Charleston, SC — The Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) has awarded its highest certification to West Ashley’s Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, making it one of a select few Level I Certified Veterinary Hospitals in the nation and the only facility in the South Carolina to attain this designation.

David B. Sachs, Emergency Veterinarian and Medical Director of Charleston Veterinary Referral Center, who received the certification last week, said its purpose is “to recognize those hospitals that meet the extremely high standards and guidelines published by VECCS with goals of raising the standard of veterinary care while also increasing public and professional awareness of emergency and critical care providers.”

Chief of Critical Care Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC, explained that the certification program identifies three levels (I through III) based on operating hours, equipment and personnel. “A Level I emergency and critical care facility must have the resources and specialty training necessary to provide sophisticated emergent and critical care using the attendant technologies. Second, it must be open to receive small animal emergency patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Finally, a Level I facility must have a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care on staff full-time and available for consultation 24/7.”

Dr. Welch added that “We are one of an elite group that includes the world-renowned Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. We’ve worked very hard to find the specialists from all over the country needed to put this all together. Pet owners and their vets can have confidence in the training, experience and team approach we take in caring for the animals they bring us. They can benefit from all our skill sets.”

The Center’s 17 clinical staff members are designated according to their areas of expertise. Clinical services include cardiology, dentistry, emergency and critical care, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, physical therapy, surgery, radiology and physical rehabilitation.

Opened in 2011 by Dr. Alan Green, Chief of Staff, and Dr. Sachs, the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center is located on Shelby Ray Court, just off Glenn McConnell Parkway in West Ashley, and is the only veterinary facility between Savannah and Myrtle Beach that fulfills all the criteria set by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society to be called an Emergency/Critical Care Center.

Dr. Sachs concluded, “Being a VECCS Level I certified facility means that this respected society considers us among “the best of the best” and enables us to offer a level of care and service unparalleled in the Southeast.”