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Dr. Neil Shaw opened Florida Veterinary Specialists (FVS) the day after he completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Florida in 1996, leasing 1,500 square feet of space in Tampa, Florida for his staff of one manager and one technician. From the beginning FVS grew quickly, and soon Dr. Shaw needed to sublet additional space from a business next door. Within just eight months, he decided to build his own hospital. In less than one and one-half years - while continuing to lease additional temporary space and even parking slots - his team of 15 full-time and four part-time veterinarians and 60 staff members had moved to a new, much more visible and centrally located 11,575-square-foot facility on Busch Lakes Boulevard.
But only two years later, steadily increasing demand for FVS' growing range of specialties made yet another major expansion necessary. By September 2000, the addition of a new, adjoining $1 million, 6,000-square-foot Cancer Treatment Center brought FVS' combined practice to 28 full-time veterinarians, two part-time veterinarians and 75 support staff including 26 certified veterinary technicians serving about 12,000 new patients each year. The two-story Cancer Treatment Center provides additional clinical space, a new helical Computed Tomography (CT) unit and modern conference suite. Our oncology team now includes a board-certified oncologist, a dedicated second year oncology intern, four certified veterinary technicians and a radiation physicist. Currently we are treating an average of 25 patients each day. A special feature of the Center is our Wall of Life, a tribute to the unique bond between human and animal.
We have also expanded into the Brandon market with our first satellite facility, Brandon Veterinary Specialists (BVS), with temporary leased space in Oak Park Plaza at 723 West Lumsden Road. BVS will initially provide after-hours, weekend and holiday emergency and critical care. Our goal is for this new facility to eventually offer as many specialty services as Brandon's veterinary community and their patients require.
These new facilities, and our people, provide a standard of care found at only a few other major institutions. They allow us to strengthen our commitment to education and research, and to offer a greater variety of continuing education lectures.
Today, FVS is the largest private veterinary practice in the southeastern United States, with a staff of more than 120 people serving about 24,000 patients each year. We are the primary emergency and referral center for the Tampa Bay area, as well as the primary veterinary care center for the state of Florida.
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