| Complaint: | Complaint 21-70 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Gloria Halterman |
| Premises: | Arizona Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Center |
| Related: | 21-69 |
This complaint follows from 21-69. Halterman is the responsible veterinarian for AVECCC Peoria.
Halterman starts by saying that she wasn't directly involved in caring for the dog. However, she says she wants to be clear about the hospital's cleaning and isolation protocols. We're told that all staff always use gloves whenever handling a patient and additional personal protective equipment is used when a dog is suspected of being contagious. She says they have had strong protocols in place for years, protocols designed by Critical Care Specialists (her caps, not mine) back when they were EAC and then a BluePearl franchise. She's included pictures (not part of the record) of staff members wearing protective gear; she also includes video (also not part of the record) of the dog in question being examined by people wearing gloves. She also goes into more detail about infectious disease control; we're also told that once exposed to an animal that is potentially contagious, those staff members are not available to work with other puppies or young animals unless they have to (emphasis added). We're also told about the cleaning schedule and checklists that are monitored by shift leads. (Whether or not these are actual statements someone did that, or just a general schedule that's posted, is left ambiguous; gas station bathrooms can also have cleaning checklists prominently posted on the door, but that doesn't mean that latrine is clean.)
The Investigative Committee repeated most of what they said for 21-69. They also said that the dog didn't have a negative parvo test before going into the hospital so there's no way to know if the dog wasn't already sick. (On the other hand, given other complaints, it's quite possible parvo test had come back negative, they might have claimed it was a false negative and the dog was still coming down with parvo.) They say the clinic complied with infectious disease protocols. (More accurately, they reported they did and perhaps the records were checked; what really went on behind closed doors or if someone screwed up, that's not something we'd ever know.)
| Source: | June 6, 2021 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Gloria Halterman | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | July 7, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.