U of Minnesota opens Animal Trauma Center

ST. PAUL, MINN. — The University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center has opened a new trauma center designed to mimic the human model for clinical trauma care.

The Animal Trauma Center was created to use the expertise of board-certified specialists and provide team-based care in serious emergency cases.

Patients in the Animal Trauma Center also will have access to the Veterinary Medical Center's 24-hour intensive care unit, blood bank, pharmacy, pathology laboratory, rehabilitation center and imaging center.

"The University of Minnesota's Animal Trauma Center is unique in that we're able to quickly mobilize the critical resources needed to meet the needs of trauma patients," says Dr. David Lee, director of the Veterinary Medical Center. "Just as in human medicine, not every practice or emergency clinic needs the ability to handle trauma cases—but a large metro area can benefit from having a designated center to serve the region."