Teaching Hospital Operational Updates
Due to a recent faculty member departure, coupled with realized profession-wide shortages, the Auburn Large Animal Hospital Equine Ambulatory Service is implementing operational modifications within the Equine Ambulatory Service effective immediately and continuing until further notice. Our goal is for these modifications to be temporary and we will post updates as they occur.
Moving forward, the Equine Ambulatory Service will have the following modified operations:
APPOINTMENTS:
- For December 12th, 2022 – January 2nd, 2023, the Equine Ambulatory Service will be on an emergency-only basis. Scheduled on-farm appointments will not be made during this time. If you require a scheduled appointment for medical care of your horse, you are welcome to make an appointment for care at the main hospital with the appropriate service. If your horse needs emergency, on-farm care, you can call to speak with the doctor covering services at that time.
- In January 2023, you will see two new faces that will be helping offer equine ambulatory services. These experienced equine practitioners will be available for appointments on the farm as usual. Please give them a warm welcome as they briefly join our team to provide care for your horses.
- In February 2023, services will be offered as usual with Dr. Alfredo Sanchez.
- Starting in March 2023 and until another veterinarian is hired for the Equine Ambulatory Service, Dr. Sanchez will offer a modified appointment calendar. More information on appointment scheduling will be provided as we enter the new year.
EMERGENCY SERVICES:
- Moving forward, after-hours and weekend/holiday emergency services will only be offered to our established clients. An established client is one who has either used services at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the last two years, or one who has pre-registered with the hospital in advance. To pre-register with the hospital if you are a new or non-established client, please call 334-844-4490.
- NOTE: Please be aware that emergency services at the main hospital will be available. If you do not have a trailer for your horse, you can call the main hospital and ask for the list of local horse-owners that may be available to trailer your horse to the hospital.
Read more about the Equine Ambulatory Service’s modified operations
Out of an abundance of caution due to confirmed HPAI (bird flu) cases in the state of Alabama and resultant directives by state officials, until further notice the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and Auburn Raptor Center will not accept any sick or injured wild birds for treatment. Precautions are being taken to protect resident and patient raptors currently housed at the center, with educational programming and scheduled tours continuing as planned.
Please do not touch or attempt to move injured, deceased or sick wild birds and do not transport the animal for treatment. In the event you or someone you know locates a deceased, injured or sick bird of any species, contact the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division at (334) 242-3469 for additional information. It is very important that the wild bird not be removed from the location at which it is found to limit the potential spread of HPAI.
Additional information about HPAI in Alabama and the current national situation can be found on the ADCNR or CDC websites.
At this time, the Auburn University Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital is experiencing intermittent personnel shortages affecting our intermediate and critical care (IMC/ICU) units that ultimately impacts our Small Animal Emergency Services. To continue ensuring the highest possible levels of patient care, the following operational changes are effective immediately:
Call Before Bringing or Sending Patient
- All referring veterinarians and/or clients should call the Small Animal Hospital emergency number at (334) 844-4690 for telephone triage/assessment prior to sending or bringing a patient to the Small Animal Hospital for emergency treatment. Referring DVMs needing to refer a patient should discuss the case with a clinician prior to referral to ensure adequate capacity and staffing are available to meet the needs of the patient.
All Patients Will Be Phone Triaged
- Prior to sending/bringing a patient to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital all patients must undergo a phone triage needs assessment to determine the patient’s appropriateness for admission. If options exist for local care, our clinicians can assist with establishing that plan when necessary.
- In the event IMC/ICU units approach or exceed maximum patient capacity, the senior ECC clinician or designee will assess patients to determine the appropriateness of the referral. The number and needs of our regular, non-ER patients will greatly impact the established maximum capacity levels for the IMC/ICU areas and the ability of ER services to receive cases.
- Patients admitted through emergency will be stabilized, treated and, when appropriate, discharged after treatment with our recommendation to follow-up with one of the hospital’s specialty services or the primary care veterinarian.
- Capacity issues will limit our ability to accept referral patients for routine monitoring or to admit non-emergent patients.
- Referring veterinarians and clients with non-urgent/non-emergent patients are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the specific service needed for treatment. We are working to reduce wait times for routine appointments while functioning within these stated guidelines. Regular referral patients with urgent needs should be discussed with the senior service clinician to determine if a priority appointment is warranted.
No Change to Large Animal Teaching Hospital
- These guidelines only apply to the Auburn University Small Animal Teaching Hospital emergency, critical care and intermediate care services at this time. The JT Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital emergency services continue to operate at normal levels.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate hospital capacity obstacles. Please call the Small Animal Hospital emergency number at (334) 844-4690 if you have a patient needing to be referred so the case can be adequately assessed according to our operational capacity.
All fees are due at time of service. Hospitalizations require a deposit at intake equal to half of the high estimate with remaining balance due at discharge. Owners will be notified of revised estimates due to additional necessary treatments or if additional charges for lab work, etc. are incurred after discharge. Payment accepted in the form of cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Contact our Billing Office at (334) 844-4690 with any questions about your bill or for CareCredit assistance.