Information for Veterinarians
The NC State Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) wants to partner with you to provide the best possible care to your patients and clients. We thank you for your past support and the role you have played in making this college one of the leading programs in the country. We invite you to use our resources to help you meet the growing demands of your clients and your practice.
How to Use Our Services
To refer a patient to the VTH or request a consult, please call the clinical service directly and speak with the referral coordinator. At the time of discharge from the hospital, we will provide you with a written summary and work with you on a follow-up plan for continuity of care. The summary will be faxed to you on the day your patient leaves the hospital.
Small Animal Triage Service
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is offering a new Small Animal Triage Service in response to increased requests from veterinarians to have same-day admission of emergency and critically ill patients to the VTH specialty services.
Referring veterinarians should still call the appropriate hospital service. If the clinicians on that service can not see the patient that day, the call will be transferred to the Triage Service for case referral.
The Triage team is directed by board certified specialists—Dr. Steve Marks, a clinical associate professor of Critical Care and Internal Medicine, and Dr. Rita Hanel, a clinical assistant professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine—and includes a group of dedicated residents, technicians, and interns.
The goal of the Triage Service is to admit the patient, confirm the diagnosis, initiate measures to stabilize the patient and, in collaboration with the appropriate specialty service, begin treatment. The service is a component of the Emergency and Critical Care Department, which received a perfect score in a recent four-year re-accreditation conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association.
For non-emergency information concerning the service, please e-mail Dr. Steve Marks or Dr. Rita Hanel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are answers to the questions most often asked by referring veterinarians.
How can I facilitate my client's referral to the VTH?
Provide a completed patient referral form. These forms help our clinicians to follow up with you and provide important information regarding the patient referral. Also, these forms explain our services and procedures, and provide your client with a map and directions to the VTH.
Why are radiographs and laboratory tests often repeated following admission to the VTH?
Radiographs and laboratory tests are repeated at the discretion of the attending clinician. Additional tests may be performed at the time of admission and throughout the patient's hospitalization period. This is necessary to monitor the disease progress, changes in organ function, or the response to therapeutic procedures. Clients prepared in advance seldom have concerns about additional tests.
What fees can my client expect to pay for services at the VTH?
Even though the VTH is partially supported by the state of North Carolina, the Hospital is responsible for paying operating costs through fees charged for services. Total costs are generally comparable to other specialty practices, although complex problems requiring more extensive workups may exceed these costs. If your animal must be hospitalized, an estimate of the anticipated cost of treatment will be provided to you. A deposit equal to the low end of the estimate is required at the time of admission to the hospital. Full payment is expected at the time of discharge. We accept payment by cash, check, credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card), or Care Credit.
Who provides the services to my clients at the VTH?
All services at the VTH are provided by a team of faculty, veterinary students, residents, and interns. As a teaching facility, involvement of students and doctors in training is mandatory. We believe that a team approach to health care delivery outweighs some of the perceived inconveniences. Also, cross-disciplinary teams of internal consulting specialists enhances the quality of expertise and medical care.
What should I do if I have not been promptly contacted following a referral?
Our intent is to always provide you with a case summary on the day of discharge. If you do encounter a problem with communications, please call the referred specialty service.
We are committed to continuously improving the quality of our hospital and the services we provide for you and your clients. Please let us know about your experiences in referring patients to the VTH. You may contact:
- Dr. Michael Davidson, Associate Dean and Director of Veterinary Medical Services at 919.513.6211 or email mike_davidson@ncsu.edu
- Jim Brawley, Hospital Administrator, 919.513.6687 or email jim_brawley@ncsu.edu