Welcome to VOS, Inc.
 This website is designed with the general public, as well as, the referring veterinarian in mind. Veterinary Ophthalmology Services, Inc. is a private referral ophthalmology practice located in Warwick, Rhode Island. Patients are referred to the practice for ophthalmology care only and we are not associated with any other veterinary practice. Please enjoy the various sections of our website and we are committed to regular updating to the site.
History of Veterinary Ophthalmology
In 1967, Dr. Bill Magrane called together an organizing committee for the proposed American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO). The first meeting was held in March of that year at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Other members of the organizing committee were Drs. Roy Bellhorn, Seymour Roberts, Lionel Rubin, and Sam Vainisi. Formal application was submitted to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in June 1969, and the Advisory Board on Veterinary Specialties made a request for recognition. Full approval of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists was granted by the AVMA in 1974. Charter diplomats include: Drs. Aguirre, Bellhorn, Bistner, Carter, Cello, Donovan, Fischer, Helper, Jensen, Gelatt, Keller, Koch, Krawitz, Lavignette, Magrane, Martin, Parshall, Roberts, Rubin, Severin, Vainisi, Vierheller, and Wyman, many of whom are still practicing today!
Who Needs the Services of a Veterinary Ophthalmologist?
General practitioners manage many eye problems in veterinary medicine. However, when the doctor believes that the patient would benefit from the advanced training of a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, your doctor may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist. The veterinary ophthalmologist is similar to your own ophthalmologist in that he/she only deals with eye problems. Many people confuse an optometrist who deals with eyeglasses and contact lenses with an ophthalmologist, who is an MD (or in this case a DVM) who deals with medical and surgical diseases of the eye such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal diseases.
Who is a Veterinary Ophthalmologist?
After a veterinary student becomes a licensed veterinarian, he/she continues their education by serving an internship and then a 3-year residency in veterinary ophthalmology at a university teaching hospital. The residency process is similar to a physician who elects to specialize in a certain field seeing only those patients that have eye problems. Once the residency is successfully completed, they must pass a credentials process and then a 4-day examination. After successful completion of the exam process, the specialist enters the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologist (ACVO) as a Diplomate. The veterinary ophthalmologist is now “Board-Certified in Veterinary Ophthalmology.” Only Board-Certified individuals can claim that they are a specialists in the field of veterinary ophthalmology.
History of Veterinary Ophthalmology Services, Inc.
Dr. Ken Abrams started Veterinary Ophthalmology Services, Inc. in 1992 in Warwick, Rhode Island. At that time Dr. Abrams worked with only one technician who answered phones, assisted in exam rooms, assisted in surgery, greeted clients, and many more responsibilities. We saw 6 patients on that first day and the practice has now grown to 4 technicians! Over the past 15 years we have greatly increased our services with state-of-the-art technical ophthalmic equipment such as a semi-conductor diode laser to treat glaucoma and retinal detachments, phacoemulsification to remove cataracts through small-incision surgery, and software driven electrodiagnostics. Our practice has been completely computer-automated with electronic medical records since 196 to provide the most efficient services to our clients and referring veterinarians. |
