History
San Francisco Veterinary Specialists (SFVS) was established in 1997 by local Internal Medicine veterinary specialist Dr. Alan Stewart, along with veterinary dermatologist Dr. Carlo Vitale and holistic specialist Dr. Cheryl Schwartz. At the time, their long-term goal was to offer the best in Western and Eastern medicine, and they spearheaded the first multi-specialty veterinary hospital in San Francisco.
Over the years, SFVS grew, adding new specialists, doctors and staff. The practice welcomed Internal Medicine specialists Dr. Craig Maretzki and Dr. Jamie Anderson along with an oncologist, Dr. Carlos Rodriguez. In keeping with the commitment to provide the highest quality of care, the practice was pleased to announce the addition of surgeon Dr. Philip Watt.
At this time, the practice was housed on California Street in the Laurel Heights area of San Francisco, on the second floor of the Presidio Way Veterinary Hospital. SFVS remained here for five years -- until growing pains would push us to find a space where our practice services could expand to meet referring doctors’ needs. In 2002, SFVS became a California S-Corporation with ownership shared equally among five shareholders.
The hallmark of SFVS development occurred in August 2003 when, with a staff of nine doctors and 20 support personnel, the practice moved to 600 Alabama Street in the Mission/Potrero Hill District. The historical building -- which once housed a renowned manufacturer of Ornamental hardwood floors and was the former site of Fredericksburg Bottling Works -- has many desirable features, including over 11,000 square feet of space with exposed brick walls and wood beams. The vision was to create a warm, inviting hospital with calming earth tones, while retaining its urban aesthetic and state-of-the-art functionality. Our efforts related to the practice space are recognized daily by our patients and clients and by the annual Veterinary Economics Magazine Hospital Design of the Year Award, receiving a notation of merit.
In October 2004, the hospital announced the addition of our Emergency Services practice. The after-hours practice extends services for clients and patients, ensuring care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The staff consists of three full-time emergency doctors and a support staff of 17 nurses and five client service representatives.
The practice recruits four full-time interns from universities across the United States through an intern-matching program. The Intern Program has seen four years of successful completion of rotations through the specialties -- giving our interns a learning experience unparalleled in the Bay Area. Several of our interns have gone on to residency programs in specialties such as dermatology and emergency medicine.
The coming year will present many challenges for SFVS. The service needs and demands of our clients have become more complex, and we are faced with the challenge of coordinating our efforts across a wider range of people, systems and equipment.
To build on our already strong commitment of service to referring veterinarians, clients and pets, SFVS will devote more resources to expanding and further developing our facilities, services and human resources during the next year.
We will continue to evaluate and revise our organization to better respond to the needs of our constituents. Through excellent service, continued innovation, compassion for our clients and hard work, 2008 may be our best year to date.