Washington State University Spokane Specialty Clinic
Photo credits: by Cori Vaughn WSU Spokane
From left to right:
Rich Hadley - Greater Spokane Inc
Dr. Warwick Bayly – Provost WSU
Dr. Bill Dernell – Chair of Veterinary Clinical
Services WSU
Dr. Bryan Slinker – Dean, WSU College of
Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Harmon Rogers – Director, WSU Veterinary
Teaching Hospital
By Dr. Bill Dernell
The WSU Spokane Specialty Clinic has recently been established
as a satellite facility to support and supplement veterinary
clinical teaching and training for the WSU DVM program. The
facility also serves to support the specialist referral needs of
the greater Spokane area veterinary community.
The WSU College of Veterinary Medicine satellite clinic in
Spokane will allow the college to better meet its teaching
mission in specialized fields of veterinary medicine. Through
coordination with veterinarians in the inland northwest, the new
clinic will focus on outpatient care in specialties that will
not only enhance DVM education but also will add value to, and
support, veterinary care in the region. The facility is located
in a recently renovated building on the WSU Spokane campus.
The development and operation of the clinic will be aided by a
$2.7 million estate gift from WSU veterinary alumnus, Dr.
Bernard Pinckney. It was his wish that this gift be used to
establish a satellite clinic to offer continuing education
opportunities for students and practitioners. The facility
involves public-private partnerships between referral veterinary
practices and the University.
Specialties that have been targeted are those that are presently
not offered at the veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman due
to limited resources and other circumstances. These targeted
specialties presently include ophthalmology, dermatology and
dentistry, but may expand to other areas that meet the goals of
the salute program. These unique partnerships allow practices
to function as independent contractors within the facility,
exchanging reduced lease costs and other support (from WSU) for
clinical teaching and training of our veterinary students and
house officers.
The clinic recently opened with the move of the Animal Eye
Clinic; an established ophthalmology specialty clinic which was
located nearby in Spokane. The director of the AEC, Dr. Bill
Yakely has a long-term supportive relationship with the
Veterinary College at WSU; including DVM teaching and resident
training. Dr. Yakely is an adjunct professor in the Department
of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Negotiations and discussions
are ongoing with veterinary dermatologist and a veterinary
dentist to establish additional partnerships. We look forward
to the further development of the Spokane Specialty clinic as a
means to supplement and even expand our abilities to teach,
train and support the veterinary profession, especially in these
challenging times for clinical veterinary departments.
