Athens, Ga. – A veterinary pioneer and entrepreneur who practices in North Carolina was recently recognized as a “Distinguished Alumnus” by the Alumni Association of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Jack J. Broadhurst (DVM ’70) of Pinehurst, N.C. received the award at a ceremony held March 26 during the college’s 48th Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend.Broadhurst owns the Cat Health Clinic located in Pinehurst.
Broadhurst helped diagnose North Carolina’s first cases of both feline Bartonellosis and Cytauxzoan felis; conducted studies on the pathogenesis of parvovirus infection; and helped identify two genotypes of pathogenic Bartonella henselae.Broadhurst recently won a patent on his novel approach to using neuraminidase inhibitors to treat a variety of infectious diseases.
“I have followed his career with appreciation and admiration for his love of veterinary medicine. He is a very talented and innovative practitioner,” said a long-time friend and classmate who nominated him.
Since his move to North Carolina two decades ago, Broadhurst has become one of state’s leading veterinarians, and in 2010 received the Distinguished Veterinarian Award from the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association.
Before that, Broadhurst founded the first regional veterinary lab to provide twice-a-day pickups and results to more than 150 veterinary hospitals in New York City, Westchester County, and nearby Connecticut. He also founded the first emergency hospital to serve western Connecticut, eastern New Jersey and all of Westchester County.
Broadhurst spent three years on faculty at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and garnered the college’s highest teaching honor, the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teaching Award.
The college’s alumni association recognizes a few Distinguished Alumni each spring.Nominees must have graduated from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine and made contributions in one or more of the following areas:
- Animal and human health related public service;
- Professional service;
- Involvement in veterinary educational research and/or service;
- Contributions to the local community, state or nation;
- Involvement in veterinary associations at the local, state or national level; and,
- Contributions to the College’s Alumni Association.
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, to conducting research related to animal and human diseases, and to providing veterinary services for animals and their owners.Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock, and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share.The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 560 who apply. For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.
The current UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, serves more than 18,000 patients per year in one of the smallest teaching hospitals in the United States.The college is currently working to raise $15 million toward building a new Veterinary Medical Learning Center, which will include a new teaching hospital as well as classrooms and laboratories that will allow for the education of more veterinarians.The goal is to increase enrollment to 150 when the Veterinary Medical Learning Center is built.For more information, see http://www.vet.uga.edu/giving/campaign.php.
For more information about the Alumni Association of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, see http://vet.uga.edu/alumni/.