March-Team Member of the Month- Larry!!!

The HAH is home to many excellent employees and many are seen and recognized by our clients everyday.One of them is often asked for by name and is certainly relied upon by the staff to "get the job done”. This month we would like to recognize as Team Member of the Month- Larry Hines. Larry has been with the HAH for 7 years and has worked in multiple capacities. He is currently a Vet Assistant but spent some time with our overnight team as a Technician and understands fully the needs of the hospital and our patients.

The HAH team is a family doing whatever it takes to take care of clients, patients and fellow staff. Larry is recognized today for his ability to do just that. He is helpful, versatile and consistent and most of all keeps a smile on his face. We are pleased to recognize him as Team Member of the Month for March.   



Kindergarten Career Day at H.A.A.S.

Kindergarten Career Day at the Hollywood Academy of Arts and Science!!

Patient of the Month- Jackie deLaurentis!!

Jackie, a 9 ½ year old, female, JRT was 7 when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She had a long history with the HAH and with, Dr. Anne Murphy. Upon diagnosis the process of regulating Jackie began. However, she was very difficult to regulate and so her mom, Sarah, started to test and record her blood glucoses at home. Sarah was diligent in taking and tracking the blood results which made it possible for Dr. Murphy to make changes to her insulin as needed. However, it took almost a year to regulate Jackie’s blood sugar levels and in that time she developed diabetic cataracts.

Diabetic cataracts are common in diabetic dogs in fact; most will develop cataracts even if the diabetes is well controlled. The solution to the cataract is surgery. 

In Jackie’s case though, before she could schedule the surgery she developed Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (I.M.H.A.) I.M.H.A. is a disease of the immune system that causes the body to attack its red blood cells causing a life threatening anemia. A steroid is needed to combat the body's desire to destroy these RBC’s  but that same steroid can cause insulinantagaism. This will increase the need for insulin in the body thus making regulating Jackie’s diabetes once again, very difficult.

Once her I.M.H.A was controlled, Dr. Murphy spent the next 10months focused on slowly weaning Jackie from the steroids and adjusting her insulin accordingly. Finally, in Oct of 2012, after 3months of no immunosuppressive drugs Jackie was cleared for eye surgery which was performed by Dr. Robert Swinger.

Today, Jackie is doing great! “She is like a new puppy!” She is once again staring out the window spying on the world as she once did. Her success is due to many factors. Her “original super hero”, as her mom would say, Dr. Murphy and the “remarkable” surgery by Dr. Swinger were paramount but a huge credit goes to Jackie’s owner.  Sarah’s determination, dedication and organization of Jackie’s bloodwork, diet and behavior made Jackie a perfect patient. Without that commitment to her care the story would have a very different ending. We are so pleased to honor Jackie (and in many ways her mother) as our Patient of the Month!!

Welcome, Dr. Jennifer Bibevski DVM !

Dr. Jennifer Bibevski, DVM was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and recently relocated to South Florida with her husband, Steve.  After graduating from Baldwin Wallace College with a degree in Biology and Chemistry, she obtained her veterinary degree from The Ohio State University in 2006.  She then completed a medical internship at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron, Ohio followed by 4 years of specialty surgical training in small animal surgery, which included soft tissue, orthopedic and neurological procedures.  Her specific clinical interests include critical care medicine and minimally invasive techniques including arthroscopy and laparoscopy.  She has undertaken additional training in human intensive care as well as training in advanced human laparoscopy laboratories allowing her to bring state of the art care to your pets’ most complex problems.

During her free time, Jennifer and her husband enjoy spending their time training and riding their two horses; Pace and Willow, as well as enjoying time at the Hollywood Beach with their rescued black Labrador Cali, who has proven to be an avid ocean swimmer! They look forward to exploring all that south Florida has to offer in the upcoming years to come.