Posted June 25, 2021

We are excited to welcome clients back into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), albeit on a limited basis, effective June 28, 2021. For all clients who are not yet fully vaccinated, we ask that you please wear a mask when inside the building or when interacting in person with our staff.

When you arrive for your appointment, please pull into one of the numbered spots in front of the hospital entrance and call 540-231-3137* to check in for your appointment. If all six parking spots are taken, please park your vehicle behind the last vehicle in line and wait until a spot becomes available.

For clients accompanying their pet for their visit:
After check-in, please exit the roundabout and proceed to client parking in the VTH parking lot. When we are ready for you to enter the facility, a member of our team will call you and meet you in the lobby to escort you to an exam room. At the conclusion of your pet’s exam, we ask that all clients exit the VTH because our waiting room is still closed at this time. Any additional communication with the care team will take place via phone until your pet is ready for discharge. When it is time to pick up your pet, a member of our team will contact you when it is time for you to enter the facility. You will have the opportunity to pay for your services over the phone while you wait for your pet to be discharged.

For clients who prefer curbside service:
Please remain in your numbered spot in the roundabout and a member of our team will greet you outside. Once your pet has been taken inside, please exit the roundabout; we will contact you with next steps. All communications regarding your pet’s care will take place by phone. When it is time to pick up your pet, please pull into a numbered spot and call 540-231-3137*.  You will have the opportunity to pay for your services over the phone while you wait for your pet to be returned to you at your vehicle.

* Number to call only when picking up and dropping off: 540-231-3137

* All other calls: 540-231-4621

Posted July 27, 2020 / Updated Sept. 8, 2020

Dear Referral Community,

We hope you and your families and colleagues are healthy and well. We understand that many of you have been experiencing a high volume of new patients and appointments over the past few months. Our clinicians and staff are working hard to accommodate your needs, as well as a growing caseload of elective appointments and procedures.

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital continues to operate at reduced capacity, and clinicians and staff are also preparing to welcome students back into clinics. Thank you for your patience as we work to uphold social-distancing measures and safe practices to ensure the health and safety of your patients and clients, as well as our faculty, staff, and students.

VTH Service Updates

EMERGENCY SERVICE: Please discuss all emergency cases with our clinicians before referring a client to the VTH. We need to be able to outline next steps for your client and our staff so that we can provide proper allocation of resources and safe and efficient treatment of your patient.

NUTRITION SERVICE: The Nutrition Service is taking only remote appointments and consults; there are no in-house appointments until further notice.

PMM SERVICE: In order to refer a client that is outside our 35-mile radius, our PMM clinicians need to speak to the referring veterinarian in all cases, regardless of COVID. Our clinicians may call the client directly after speaking to the veterinarian, but the referring veterinarian needs to provide the first contact.

RADIOLOGY SERVICE: The radiology service will now accept referrals for outpatient ultrasound exams on a limited basis. Please note there may be a delay in fulfilling requests.
* On Oct. 5, 2020, the radiology service converted to a new system for image submissions for radiology referrals. Please review the Radiology Referral Submission Process to ensure that you are set up in the new system by Oct. 5.

Posted June 1, 2020

We continue to operate at reduced staffing, thus are prioritizing emergency, urgent, and previously canceled appointments. We continue to accept patients through curbside drop-off only, and clients are not allowed within the VTH. We thank the majority of you for understanding and working with us to provide care for clients and their animals.

However, due to recent actions, we need to remind referring practitioners of the following:

  • Please call the VTH before sending clients: Our clinicians and staff need to be informed so as to have a reasonable idea of what to expect at drop-off, and your clients need to be aware of what to expect upon arrival at the VTH.
  • The Large Animal VTH is scheduling routine cases and using precautions to protect staff and clients; we are open and making appointments. Clients will need to wait in their vehicles.

What clients should do and can expect when they arrive at the VTH, effective March 13, 2020, until further notice:

  • Call 540-231-4621 when you arrive in the parking lot. Our coordinators will arrange the patient transfer.
  • After your pet/animal is evaluated, the veterinarian will discuss with you by phone a plan for your pet/animal’s care.
  • You will then receive a phone call from a client service team member to obtain a deposit via one of our payment methods:
    • Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) information will be accepted over the phone.
    • Online payments are accepted via the VTH's Online Payment Portal.
  • You will receive updates via phone, email, or text from your patient care team.
  • Patient visitation has been temporarily suspended.
  • Your pet/animal’s discharge process will be discussed via phone, and any remaining balance will be collected prior to discharge from the hospital.

DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY SERVICES: Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services (ViTALS)

Courier service has resumed. Referrals are required for necropsy, even within a 35-mile radius. All other sections are open and receiving, but results may be delayed, depending on caseload, as staff is working in shifts. Please call to schedule a drop-off.

For clinics in the New River Valley, ViTALS will offer scheduled drop-offs during business hours.

