Equine home healthcare program kicks off
Program bridges the gap between hospitalization and home care.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square, Pa., has launched an equine home nursing care program called Equi-Assist. Veterinary professionals aim to bridge the gap between hospital and home care—and help horse owners identify methods of care they can provide on their own. Through the Equi-Assist program, equine patients that are discharged from New Bolton Center will receive clinical and post-hospitalization nursing services at their home barn or lay-up facility.
The Equi-Assist professionals will serve as a communication bridge between the owner, primary care veterinarian, farrier, and New Bolton Center doctors by providing wound management, eye care, intravenous medications, and other complex treatments. For horses afflicted with laminitis, the professionals will monitor pain management and offer nutritional consultations.
According to the university, hospital stays at the school’s George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals have become briefer since 2006, creating an even larger need for skilled home care.
“At New Bolton Center, we strive to provide first class services that our clients desire for their horses,” says Dr. Corrine Sweeney, associate dean and executive director of the center. “This innovative program fills a much-needed niche.”
