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Reception in New David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital Celebrates Hospital Staff

Reception attendees smile as they pause for a photo during the reception
Bedecked with balloons and other décor, the Joanne Troutner Reception Area of the David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital was the site of a special event honoring staff and faculty for their efforts to get the new facilities ready to open. Pictured left-right: Lee Ann Happ, Megan Brashear, Amy Huffman, and Donna Tudor with Dr. Ellen Lowery, hospital director, and Dr. Mark Rochat, small animal surgery section head.
Dr. Lowery stands in front of the decorated reception desk as she speaks to the event attendees
Dr. Ellen Lowery commended all of the hospital staff and clinicians who worked tirelessly to help bring the dream of the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex to fruition.

After years of planning, with multiple challenges along the way, the completion of the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex was marked by a celebratory reception hosted by the College of Veterinary Medicine administration to congratulate the hospital staff on their perseverance. On Friday, May 13, just a few days before the new hospital facilities opened to start caring for patients, hospital staff members were invited to gather for the event in the Small Animal Hospital’s Joanne Troutner Reception Area. The reception was designed to show the administration’s appreciation for their tireless efforts and “take-charge” attitudes that were so instrumental in meeting the challenges involved in getting the beautiful, brand-new facilities ready to open.

Dr. Lowery expressed her thanks at the event, saying, “Challenges are opportunities waiting to be solved – I have seen that firsthand day-to-day in all the work that you all do.” The over 100 hospital staff who turned out for the reception enjoyed refreshments, camaraderie, and an opportunity to take self-guided tours of the new facilities.

Dean Reed also took a few minutes during the reception to express his thoughts, recalling the many iterations of the complex put forward during the planning process, and all the effort involved in finalizing plans and constructing the new facilities. “As excited as I am about these hospitals, I am more excited about the people who are going to occupy them and bring them to life,” Dean Reed told the faculty and staff members in attendance. “Thank you for your many, many contributions.”

Writer(s): Kelly Dold | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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