Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

April 30, 2004

Vet Med receives limited accreditation

by Teddi Barron
Critical needs to renovate and modernize the Veterinary Teaching Hospital have placed the College of Veterinary Medicine on limited accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the official accrediting agency for veterinary medicine colleges.

The AVMA commended the college for excelling in curriculum, as well as in key areas of public health, food safety, infectious disease, neurosciences, surgery, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, and business and practice management. But the accreditation report noted specific physical conditions in the hospital that need to be improved.

Limited accreditation means the college will be reviewed again in two years, instead of the usual seven, to ensure improvements are in progress.

The AVMA conducted an accreditation site visit last fall and recently submitted its report to Dean Norman Cheville and President Gregory Geoffroy. The report said upgrades are needed in the following areas of the hospital:

More suitable isolation units for infectious diseases of horses.
Improved safety in surgical anesthesia and recovery units.
Improved safety in loading and unloading facilities for horses.
Neonatal units for horses and cattle.
Environmental conditions in the food animal and equine hospital. This refers to cracked floors and outdated manure-handling mechanisms and other physical items that prevent cross contamination. It also relates to the efficiency and user-friendliness of the facility's traffic flow, patient exam room access, ventilation, lighting, and restroom and waiting room availability.

The report also noted a serious deficiency in staffing for hospital clinicians and certified health information managers. In addition, it recommended the college more completely integrate cellular and molecular biology into courses.

"The 25-year-old hospital building is not configured to handle the considerable growth and discovery in biomedical and veterinary medical knowledge and technology," said Benjamin Allen, vice president for academic affairs and provost. "Activities have been under way for some time to remedy the situation."

The Iowa Legislature last week approved the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, request for bonding authority to help fund a $48 million, three-phase renovation and expansion of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and completion of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory biosecurity unit. About $7 million is expected to come from private donations.

Plans call for reconstruction of the large animal hospital wards and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, additions for new small animal and equine clinics, and a new entry and business office, Cheville said.

"We have recognized for some time that our hospital needs extensive updating and have taken steps to secure funding," Cheville said. "In the next two years, when plans for the construction program are finalized, the college will be positioned not only for full accreditation, but also for an academic renaissance that secures our standing as a top college of veterinary medicine."

Construction is expected to begin in early 2005.

In addition, Cheville said the hospital has made significant reallocation of resources during the past six months to cover deficiencies in staffing, and is developing a plan to integrate molecular biology into the clinical curriculum.