ISU College of Veterinary Medicine breaks ground on new teachin

Iowa

The Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine will break ground on the new Dr. W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. The event, which is open to the public, will take place on the southeast lawn of the college.

This renovation and expansion project will increase the college's total space by 25 percent. It will significantly update the 30-year-old existing hospital facilities, enabling clients, patients, students, faculty and staff to benefit from rapidly advancing technology and discoveries in veterinary medicine.

Highlights of the 55,000 square-foot project for equine and large animals include:

--New advanced imaging facility;

--New surgery suites;

--New intensive care unit;

--New animal inpatient wards;

--Improved biosecurity, including a new infectious disease isolation area;

--New instructional rounds areas;

--New patient reception area, waiting and consultation rooms; and

--New faculty and business offices.

When completed in the fall of 2008, the new hospital will strengthen the college's capabilities for the diagnosis, treatment and care of large animals and horses, the fastest growing animal segment in Iowa. The project will enable the college's resident and continuing education programs to be fully integrated into the new facilities and services, which will broaden the learning experiences for current and next-generation veterinarians. The added space will accommodate increased class sizes to meet the demands for veterinarians, particularly in food safety and security, and animal and public health. The new construction also will increase the capacity of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the only diagnostic laboratory charged with safeguarding Iowa's animal agricultural industry. The project has been designed to allow expansion of the small animal hospital and services in the future.

"The profession of veterinary medicine is being challenged as never before to provide increasing numbers of well-educated veterinarians in all fields, ranging from specialized companion animal care to public health and food supply veterinary medicine." said Dr. John U. Thomson, dean of the college. "This new hospital will provide a modern working and learning environment that will enable us to enhance the quality of our service, research and teaching."

The new teaching hospital is a $48 million project made possible through bonding approved by the Iowa Legislature and $9.3 million that will be committed through private support. The hospital is named after W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd, the lead donors who pledged $3.5 million to this effort. The Lloyds, who live in Ft. Myers, Fla., are longtime supporters of Iowa State University. They have also established the W. Eugene and Linda R. Lloyd Endowed Professorship in Veterinary Medicine and the Lloyd Fund for Veterinary Medicine.

"We wanted to help establish the hospital as a premier environment for the study and practice of modern veterinary medicine," Eugene Lloyd said. "I benefited so much from my experience at ISU and now I hope we will be able to enrich the lives and careers of future students and animal owners."

Gene Lloyd earned two degrees from Iowa State--a DVM in 1949 and a Ph.D. in 1970. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Lloyd Inc., a company in Shenandoah, Iowa, that develops and manufactures pharmaceutical and nutritional products for animals and humans. Linda Lloyd is the quality assurance assistant at the company.

"The generosity of Gene and Linda Lloyd is coming at a pivotal time for the college," Thomson said. "The demands on the profession of veterinary medicine are growing rapidly and this addition will enable us to expand our leadership role in animal and public health. We are most grateful for what this gift means and the significant impact it will have on our faculty, staff and students; as well as the clients and patients of the hospital."

Iowa State University has been a leader in animal health and service to the public since 1879 when the College of Veterinary Medicine opened its doors as the first public veterinary college in the nation. For more than 127 years, the college has demonstrated compassionate care and specialized treatment to its patients and their families. The college is a major teaching, research and service institution, providing hospital, clinical and diagnostic services to the state of Iowa and beyond. Areas of academic and research excellence include clinical sciences, biomedical sciences, diagnostic and production animal medicine, microbiology, preventive medicine and pathology.

Date: 10/25/06

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