The Tennessee Aquarium is launching an expanded veterinary program that includes construction of a $5 million animal hospital and new educational partnerships designed to train future veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
The initiative builds on the Aquarium’s 34 years of experience in aquatic animal care and establishes partnerships with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) in Knoxville and Chattanooga State Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program.
The Aquarium plans to offer recurring externships, internships and fellowships that provide students with hands-on experience caring for a diverse collection of aquatic animals, including freshwater species rarely encountered in traditional veterinary training.
Under the agreement with UTCVM, half of the Aquarium’s future veterinary externships will be reserved for fourth-year veterinary students. The partnership also includes one-year veterinary internships, fellowships lasting one to three years and residencies spanning three to four years.
The collaboration will create research opportunities for UTCVM faculty, residents and graduate students working alongside scientists at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute. Research will focus on freshwater species, watershed health, aquatic conservation and the University of Tennessee’s interdisciplinary One Health Initiative.
The Aquarium is also partnering with Chattanooga State to provide veterinary technician students with externships focused on aquatic and exotic animal care. It plans to offer full-time employment to one of the initial externs after completion of an associate of applied science degree.
To support the program, the Aquarium has expanded its animal health staff to five members. The team includes Director of Animal Health Dr. Chris Keller, Conservation Veterinarian Dr. Leah Owens, Collections Veterinarian Dr. Courtney Pace, Hospital Manager Kristen Hales and Veterinary Assistant Shelby Ferguson. Hiring a Chattanooga State graduate will bring the team to six members.
The centerpiece of the initiative is a 3,100-square-foot animal hospital scheduled to open next June on the mezzanine level of the Aquarium’s River Journey building.
The facility will feature a central treatment room, surgical and imaging suites, recovery areas, laboratories, office space, a veterinary reference library and an isolated necropsy area.
New medical equipment will include an updated X-ray system, a computed tomography (CT) scanner, endoscopes and specialized veterinary dental instruments. Some equipment will be mobile, allowing veterinarians to diagnose and treat animals at their exhibits when transportation to the hospital is impractical.
The expanded facilities and staff will improve medical care for the approximately 13,000 animals in the Aquarium’s collection while providing specialized training to veterinary professionals who can apply their experience at other institutions.
The Aquarium expects the program to train as many as 100 veterinarians over the next decade, potentially extending its impact on aquatic animal health well beyond Chattanooga.
More information about the veterinary program and opportunities to support the new hospital is available at tnaqua.org/care.
Source: Tennessee Aquarium