Annual Update for Residency Training Facility
_________________________________________________
All emergency and critical care supervision (“Direct” or “Indirect” under the Guidelines; “Immersion” under
the Standards) of Residents in ACVECC Residency Training Programs must occur at an ACVECCapproved Residency Training Facility. This form must be submitted every 12 months for a Residency
Training Facility to retain “approved” status. The purpose of this form is to track changes in the
Residency Training Facility, and to ensure the Facility still meets or exceeds the Minimum Guidelines for
a Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Center as defined in the Guidelines for Veterinary Emergency
and Critical Care Facilities.
By signing and submitting the Annual Update, the Mentor takes responsibility for the accuracy of the
information contained herein. Any inconsistencies or inaccuracies could result in a more thorough review
of this Facility and the Mentor’s Program(s). Please see the most current Standards and Guidelines for
further information.
Note: All annual update submissions will be accepted for 3 days following the published
deadline. Submissions made during this 3 day grace period will incur a $250 late fee. No
submissions will be accepted after this period.
Today’s Date:
Name of Approved Residency Training Facility:
This Facility is a (Circle or Bold):
Large Animal Clinic
Small Animal Clinic
Name of Facility Administrator*:
Have any contact details for the Facility or the Administrator changed since the last
update? (Circle or Bold): Yes
No
If yes, please provide new information below:
Physical Address of Facility:
Mailing Address of Facility, if different than above:
Phone number:
Fax number:
Administrator e-mail address:
* A Residency Training Facility Administrator handles the non-educational and non-clinical, administrative functions of the
Residency Training Program. A Mentor may perform this task, or it may be transferred to someone in charge of administrative
functions at the Facility. This person may not sign documents for Mentors, Supervisors or Residents. See the most recent
version of the Residency Standards and Guidelines for further details.
May 2014
Please list all ECC Residency Training Programs associated with this Facility; please
list each Resident-Mentor pair separately. Add cells as needed.
Trainee
Mentor
Please check one of the following two boxes regarding this Residency Training Facility,
in reference to the Guidelines for Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Facilities
(please see last two pages of the Annual Update for Residency Training Facility
section):
 This Facility meets or exceeds the Minimum Guidelines for a “Veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care Center” (Part 2).
 This Facility does not meet the Minimum Guidelines for a “Veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care Center” (Part 2). I have attached a
document (not to exceed one page) listing the Facility’s deficits and the
exact plans to bring the Facility up to Guideline standards within 30 days
of the date of this update.
Required Reading List
Each Residency Training Facility is required to provide the Knowledge Requirements’
Required Reading List on-site, and to make these references available to trainees at all
times they are practicing at the Facility. The current version of the Knowledge
Requirements is available at www.acvecc.org under Standards & Guidelines.
Please check the appropriate box:
 This Facility has available to trainees at all times at least the minimum
Required Reading List as detailed in the current version of the Knowledge
Requirements.
 This Facility does not have available to trainees at all times at least the
minimum Required Reading List as detailed in the Knowledge
Requirements. I have attached a document (not to exceed one page)
listing the Facility’s deficits and the exact plans to acquire the missing
references within 30 days of the date of this update.
May 2014
I hereby certify that all the data contained in this form is true and accurate.
______________________________
Name of any Mentor affiliated with this RTF
_____________________________
Mentor’s signature and date
______________________________
Name of Facility Administrator
_____________________________
Administrator’s signature and date
May 2014
GUIDELINES FOR VETERINARY EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE FACILITIES
These guidelines are intended to provide minimum standards for veterinary emergency and critical care
facilities.
DEFINITIONS/TERMINOLOGY
To avoid confusion on the part of the general public and to provide
guidelines for consistency in the designation of Veterinary
Emergency Facilities, the following nomenclature is suggested
which is consistent with the AVMA guidelines. The veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) recommends that
the following terminology be used when referring to emergency
service and facilities.
Emergency Service: The category of service provided should be
clearly evident to the public.
