AMC COVID Impact Report_FINAL

ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER’S

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Our doors have been open for 110 years.

COVID-19 DIDN’T CHANGE THAT. We’ve been on the front lines since the beginning.

When the city shut down, we stayed open.

Since March, we’ve treated nearly 14,000 patients – that’s thousands of families whose pets had a place to go when they needed care.

“So many patients have thanked me for being here

for them throughout the pandemic. They’ve

told me that if their pet couldn’t come to

our ER, they wouldn’t know where to go.”

- Dr. Jennifer Prittie, Department Head, Emergency & Critcal Care

HEALTH & SAFETY FIRST Within a matter of days, we established new, hospital-wide protocols to ensure social distancing and the safety of our clients and staff.

To accommodate curbside drop-off and pick-up, we erected tents in our parking lot to create an outdoor waiting area.

Our new Lobby Facilitators expertly managed traffic into and out of the building, ensuring pets were safely reunited with their families after they saw their doctors.

NEW URGENT CARE During this pandemic, we knew that pet parents needed fast and effective care so they could get back home as soon as possible. That’s why we launched a new urgent care service to make sure animals can get excellent care, quickly and safely.

THE LEADER IN PET HEALTH INFORMATION In early March, we created a dedicated “COVID -19 and Pets” page on our website. Bridging the gap between medical research and public interest, we worked to create a resource that makes the latest science accessible to all pet parents. The page quickly became AMC’s most visited URL with over 32,000 hits and counting.

AMC IN THE NEWS The Animal Medical Center is recognized as the premier source of timely and relevant information about pets and COVID -19 by national, regional, and local media.

To date, we have secured 28 placements on the issue, including: New York Times, New York Post, ABC News, CBS News Interactive, Wired Magazine, JAVMA News, 1010 WINS Radio, and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.

AMC AT HOME Our Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education is renowned for its monthly pet health event series.

Since March, we’ve moved all events online to continue to deliver best-in-class information to pet parents. The nine virtual events held over the last several months include Ask the Vet Q&As on COVID-19, How to Exercise Your Pet at Home, and How to Recognize Medical Emergencies in Pets. With an average of over 80 participants per event, we’ve been able to stay connected to our community during this time.

This summer, we also launched a brand-new Vet Camp Online for children interested in learning about the veterinary profession. After a successful July session, we quickly enrolled another cohort for camp in August.

In collaboration with our Staff Social Worker, Judith Harbour, we created a wide variety of wellness tips and resources, focusing on both mental and physical wellbeing, shared weekly as part of our newsletter.

One Health AMC has a long-standing commitment to One Health – the unbreakable connection between human and animal medicine – and that has remained true in these challenging times.

At the height of the pandemic, we lent five ventilators to New York Presbyterian to support their valiant efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

“Over the last 110 years, AMC has been here for the people and pets of New York City.

Through the 1918 Flu Pandemic, World War II, 9-11, Hurricane Sandy, and now COVID-19, our doors have never closed.”

- Dr. Katherine Quesenberry, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Avian & Exotics

SUPPORT FOR AMC DURING COVID-19 The outpouring of support in response to AMC’s COVID -19 Emergency Fundraising appeal has been incredibly heartwarming and inspiring.

We heard from both longtime supporters and first-time donors whose generous contributions totaling nearly $600,000 strengthened our ability to overcome challenges and sustained our efforts to meet the needs of pets and their families.

For the latest updates on our COVID-19 response visit www.amcny.org