November 19, 2024 by Medical District Veterinary Clinic
Breaking ground for a new oncology wing in Urbana
Last summer, the Urbana hospital broke ground for a new wing devoted to cancer care and discovery. That’s me at left, next to the dean of the veterinary college. In the center are our five oncology specialists, with the department head and Provost of the campus on the right.

As many of you know, but others may not, in January I stepped into the role of interim director of the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, while continuing to serve as medical director of Medical District Veterinary Clinic here in Chicago.

Unfortunately, a nationwide search for a permanent director of the teaching hospital did not result in a successful hire. The dean of the veterinary college has asked me to stay in my interim role through 2026, and I have agreed. While I am honored to help and enjoy the work in Urbana, I also miss seeing many of you and your pets.

Over the next two years I will remain actively involved in the daily operations of the Medical District clinic. I plan to continue seeing patients one day a week in Chicago. We are in the process of hiring another veterinarian for the Chicago clinic to help manage caseload and provide more availability for your pets. 

In this blog, I want to tell you a little about the teaching hospital and showcase some exciting developments there.

C-arm imaging in interventional surgery suite
Veterinary cardiologists watch real-time imaging of their patient as they perform a heart procedure.
dog in underwater treadmill
Our rehabilitation therapy service has an underwater and land treadmill among the many approaches used to help regain strength.
horse getting MRI of one of its legs
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s powerful MRI can image small animals, like a dog, cat, or ferret, as well as the head and neck of large animals, like horses.
Ferret patient after MRI
This little ferret, seen by our companion zoological medicine service for seizures, recovered from her MRI with her monkey friend.
Dalmatian puppy gets hearing test
Our neurology service performs brain and spine surgery and also does hearing testing on litters of dalmatians, which are frequently born deaf.
turtle with shell fracture that has been repaired
Our Wildlife Medical Clinic cares for around 2,000 ill or injured wild animals a year, including this turtle with a shell fracture.

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a leading multi-specialty referral and emergency center, recognized nationally for its research, clinical care, and veterinary education. Organizationally within the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Medical District Veterinary Clinic is actually a satellite facility of the teaching hospital.

As interim director, I have the privilege of working alongside an exceptionally talented team of over 70 clinical faculty members and 180 support staff, across a wide range of specialties, from anesthesiology/pain management to cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, and zoological medicine. In addition to the Medical District clinic, our facilities include the Small Animal Clinic, Large Animal Clinic, Midwest Equine, and Vet Med South Clinic.

Many features you’d expect in a human medical center can be found there:

  • A linear accelerator for advanced radiation therapy
  • A 3-Tesla MRI and CT scanner for high-resolution imaging
  • Eight small animal surgery suites, including an interventional suite for procedures such as surgical repair of heart defects
  • Advanced imaging and surgical capabilities for equine and food animal patients.

We also provide 24-hour emergency services for all domestic species, a wildlife medical clinic, rehabilitation therapy, and much more.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the teaching hospital. A new $21 million addition for our oncology service should be completed by the end of next year. This expansion will allow us to treat more animals with cancer and continue advancing cancer treatment options through research.

You might be surprised how far animal owners travel to access the resources at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. They come from all across the state of Illinois, from both coasts, and even other countries! For anyone who needs advanced or specialty veterinary care, I strongly encourage looking into the options available in Urbana. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the clinic over the next few years.

— Dr. Drew Sullivan, Medical Director

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