Veterinary Emergency Service - A veterinary service
with a veterinarian on the premises during all hours of
operation receiving and managing emergency cases.
On-Call Veterinary Emergency Service - A veterinary
service on-call or available to receive and manage
emergency cases as requested if veterinarian is available.
Does not have constant coverage by a veterinarian
during all hours of operation.
Emergency Facility: A veterinary facility with the primary and
dedicated function of receiving and managing emergency patients
during its specified hours of operation.
Emergency Clinic -A facility that is specifically
operated, staffed and equipped to provide emergency
service. Most patients are treated on an outpatient
basis. The specified hours of operation are expected to
be other than the normal business hours of general
veterinary practices. Patients are transferred to the
primary care veterinarian the next workday.
Emergency Hospital - Emergency facility similar to an
Emergency Clinic but with more advanced capabilities
enabling hospitalization and management of multiple
critical patients.
Emergency/Critical Care Center - A facility
specifically designated to be operated, staffed and
equipped (in accordance with Parts 1 and 2 of these
guidelines) 24 hours a day to provide a broad range of
veterinary emergency and critical care service. It is
suggested that professional staff include board certified
specialists and veterinary technician specialists
(AVECCT). Centers that share a facility with a
specialty practice or primary care practice must provide
staffing and equipment to ensure appropriate emergency
and critical patient care.
PART 1: MINIMUM GUIDELINES FOR A VETERINARY
EMERGENCY FACILITY
Staffing
During the specified hours of operation a licensed veterinarian
should be on the premises at all times and sufficient staff must be
available to provide expedient patient care. Staffing should be
sufficient to allow:
Processing multiple patients
Performance of a wide range of life-saving procedures to
include but not be limited to cardiopulmonary
resuscitation and emergency surgery. This requires at
least three people, including one veterinarian and one
veterinary technician.
Appropriate and timely consultation with veterinary
specialists. A close association with a Diplomate of the
American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical
Care, or other veterinary diplomates with a special
interest and experience in emergency and critical care is
recommended to optimize patient care and facilitate
patient referral if necessary.
Communications
Good communications must be maintained to allow efficient
transfer
of patient information between the emergency facility and primary
care veterinarians. It is highly recommended that the emergency
facility have all the clinic and home telephone numbers of primary
care veterinarians. A report should be sent to the primary care
veterinarian in a timely manner to ensure immediate continuity of
care and for inclusion in the patient's permanent record.
Medical Records A complete and thorough medical record on file
for each patient should be kept at the emergency facility.
The Medical record must follow AVMA guidelines for the POMR
and must include:
1. Client identification
2. Patient signalment
3. Presenting complaint(s)
4. History
5. Physical examination
6. Clinical pathology tests performed and results
7. Diagnostic imaging procedures and interpretation
8. Tentative diagnosis or rule/outs
9. All treatments including anesthesia records and surgical
procedures
10. Progress notes
11. Medications administered
12. Client instructions and other client communications
including release forms
13. Client and referring veterinarian communications
14. All entries in the medical record should clearly identify
the individual(s) responsible for administering care and
entering data.
Continuing Education Continuing education must be provided for
professional and technical staff and must allow:
veterinarians and technicians to comply with CE
requirements for state licensure.
veterinarians to meet specialty board CE requirements
to maintain certification
technicians to meet CE requirements of their respective
certification and licensing boards
All veterinarians should obtain at least 30 hours of accredited
continuing education every two years in the field of emergency and
critical care medicine. Veterinarians in Animal Emergency Centers
should obtain at least 40 hours of CE every two years in the field
of emergency and critical care medicine. Technicians should
receive at least 24 hours of continuing education in the field of
emergency and
critical care medicine every two years. A system of ongoing,
inservice
training should be provided for veterinarians and technical
staff to assure teamwork and familiarity with current procedures
and
guidelines. All facilities should maintain a library containing
current textbooks, periodicals and, ideally, electronic data sources
and Internet access.
