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Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite dedicated

With a cut of the ribbon, the Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite was dedicated in honor of Tom and Chickie Heard. From left to right are Dr. Dana Zimmel, Dr. Sarah Reuss, Vaughan Heard, Dr. Karen Heard (UF CVM ’81), Dr. Chris Sanchez and Dean James W. Lloyd. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

A special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Oct. 10 in the UF Large Animal Hospital to dedicate the Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite.

Dr. Karen Heard, a UFCVM alum (’81) and her sister, Vaughan, were on hand for the dedication, which was made in honor of their father, Tom Heard, a horse trainer, and his wife, their mother, Chickie Heard. A plaque on the doorway of the suite reads, “The Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite, Donated by the Colt Foundation in honor of Tommy and Chickie Heard.”

The family’s gift supports neonatal endoscopy equipment, which is used for patient care and research.

Dr. Karen Heard (UF CVM ’81) left, stands next to her sister, Vaughan Heard, right, beside the plaque that adorns the doorway of the new Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite. The sisters were both present for the dedication ceremony on Oct. 10. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

The Heard Equine Endoscopy Suite includes:

• Improved image quality and digital video capture capability

• Wall-mounted additional screen to improve viewing opportunities for owners and students

“Endoscopy is used in horses and other large animals of all ages, with the procedure most commonly performed in the upper airway and stomach, followed by the urinary tract and the esophagus,” said Dr. Chris Sanchez, an associate professor of large animal medicine in the college’s department of large animal clinical sciences.

The same holds true in foals, Sanchez said.