January 2009: KBVC Introduces Department of Integrative & Rehabilitative Medicine
KBVC is excited to introduce our new department of Integrative and Rehabilitative Medicine,
led by Dr. Leilani Alvarez. She completed her veterinary training at the University of Georgia
College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating with honors in 2002, and continued her practical
training at the Animal Medical Center in New York City where she completed a Small
Animal Rotating Medicine and Surgical internship. Dr. Alvarez has been working at KBVC as
an emergency and critical care veterinarian.
Dr. Alvarez's interests in alternative therapies led her to become fully accredited by the
International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. Further, she is receiving training in Canine
Rehabilitation Therapy. She will be offering many new and exciting treatment modalities
at KBVC for a truly integrative approach to medicine.
August 2008: KBVC installs new Multi-Slice CT Scanner
In an ongoing effort to offer the highest quality diagnostics to our patients, clients, and
referring community, we have upgraded our CT scanning capability by installing a
new Toshiba Asteion 4-Slice Helical CT.
With this new multi-slice scanner, scan times have been cut to less than 1 minute in
most cases, with increased quality and sensitivity over our prior machine. This minimizes
the anesthetic or sedation required to perform the CT scan, making the procedure safer
and faster for the patient.
Also, the new CT is able to perform multiple image algorithm processing simultaneously,
reducing the need for additional scans and increasing diagnostic quality and ability.
3D reconstructions of images can also be performed when indicated. All of our CT Scans
are performed by trained technicians with the most current techniques and procedures
as suggested by the American College of Veterinary Radiologists.
July 2008: Brightheart Veterinary Centers Participates in New Clinical Trials for Dogs with Lymphoma
BrightHeart Veterinary Centers are excited to announce the opening of a clinical
trial investigating a novel medication for dogs with lymphoma. The purpose of this
study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new investigational medication
for the treatment of lymphoma. Dogs will receive chemotherapy (doxorubicin) and
the new study medication every 3 weeks for up to 5 treatments. Dogs must be
evaluated at a BrightHeart network hospital (Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center
in Bedford Hills, NY or South Paws in Fairfax, VA) initially and then again at
weeks 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15.
We are actively recruiting canine patients with lymphoma for this clinical trial – so if you
have a patient with lymphoma, before you start any treatment, please call to see if your
patient is eligible. To qualify, patients must have a definitive diagnosis and meet
specific inclusion criteria. For enrolled patients, all diagnostic and treatment
costs are covered by the study!
February 2008: Dr. Terri Bonenberger, DVM, ACVD Joins KBVC Dept. of Dermatology
We welcome the skills and interests Dr. Bonenberger brings to KBVC for the benefit of our patients.
Terri has a strong background in treating ear disease, allergic disease and dermatopathology.
She has worked closely with both veterinary surgeons and radiologists in the management and
understanding of chronic ear disease.
Dr. Bonenberger is actively involved in the ACVD and is a member of the International Society of
Veterinary Dermatopathology. She has published numerous scientific articles and lectures nationally.
June 2007: Dr. Philip J. Bergman, DVM Joins BrightHeart as Chief Medical Officer
Philip J. Bergman, DVM, PhD, MS, DACVIM, has joined BrightHeart as Chief
Medical Officer. He will be responsible for all aspects of veterinary medicine
within the organization, with oversight of each facility's medical practices and
performance.
Dr. Bergman is one of the nation's leading veterinary oncologists. He is board
certified in oncology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine,
and earned a PhD in human cancer biology from the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston, where he was awarded an American Cancer Society
Physician Research Training Fellowship. Dr. Bergman became head of the
Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic at the Animal Medical Center in New York in
1999, and director of the Flaherty Comparative Oncology Laboratory in 2001.
He currently holds an adjunct faculty membership with the human cancer
center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Dr. Bergman's accomplishments in veterinary medicine and veterinary
research have been widely recognized. In 2003, he received the Hill's Award
for Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare at the WSAVA Congress, and in 2005,
he was elected to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Board
of Regents. In collaboration with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and
Merial, Inc., an international animal health company, Dr. Bergman developed
a canine melanoma vaccine that was granted conditional licensure by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture earlier this year, the first U.S. government
approved vaccine of any kind for the treatment of cancer. Dr.Bergman will
continue his work with this investigational vaccine program at BrightHeart,
seeking to extend its applicability to canine lymphoma, breast cancer and
other tumors.