Emergency Capabilities The level of care and maintenance
provided in areas of laboratory, pharmacy, medicine, surgery,
radiology, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, infectious diseases
control, and housekeeping should be consistent with currently
accepted practice and procedures for a veterinary emergency and
critical care facilities and comply with state, federal, and provincial
directives. Instrumentation, pharmaceuticals, and supplies should
be
sufficient for the practice of medicine and surgery at a level of care
May 2014
consistent with that expected in the practice of veterinary medicine
as directed by the individual country, state or province practice
acts.
Emergency facilities should have procedures in-place to quickly
obtain specialist consults and to refer cases as appropriate.
All emergency facilities should have the capacity to perform the
following:
1. Diagnosis and management of life-threatening
emergencies including cardiovascular, respiratory, and
neurological problems to include: a) cardiopulmonary
resuscitation including electrical defibrillation b)
placement and maintenance of thoracostomy tubes, c)
emergency tracheostomy and tracheostomy tube care, d)
oxygen supplementation, e) assisted ventilation.
2. Monitoring capabilities should include: a)
electrocardiogram, b) arterial blood pressure, c) central
venous pressure, d) pulse oximetry, e) esophageal
stethoscope.
3. Emergency surgery including: a) surgical hemostasis,
wound debridement and application of wound
dressings, b) stabilization of musculo-skeletal injuries,
c) aseptic thoracic, abdominal, and neurosurgery, or d)
be able to refer to a facility that can perform these
procedures in a timely manner.
4. Treatment of circulatory shock using crystalloids,
colloids and blood products and equipment such as
calibrated burettes or infusion pumps to allow accurate
delivery of fluids. Facilities should have natural and/or
artificial blood products and the capacity to type and
cross match donor and patient blood.
5. Anesthetic and analgesic therapy to include opiates,
non-steroidal medication, and inhalational anesthesia.
Intra-operative monitoring should include an
electrocardiogram, esophageal stethoscope, blood
pressure monitor and pulse oximetry when appropriate.
6. Laboratory functions: Perform in a timely manner a) a
complete blood count, BUN, refractometric total solids,
blood glucose, urinalysis, b) activated clotting time, c),
electrolyte measurements (Na, K, Cl), d) FIV/FeLV
serology, e) cytology, f) heartworm testing, and g) fecal
examination (flotation, cytology and parvovirus antigen
test). Additionally, an emergency facility must have
laboratory supplies to collect, prepare, and preserve
samples for a complete serum biochemical profile,
blood gas analysis, full coagulation profiles,
microbiological culture, and histopathology.
7. Imaging: a) Produce good quality radiographs while
ensuring the safety of patient and staff. A radiographic
machine of at least 300 mA and an automatic film
processor are highly recommended. b) On-site
ultrasonography capability is highly recommended
8. Have or have ready access to endoscopy.
PART 2: MINIMUM GUIDELINES FOR A VETERINARY
EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE CENTER
Emergency and Critical Care Centers must meet all the previous
requirements as well as the following:
1. Be able to serially monitor a CBC, full serum
biochemical profile, coagulation screen and blood gases
on site.
2. Monitor direct arterial blood pressure and end tidal
carbon dioxide concentration.
3. Perform peritoneal or pleural dialysis.
4. Have the ability to provide enteral and parenteral
nutrition.
5. Perform long-term mechanical assisted ventilation.
May 2014
Annual Update of Residency Training Plan
_________________________________________________
Under the ACVECC Residency Standards and Guidelines, a Residency Training Program consists of
a Mentor; a Residency Training Facility (see Update on prior pages); and a Residency Training Plan
that specifies where, how, and with what supervision the residency training requirements will be met.
The purpose of this form is to allow ACVECC to track changes in your Residency Training Plan. This
form must be submitted by December 1st for all Programs that have Residents on the January cycle,
and by June 1st for all Programs that have Residents on the July cycle. If you train residents on
both cycles, please submit this form at the December and June deadlines.
Multiple Mentors may submit a single Annual Update form if they share the same Residency Training
Plan and Facility(ies). In such case, all mentors who wish to have their Program updated by means
of this Annual Update submission must sign this form.
