from the New Bolton Center
Ground has been officially broken for the state-of-the-art James M. Moran Jr. Critical Care Center at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
The facility is named in memory of Elizabeth Moran’s son James, who died in April. Major funding for the center was provided by Elizabeth Moran, as well as the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“We are delighted to begin construction of the George D. Widener Hospital’s cutting-edge facility for high-risk patients,” said Dr. Joan Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “We were honored by the many years of service given New Bolton Center by Jim Moran, and can think of no more fitting memorial than to name this much-needed facility in his honor.
“In addition, the commonwealth’s investment in this facility, announced by Gov. Ed Rendell in June 2006, is a gift to the state as a whole, to support the health of food animals as well as horses, as the equine and racing industries in Pennsylvania grow. We are proud to transform this gift into a great benefit that serves the needs of agriculture and horses in the region.”
The center will have two wings, one with ante-chambers dedicated to isolation cases, and one for colic cases. The 18,540-square-foot facility will be the largest clinical addition to the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals since the completion of the C. Mahlon Kline Orthopaedic Center in 1972.
It will be constructed with low-maintenance and durable materials in keeping with the Chester County farm vernacular. The center will be located on a bio-secure area on the service drive at New Bolton Center, and is expected to be completed next year.
“This new facility will play a vital role in protecting Pennsylvania’s world-class equine industry, and with it, our agricultural industry as a whole,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff said. “By providing the highest level of care for animals, Penn Vet and the New Bolton Center will continue to treat animals from across the country and provide top-notch education to our state’s veterinary students.”