Penn Vet's New Bolton Center Hospital for Large Animals first opened in 1964. The hospital handles an average case load of 4,900 patients per year. They provide 24-hour emergency and state-of-the-art intensive care for all medical and surgical emergencies. New Bolton Center provides several specialty services and facilities for horses. These include the following:
C. Mahlon Kline Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center: The building is home to an orthopedic surgical suite which includes a unique pool recovery system. Dr. Jacques Jenny, considered the father of large-animal orthopedic surgery, envisioned a system where horses could emerge from anesthesia without injury. To that end, the CMK operating room at New Bolton Center’s Hospital is equipped with a monorail that runs from the operating room to the recovery pool.
Connelly Intensive Care Unit: For adult patients, it is equipped with a specially designed sling and monorail system that moves non-ambulatory patients in and out of the ICU. The climate-controlled building includes scales in the floor that allow for monitoring patient weight gain and loss, vital for regulating fluid balance in critically ill patients. All stalls in both the adult and neonatal wings are equipped with oxygen, medical air and suction lines to treat intensive care patients.
Equine Performance Evaluation Facility (EPEF): An enclosed arena, provides a comfortable, indoor setting in which to conduct lameness examinations, performance diagnostics and other critical tests in a safe, clement environment conducive to accurate and reliable assessments of a horse’s mobility.
Graham French Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: It is designed to accommodate the special needs of critically ill neonatal patients. Each stall is equipped with oxygen and other medical gas outlets. Ventilators are available to offer support for patients with respiratory failure. Specially designed stalls allow mares to have contact with their foals without disrupting the neonate's medical care. Standard equipment include ECGs, blood pressure monitors, intravenous infusion pumps, and hot air blankets, which aid in the delivery of intensive care.
The Jeffords High Speed Treadmill Facility: The facility first opened in 1992, where more than 3,000 patient evaluations have been carried out on the Jeffords Treadmill for poor performance issues such as lameness, upper and lower respiratory tract changes, cardiac disease and sub-clinical myopathy (“tying-up”). The tailor-made treadmill offers the ability to follow up a comprehensive lameness exam for a poorly performing horse with a brief schooling test, during which the patient may have arterial catheters placed in a facial artery and an endoscope passed into the pharynx.
Scott Equine Sports Medicine facility: A state-of-the-art facility that consists of two diagnostic areas – one with two sets of stocks for diagnostic ultrasound and one with a single-stock space dedicated to cardiology, plus three holding stalls and a Cardiology/Ultrasound Office where studies can be examined. The latest in high-tech ultrasound, echocardiography, EKG and radiotelemetry equipment is available, and ultrasound being used in a variety of ways to detect possible health issues in horses.
Georgia and Philip Hofmann Research Center for Animal Reproduction: The facility offers five board-certified specialists in reproduction or behavior, working in collaboration with sports medicine and imaging, medicine, and surgery colleagues at New Bolton Center, to offer a comprehensive approach to case management.
James M. Moran, Jr. Critical Care Center: The facility first opened in 2010 and provides state-of-the-art care for patients suffering from gastrointestinal disease, as well as a bio-secure environment for animals suffering from infectious diseases such as Salmonellosis.
Dr. Johnson is one of only five veterinarians in the world to be board-certified in both large animal internal medicine and neurology, and one of only two veterinarians practicing large animal neurology in the United States. As a neurologist, Dr. Johnson focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the nervous system such as cervical vertebral (neck ) problems, also known as Wobbler syndrome, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), and neurologic Lyme disease (neuroborreliosis). Dr. Johnson received her veterinary degree from Cornell University, where she also completed a residency and became board-certified in large animal internal medicine in 2007. After joining New Bolton Center as a lecturer in 2007, she completed a second residency in neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming board-certified in neurology in 2011.
Corinne Sweeney , DVM, DACVIM
Dr. Sweeney is a Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Associate Dean for New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
David Levine , DVM, DACVS-LA
Dr. Levine is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Large Animal Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons-Large Animal Surgery
Dean Richardson , DVM, DACVS
Dr. Richardson is the Chief of Large Animal Surgery at the New Bolton Center, and is a professor of equine surgery. He is a Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Elizabeth Davidson , DVM, DACVS, DACVSMR
Dr. Davidson is an Associate Professor of Sports Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Sports Medicine, Service Chief, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, and VCIC Coordinator for New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center. Her research areas include: Bone injury, Suspensory desmitis, Equine bone fractures, Equine diagnosis and management, Equine videoendoscopic evaluation, Lameness.
Eric Parente , DVM, DACVS
Dr. Parente is a Professor of Surgery at the New Bolton Center. His specialized research areas include: Neuropathy, Laser, Equine Laryngeal dysfunction, Equine upper airway surgery, Equine upper respiratory surgery, Equine videoendoscopic evaluation.
James Orsini , DVM, BS, ACVS
Dr. Orsini is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director, Laminitis Institute at the New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. His specialized research areas include: Laminitis, Clinical Pharmacology, Emergency and Critical Care, Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome.
Janet Johnston , DVM
Dr. Johnston is a staff veterinarian at New Bolton Center's Emergency Services. She specializes in Emergency Services and Clinical Care of horses.
Joann Slack , DVM, MS, BS, DACVIM
Dr. Slack specializes in cardiology and ultrasounds in horses. She is an Associate Professor of Cardiology/Ultrasound, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and Service Chief, Cardiology and Ultrasound, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center.
Jonathan Palmer , VMD, DACVIM
Dr. Palmer is an Associate Professor of Medicine, New Bolton Center, Chief of Neonatal Intensive Care Service, New Bolton Center, and Director of Perinatal/Neonatal Programs, New Bolton Center. His specialized research areas include: Neonatology, Perinatology, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Birth Resuscitation, Sepsis, Septic Shock, Acid Base Abnormalities, Electrolyte Abnormalities, and Ventilation.
Kara Brown , VMD
Dr. Brown is the Resident Fellow, Large Animal Cardiology & Ultrasonography, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center.
Kathryn Wotman , DVM, DACVO, DACVIM
Dr. Wotman is a part time clinical associate in Ophthalmology at the New Bolton Center.
Kyla Ortved , DVM, PhD, DACVS-LA, ACVSMR
Dr. Ortved is an Assistant Professor of Large Animal Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She specializes in Equine orthopedic surgery, fracture repair, arthroscopy, tenoscopy, and regenerative medicine in horses.
Michael Ross , DVM, DACVS
Dr. Ross is the Professor of Surgery, Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center in the Standing Faculty-Clinician Educator track. He is also the Chairman, Equine Program, Penn Annual Veterinary Conference, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA. His specialized research areas include: Equine joint disease, Equine orthopedic and arthroscopic surgery, Lameness, Equine diagnosis and management, Equine musculoskeletal system, Racehorse lameness
Nicole Scherrer , DVM
Dr. Scherrer is a clinical assistant professor of Ophthalmology at New Bolton Center and is a resident in Ophthalmology at the center.
Ray Sweeney , VMD, DACVIM-LA
Dr. Sweeney is a Mark Whittier & Lila Griswold Allam Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and Chief, Section of Medicine and Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. His specialized research areas include: Paratuberculosis (Johne's Disease), Pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial drugs, Botulism
Virginia Reef , DVM, BA, DACVIM, ACVSMR
Dr. Reef is the New Bolton Center Credentialing Officer, Chair, Service Excellence Imaging, Medicine, Chief, Section of Imaging, Hospital Section Chief Committee, Service Excellence Management Group, Referring Veterinarians Advisory Group, and Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Medicine, New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She specializes in Cardiology and Ultrasounds in horses.
