Nashville Zoo is pleased to announce that our recently completed HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center was awarded the Excellence in Construction Award in the Special Construction category by the Greater Tennessee Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.
“We’ve worked many years on creating a veterinary center that is not only a state-of-the-art upgrade from our previous facility, but one of the best veterinary centers in the country, so it’s an absolute honor to be recognized with this award,” said Dr. Heather Robertson, Nashville Zoo Director of Veterinary Services. “The level of care we’ve always provided our animals is now matched by this innovative facility that is designed to promote the health and safety of our animals, all while educating guests about animal care, conservation and research.”
Associated Builders and Contractors is the industry’s premier platform for building competition that recognizes innovative and exemplary merit for construction projects, world class safety and diversity programs.
The Veterinary Center is a destination for Zoo visitors to discover firsthand how animal care is delivered. A covered observation deck, featuring tiered seating, allows up to 200 people to witness surgeries and other procedures as they occur. The treatment rooms feature cameras connected to monitors on the observation deck, providing guests with an even closer view of our top-notch animal care. Additional viewing windows look into the animal neonatal care rooms where guests can watch feedings and the care of the Zoo's newest additions.
Adjacent to the main lobby, a large classroom, conference room and multi-functional spaces attract a variety of community groups. These areas also provide a location for education programs, revenue-generating special events and after-hours programming.
Public traffic is separated from back-of-house functions to enable staff to perform daily tasks and to ensure animal, staff and visitor safety. In addition to features designed to minimize animals' travel times and anxiety levels during transport, treatment and holding areas also incorporate daylighting to help preserve animals’ natural circadian rhythm throughout treatment.
The hospital features a push alley (permitting animals to walk themselves to the treatment room), induction stall (allowing anesthesia to be administered remotely) and electric lift, all of which promote animal and staff safety. In addition to upgraded medical equipment, remote-controlled lighting, cameras and other modern features, the facility is LEED Silver certified for sustainable building design and operations.