  • Call the lab at 540-231-4320 to schedule a drop-off appointment during regular business hours.
  • Specimens should be placed in a ViTALS specimen bag; the submission form should be folded and stowed in the specimen bag pocket. If a plain, zip-closure bag is used, place the sample and the submission form in separate bags.
  • When you arrive at the front of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, remain in your vehicle and call the lab.
  • Lab staff will approach the vehicle with an opened, zip-closure bag. The delivery person should drop the bagged specimen and submission form in the opened bag.
Posted May 6, 2020

VTH to begin a transition to expanded clinical services, effective May 6, 2020

On April 29, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced in a briefing that Order of Public Health Emergency Two, which he signed almost six weeks ago to temporarily ban all elective procedures at Virginia hospitals, was allowed to expire at midnight on April 30. This expiration effectively means that medical facilities, including veterinary hospitals, across the commonwealth are now able to resume elective procedures.

We welcome this news and have received authorization from Virginia Tech administration to begin a transition to expanded clinical services at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

On May 6, using a phased approach in consideration of reduced staffing and medical supplies, we will start scheduling elective, primary care appointments and procedures, beginning with patients currently on our waiting list.

The health and safety of our employees and clients remain our primary focus. Our patient drop-off policy will remain in effect, and we will continue social distancing and other safety measures consistent with university policy and public health principles.

Posted March 13, 2020 / Updated April 10, 2020

VTH providing essential care to emergent and existing patients only, effective March 13

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) infection, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is taking additional precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of our community so that we can continue to provide essential veterinary care for our patients and education for our students.

This decision is in line with public health guidelines regarding COVID-19, as well as appropriate procedures determined by Virginia Tech. This is a rapidly evolving situation. Visit the Virginia Tech website for more information.

Effective immediately, the VTH will provide essential care to emergent and existing patients only. Necessity of follow-up services and rechecks will be determined on a case-by-case basis. All elective cases currently scheduled will be rescheduled.

In addition, we will temporarily implement a new patient drop-off policy for all appointments including emergencies until further notice. VTH personnel will meet clients outside the hospital admissions entrance and will bring patients in for care. Following public health guidelines, including the principle of social distancing, only hospital personnel — including clinicians, staff, and clinical students — will be allowed access to the hospital complex, which includes the main hospital, diagnostic laboratory, podiatry center, and large animal isolation facilities, until further notice. Clients will not be permitted to enter these facilities.

Communication between VTH personnel, clients, and referring veterinarians will occur by phone, email, or text whenever possible.

Effective March 13, 2020, patient visitation will be temporarily suspended until further notice.

VTH personnel will contact clients directly with information about any scheduling changes needed for existing appointments.

We are continuing to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and will provide additional updates on this webpage. We appreciate your patience and support, as the health and safety of our patients, clients, students, and our staff here at the VTH are central to our mission in providing the highest quality of care.

What clients should do and can expect when they arrive at the VTH, effective March 13, 2020, until further notice:

  • Call 540-231-4621 when you arrive in the parking lot.
  • A VTH team member will greet you outside the hospital admissions entrance with your admission forms and will bring your pet/animal into the facility for evaluation. Please note, our personnel may wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and safety reasons when approaching patients.
  • After your pet/animal is evaluated, the veterinarian will discuss with you by phone a plan for your pet/animal’s care.
  • You will then receive a phone call from a client service team member to obtain a deposit via one of our payment methods:
    • Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) information will be accepted over the phone.
    • Online payments are accepted via the VTH's Online Payment Portal.
  • You will receive updates via phone, email, or text from your patient care team.
  • Patient visitation has been temporarily suspended.
  • Your pet/animal’s discharge process will be discussed via phone, and any remaining balance will be collected prior to discharge from the hospital.

DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY SERVICES
Effective March 22, 2020, Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services (ViTALS) has temporarily suspended courier service.

  • For clinics in the Roanoke Valley, ViTALS will offer pre-paid FedEx mailers for submission of cases to the lab.
  • When shipping laboratory samples, use FedEx or UPS overnight delivery. Refrain from using the U.S. Postal Service because of service changes enacted by Virginia Tech's campus mail.
  • For clinics in the New River Valley, ViTALS will offer scheduled drop-offs during business hours.
    • Call the lab at 540-231-4320 to schedule a drop-off appointment during regular business hours.
    • Specimens should be placed in a ViTALS specimen bag; the submission form should be folded and stowed in the specimen bag pocket. If a plain, zip-closure bag is used, place the sample and the submission form in separate bags.
    • When you arrive at the front of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, remain in your vehicle and call the lab.
    • Lab staff will approach the vehicle with an opened, zip-closure bag. The delivery person should drop the bagged specimen and submission form in the opened bag.

ViTALS, accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), is the on-site interdisciplinary diagnostic laboratory of the veterinary college. Clients can contact Lab Central Receiving at lcrvth@vt.edu or 540-231-4320.

PHARMACY SERVICES
The VTH Pharmacy will continue to dispense prescriptions as needed. Clients can call the VTH Pharmacy at 540-231-4626 to request refills. Our business office personnel will contact clients for payment. The prescription package will be given to the client outside the hospital admissions entrance by admissions or pharmacy personnel during normal business hours (before 5:30 p.m.). Prescription refills can also be shipped via FedEx for an additional charge.

PRESCRIPTION FOOD
The VTH will continue to dispense prescription food as needed. Clients can call the Business Office at 540-231-6027 to place orders. Our business office personnel will collect payment and prepare the order for pickup. The order will be given to the client outside the hospital admissions entrance by admissions or pharmacy personnel during normal business hours (before 5:30 p.m.). Prescription food orders can also be shipped via FedEx for an additional charge.