24/7 Specialty and Emergency Veterinary Practice Works to Combat Coronavirus Both Inside and Outside the Hospital
This week, Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie donated our in-hospital mechanical ventilator to the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL. “Every day we learn more and more of the devastation caused by Coronavirus,” says Dr. Jon Rappaport, Co-Medical Director of AVCC. “The infected case counts continue to increase, as do the ICU admissions. With that, the death count rises day after day. For those whose lung function is so severely affected they can’t survive breathing room air, or even supplemental oxygen, a mechanical ventilator is their only hope. These devices are very expensive and unfortunately the national inventory is not adequate to meet the needs of the wave of patients requiring them,” he adds.
“Every day we dedicate ourselves to doing everything we can to fight both routine and unimaginable disease in our pet patients, so that we can help bring them home to their families. Today we have the opportunity to help bring people back to their beloved families and pets, who could not imagine life without them. Knowing we have this technology in our hospital, knowing we have the ability to help, we are compelled to step up and do so without hesitation,” adds Dr. Rappaport.
Schools and many other non-essential businesses have been mandated to close their doors during this unprecedented time. But, AVCC remains an essential part of the community. We are open for the care of companion animals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can read our Covid-19 guidelines for pet owners here. Our dedicated doctors, nurses and staff are also wearing protective gear. The goal is to do our part to responsibly stop the spread of the virus. “We have a combination of options including face masks with replaceable n99 filters, standard surgical/medical masks, as well as staff-made masks,” says Dr. Rappaport. “There is a great deal of information about infection and transmission mitigation. The one constant is covering the nose and mouth is very important.”
“Shout out to working for a hospital that is proactive and ordered us Covid masks months ago, realizing how bad it could get,” says AVCC emergency nurse, Katrina Levy. “They initiated measures immediately that put the health of our staff above everything. It feels good to have people who care looking out for us.”
“It’s things like this, why I love my job,” says fellow AVCC ER nurse, Jerome Horton. “First they bought each and every employee an N99 mask and assured us that we will not be laid off, nor have our hours cut.”
The daily routine at AVCC has been modified to allow for safety precautions for both staff members and pet owners. But, the AVCC team is more than willing to make those sacrifices to do the job they love so much. “We could not be more proud of our team for the way they have stepped up to this challenge,” exclaims Dr. Rappaport. “The way they have responsibly and professionally responded to the changing protocols in providing care, in protecting themselves, in protecting their teammates, in protecting their families, is incredible. It is very humbling to work with this team, and an honor to be a part of it.”