Please note that major Program changes that significantly impact a Resident’s progress should not be
reported on this form. Examples of such significant changes include but are not limited to: loss or
change of a Mentor, change in the Residency Training Facility, or termination of a Resident. These
events should be reported immediately as they occur to the RTC via the ACVECC Executive
Secretary on the Major Change to ACVECC Residency Training Plan form, available at
www.acvecc.org under the Standards & Guidelines section.
It may be helpful to you to reference the official ACVECC approval letter you received after your
Annual Update 12 months ago. Alterations in your Plan compared to the contents of that letter should
be noted in this Update, with the exception of the Major Changes noted above.
By signing and submitting the Annual Update, the Mentor(s) take(s) responsibility for the accuracy of
the information contained herein. Any inconsistencies or inaccuracies could result in a more thorough
review of the applicable Program(s). Please see the most current Standards and Guidelines for
further information.
Note: All annual update submissions will be accepted for 3 days following the published
deadline. Submissions made during this 3 day grace period will incur a $250 late fee. No
submissions will be accepted after this period.
Today’s Date:
Residency Training Facility(ies) with which this Program is affiliated.
Please copy and paste more cells if needed, to include all RTFs at which your
trainee(s) performed emergency and critical care rotations (“Direct” and “Indirect”
under the Guidelines; “Immersion” under the Standards) in the past 12 months, or plan to
perform such rotations in the next 12 months.
Please list the primary RTF in the first cell, and denote it with an asterisk*
This Facility is a (Circle or Bold):
Large Animal Clinic
Small Animal Clinic
This Facility is a (Circle or Bold):
Large Animal Clinic
Small Animal Clinic
May 2014
Please list all Residency Training Programs included in this Annual Update. Add
cells as needed.
Trainee
Resident
or Fellow?
Start Date
Mentor
1. Have there been any changes in the ACVECC Diplomates providing ECC
Immersion (or “Direct” and “Indirect,” under the Guidelines) Supervision?
NO ___
YES ___
Go to question 2
Specify below
ECC Supervisor
Place of primary
employment
Add* or
Remove?
Date of Change
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
*If any added ACVECC Diplomate would like to act as a Mentor in the future, using the same
RTF and an identical Plan as is already in place, that individual should submit a Mentorship
Agreement form to the ACVECC Executive Secretary’s office prior to accepting any
trainee(s). The form is available at www.acvecc.org.
2. Do you anticipate any difficulty in provision of supervision for the Immersion in
Specialty Practice requirements, called “Specialty Core and Elective” rotations in the
Guidelines? (examples that may cause such difficulty include loss of Specialty
Supervisor(s) with no replacement in place, planned rotations at distant locations to
which your trainee(s) can no longer travel, etc.)
NO ___ Go to question 3
YES ___ Please specify your situation in a separate, attached addendum, not to
exceed one page.
3. Have there been any significant detrimental changes in the Seminar schedule
associated with this Plan?
NO
YES
___
___
Go to question 4
Please attach the current Seminar schedule
May 2014
4. Have there been any significant detrimental changes in the plan for Continuing
Education associated with this Plan?
NO
___
YES ___
new plan
Go to question 5
Please attach an addendum (not to exceed one page) outlining the
5. Have there been any significant detrimental changes in the plan for completion of
the Didactic Lecture or Laboratory Teaching requirements?
NO
___
YES ___
new plan
Please attach an addendum (not to exceed one page) outlining the
All mentors who wish to have their Program updated by means of this Annual
Update submission must sign this form. Please add additional lines as needed.
I hereby certify that all the data contained in this form is true and accurate.
______________________________
Name of Program Mentor
_____________________________
Signature and date
______________________________
Name of Program Mentor
_____________________________
Signature and date
______________________________
Name of Program Mentor
_____________________________
Signature and date
______________________________
Name of Program Mentor
_____________________________
Signature and date
For ACVECC Use:
Received by: _____________________
Date: ____________
Approved by: ____________________
Date: ____________