The Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC) – a premier advanced-care veterinary hospital in the region – is pleased to announce its continued expansion with the appointment of board-certified veterinary cardiologist Sophy A. Jesty, DVM, DACVIM.

Dr. Jesty has spent 10 years in the field of veterinary cardiology and has extensive experience in electrocardiographic and radiographic interpretation and cardiac ultrasonography. She has also completed hundreds of catheterization lab procedures such as pacemaker implantation, heartworm retrieval, PDA closure, and balloon dilation valvuloplasty. In addition to clinical cardiology, Dr. Jesty has an interest in exercise physiology, as it relates to the cardiac system.

“It was obvious from the outset that Dr. Jesty was a good fit for our hospital,” said David Sachs, DVM, Medical Director of CVRC. “She understands that communication between CVRC staff, the clients, and the referring primary care veterinarians is essential to providing the highest level of care to our patients. Her abilities and expertise will be a real game changer in the cardiology landscape of the Lowcountry.”

CVRC’s Cardiology Department specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart and vascular diseases, as well as pulmonary (lung) diseases. The cardiology team works collaboratively with CVRC’s other departments, staff, and referring veterinarians.

Boarded in veterinary cardiology in 2008, Dr. Jesty has worked in both academia and private practice. Most recently, she served as an Assistant Professor of Cardiology at the University of Tennessee. Her renowned and well-respected status in her discipline has allowed her to play an integral role in training numerous young veterinary students and cardiology residents. Currently, she also holds the title of Associate Editor for the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology.

Dr. Jesty earned her DVM from Cornell University in 2001. From 2001-2003, she was a fellow in large animal cardiology at New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, where she also completed her large animal internal medicine residency and passed her certifying exam in 2006, to become a board-certified large animal internist. Following a small animal cardiology residency at Cornell University from 2005-2008, she became board-certified in small animal cardiology, and then remained at Cornell for two years as a fellow in cardiac regenerative medicine. Beginning in 2010, she worked as the staff cardiologist and medical director at a private referral hospital in New York City. In 2011, she accepted a position as an Associate Professor in Cardiology at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. During her time at the University of Tennessee, she was responsible for the significant growth in caseload and the development of the interventional cardiology suite.

Modeling itself after leading human hospitals, CVRC attributes its success to its collaborative approach to diagnosing and treating patients. In emergency and urgent care situations, CVRC’s clinicians work hand-in-hand with the hospital’s specialists, ensuring that patients receive the highest quality, multidisciplinary medical care. After a rigorous review, CVRC earned the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society’s (VECCS) highest certification for emergency and critical care, Level I, making it one of 14 veterinary hospitals in the nation to attain this recognition.