exotic pets, and a large animal hospital that cares primarily for horses. Nearly 17,000 animals from all over Florida and beyond were seen and treated at UF last year.

For more information, call (352) 392-4700, ext. 5000, or visit the college’s Web site at: www.vetmed.ufl.edu.