Colonial Veterinary Hospital Building Update
March 3, 2008
We have settled into the first half of our new building and are very happy to have such a comfortable place for our clients and patients to visit. Mary Beth Inkhen, a local artist, has recently finished a beautiful painting incorporating the fireplace mantle from our old building for our waiting room.
Construction is moving along on Phase II of our project which expected to be completed in early summer of 2008. We hope to organize an Open House to celebrate our new hospital in the fall of 2008.
Colonial Veterinary Hospital Upgrades Endoscopic Equipment
March 3, 2008
We have recently purchased a new state-of-the-art flexible endoscope primarily for the use of Dr. Sepesy, our internal medicine specialist. An endoscope is an instrument which allows us to see into certain parts of the body (for example the esophagus, stomach, and intestines) without surgery. It is a long tube that has a light and a camera at the end. The camera produces an image of what is being examined on a computer monitor. A flexible scope has controls which allow us to bend the tip and guide it to where we need it to go. We can retrieve foreign objects as well as obtain biopsy and other laboratory samples with the help of an endoscope. Colonial Veterinary Hospital currently has a wide array of scopes for different indications including flexible and rigid endoscopy, laparoscopy and arthroscopy.
Continuing Education Update
Several Colonial Veterinary Hospital doctors are gearing up for Continuing Education trips in the next few months. In April, Dr. Collins and Dr. Hegarty are traveling to Baltimore for the CVC East Conference. Dr. Collins will spend several days focusing on dentistry and Dr. Hegarty will be focusing on general medicine. In June, Dr. Sepesy and Dr. Goldberg will be attending the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Conference where they will learn about the latest developments in internal medicine and oncology.
Colonial Veterinary Hospital Building Update
November 2, 2007
The construction of Phase I of our new veterinary hospital is nearing completion. Our parking lot will receive its first coat of paving on November 7. In the next few weeks we will see the installation of our new radiograph machine, flooring, cabinetry, and the construction of our dog runs. We will be moving the week of November 26 and will have limited appointment availability for non-emergency patients for several days during this time especially Sunday December 2. We will have doctors on duty as usual throughout the moving process.
December will be a sad time for us as after 35 years the building we have called home will be removed. After that, the second phase of construction will begin. The whole project is expected to be completed by May 2008.
We appreciate all the patience, understanding, and kind words of support we have received as we work through this challenging yet exciting time for our practice. We are confident that the changes we are making will further enable us to meet the expectations of our clients in providing the care that our patients deserve.
Internal Medicine Specialty arrives at Colonial Veterinary Hospital
November 2, 2007
Colonial Veterinary Hospital is pleased to announce that Lisa Sepesy, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM has joined our practice. Dr. Sepesy is originally from Pittsburgh PA. Before veterinary school she earned a Masters in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and spent a number of years in a general practice in Pittsburgh PA. She has completed an internship in Oncology at Purdue University and a residency in Internal Medicine at Cornell. After her residency she held a dual appointment in Oncology and Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College and most recently she held a position in the Internal Medicine department at Cornell University.
Special interests include endocrine diseases such as hyperadrenocorticism and diabetes, and oncology. Personal interests include anything on, near, or by water including boating, water skiing, sailing and swimming. She also enjoys time with her two Retrievers and her cat.
Coping With the Loss of Your Pet Support Meeting
People that have experienced the loss of a pet are invited to come and share their stories through writing and reading, every month on the 3rd Tuesday 7:00 to 9:00pm. This professionally facilitated group is co-sponsored by the Colonial Veterinary Hospital and the Cornell University Hospital for Animals
The canine or feline with whom we've had a special relationship and shared our home is often a cherished member of the family. When that companion animal dies, the grief we feel may be difficult to handle. One way to cope is by being with others who are also grieving a similar loss. Another is by writing our stories and then reading them out loud. The session will be led by Jane Baker Segelken, a writer, health advocate, and animal lover who has held writing sessions for those dealing with variety of situations.
There is no charge for the pet loss support meeting. Please click here for a pdf document about the meetings.
A Tradition of Excellence in Transition
Dr. George E. Ross Announces Retirement
October 9, 2006
After 46 years of dedicated service to pets and pet owners in Tompkins County and beyond, Colonial Veterinary Hospital founder Dr. George E. Ross, Jr. has retired from veterinary practice.
The hospital has been fortunate to have Dr. Ross on staff as a part-time surgeon, following his retirement from full-time practice in 1999. A pioneer in the field of small animal surgery, he is a member of the 1968 inaugural class of diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr. Ross established the Colonial Veterinary Hospital in 1971, with the vision of bringing the training, skills, and innovation of the board-certified surgeon to the private practice setting. Until that time, most surgical specialists operated at a handful of veterinary colleges. Dr. Ross began his own career at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he taught a generation of surgeons, 1960-1971. A Kansas native, he came to Cornell from Kansas State University, where he graduated with a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine in 1960 and earned a master's degree in veterinary medicine in 1962.
While serving as the family vet to thousands of clients in the Ithaca area, Dr. Ross also accepted surgical referrals from veterinary colleagues throughout the Finger Lakes and surrounding region. Eventually, the surgical referrals grew to account for nearly half of the business of the Colonial Veterinary Hospital.
The hospital retains its "cutting edge" under the current leadership of Dr. Ross's son, board-certified surgeon Dr. J. Thomas Ross. The practice now employs 11 veterinarians and a support staff of 45, whose focuses include surgery, radiology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, ultrasound, physical therapy, acupuncture, and health maintenance.
Dr. Ross plans to spend his retirement enjoying his family, his gardens, and his quarter horse Crackers. However, we have warned him to expect calls for consultations from time to time.
Hospital Receives Approval for Major Expansion
October 9, 2006
After a year of planning and work with the Village of Lansing, we have obtained a special permit to build a new 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital on our current site.
We are busy finalizing plans with architect Richard Hauteniemi and hope to begin construction soon. The project is expected to take 10-12 months to complete.
Schickel Construction will build our new hospital. The first phase of construction will consist of site work and installation of a beautiful, large parking lot on the back and side of our current building. After that, we will build a new two-story section on what is now our current parking lot. We will temporarily move all of our operations into this new wing, demolish our current building, and then complete the final phase of the expansion.
After careful consideration of our space needs, our desire to provide the best facilities for our patients and clients, and the structural condition of our beloved colonial-style building—originally a private home—we decided on new construction instead of renovation. We are excited to be building a new Colonial Veterinary Hospital that captures the spirit of our practice and its original building.
