Four decades later, veterinary practice moves and expands in suburbia.
Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine was founded in 1975 by several local general veterinary practitioners in the greater New Haven region who came together as a group for the welfare of small animals (primarily dogs and cats). Since its inception, the goals of the practitioners have been to improve their individual abilities to practice veterinary medicine through the centralization of resources such as staff, equipment, facilities, vision and ideas.
Over the years, the cooperative nature of the hospital attracted other veterinary practices in the region. It also generated interest among people in the community who wanted individual care for their pets. Consequently, a decision was made to add wellness lines to the practice. A substantial growth in the number of animals being treated resulted from that decision.
Today, the hospital offers veterinary care 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Round-the-clock monitoring of surgical and medical patients is a key role of the staff. Besides emergency and ICU services, the hospital offers care in areas including: internal medicine, specialty surgery, radiology, dermatology, animal behavior and ophthalmology.
According to Ken Aldrich, hospital director, Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine, “Our current in-house staff includes 14 doctors, five of whom are dedicated to emergency care under the direction of Anna Crosby, VMD. She is a board certified veterinary emergency and critical care practitioner. Each year, more than 150 veterinarians refer patients to us for emergency and specialty care.
“Our hospital maintains a diverse hospital team of veterinarians, nurses, technicians, handlers and administrators. We are supported by 10 associated member doctor clinics in the area.”