Tag: staff
Learn More About Dr. Kathleen Timmins
Dr. Kathleen A. Timmins is a 1993 graduate of the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her internship in equine medicine and surgery at the Illinois Equine Hospital near Chicago. Prior to coming to Florida, Dr. Timmins practiced in Aiken, South Carolina, where she met her husband, John Gobin, who plays polo professionally. Growing up in Central Ohio, Dr. Timmins began her relationship with horses as a child on the hunter/jumper circuit. She and her husband are enjoying parenthood with their daughter Schuyler.
Will you tell us more about your background riding on the hunter/jumper circuit?
I grew up in a family who was not involved with horses. At nine years old, I began showing in the hunters/ equitation locally in central Ohio and continued to ride until I went to college. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of nice junior Thoroughbred horses to show. I unfortunately don’t ride very much anymore. I have passed the reins over to my daughter, Schuyler. My daughter began riding at a young age on a medium pony that she has since outgrown. Schuyler is now 13 years old and rides a really nice green hunter. My husband is also a polo player, so she has been fortunate to have grown up with horses her entire life.
Were you involved with polo before you met your husband? How involved are you with the sport in Wellington?
I was working in Aiken when I met my husband. I came to Wellington with my husband in 1996 and that was also the year I started working for Palm Beach Equine Clinic. I currently have a nice mix of clientele in all disciplines located in both the Wellington/Virginia areas. My clients are mainly show horses; however, I do have many polo ponies as patients. I am also a member on the USPA (United States Polo Association) Equine Welfare Committee and Drugs & Medication sub-committee that authored the USPA Drugs & Medications Rules Book which was implemented a few years ago.
What do you enjoy about being part of the team at PBEC?
I love working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. All the Doctors and staff are very supportive of each other and always willing to help. All the doctors have our own area of expertise and everyone is always willing to work as a team when necessary. There are many employees that have been there for many years. Additionally, I love having all of the technology available to help with all my veterinary cases. I have worked as an ambulatory tech practitioner in the past where I have had to refer cases to the local hospital. I like being on the referral end and receiving cases to help with rather than having to send clients off for various reasons.
When and why did you decide to become a veterinarian?
I was the kid following the vet around the barn when I was young. I was always seriously interested in the sciences and animals; combining the two passions seemed like a natural progression. I just came home one day and said to my mom, ‘I applied to vet school.’ I have never regretted my decision!
Do you have a specialty or main focus?
In my practice, I do a little bit of everything, but I enjoy the challenge of the difficult medical cases the best. I take many of the patients that enter the hospital, including the seriously ill ones such as pneumonias, colitis, kidney failures, or colics; the types of cases that require problem solving. At Palm Beach Equine Clinic Hospital, I can closely manage their care every day to hopefully recover successfully. I also like working with the geriatric animals. We have seen an increase in the senior performance animals and I enjoy working to keep them comfortable and happy.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life or career? What did they teach you?
It really hasn’t been any one person who influenced my career, it has been many. The truth is, you learn something or gain something from everyone, good, bad or otherwise. There are always lessons to be learned and you are always influenced a little bit by everybody in your life.
What are some of your other hobbies or interests?
During the summers when school lets out in Florida, my family travels to Middleburg, Virginia. My husband runs Great Meadow Polo Club and also has a polo school up there. I help him with the club when I’m there. I am licensed in VA so I can still work with my clients from the clinic there. We also travel to Aiken as we have a farm and clients there, but we don’t get there very often as we are so busy with the club in VA.
What is one of the most interesting cases you have worked on?
Recently, I had a racehorse filly with a case of multidrug-resistant pneumonia that was really tough to treat. Our team had to think outside the box from normal procedures to treat her, but it was successful! She recovered fully from her aggressive case of pneumonia and went home to her owners. In today’s veterinary world, horses, like people, are contracting these drug-resistant bacteria as well.
If you were not a vet, what would you be doing?
I would be a chef and run my own restaurant. I really love to cook, it is a passion of mine!
Is there anything else that people would like to know about you?
I am an FEI Veterinary Delegate for the past 10 years. I have many close contacts within the FEI and I am knowledgeable with all of their up to date rules. An FEI veterinarian is present at the shows to monitor the care of the horses.
Q&A with Dr. Bryan Dubynsky
Get to Know Dr. Dubynsky
Q. Where did you grow up and what is your background with horses?
A. I grew up in Northern Indiana on a horse farm. I was fortunate enough to breed, show in the Midwest circuit, and train our horses.
Q. When and why did you decide that you wanted to become a veterinarian?
A. My father is a physician and I’ve always grown up with an interest in medicine. Choosing to become a veterinarian seemed to be a natural fit combining my love for horses and medicine.
Q. Who has been the biggest influence in your life or career? What did they teach you?
A. I spent my entire childhood from 8 to 18 years old with a third generation horse trainer from Kentucky. He taught me horsemanship and patience of which are two crucial foundations for successfully working around horses every day.
Q. What is your specialty/main focus as a veterinarian?
A. My main focus and interest is sport horse medicine. I love focusing on improving athletic performance and treating horse-related injuries to help clients get their equine partners back to the top!
Q. When did you join Palm Beach Equine Clinic and what do you like about working there?
A. I joined Palm Beach Equine Clinic in 2009. I love working here for the exceptional medical and surgical capabilities and experiences available. I also love the camaraderie of all the employees; we really work as a team! Teamwork is paramount for making the clinic successful.
Q. What is some advice that you would give someone who wants to become a veterinarian?
A. Pick out the top people in the industry and work with them. Learn as much as you possibly can from the people who have been practicing for a long time.
Q. What are some of your other hobbies or interests?
A. Polo, golf, guitar & music, hiking, seeing family and friends. Spending time with my lovely dog, Ginger.
Q. What do you love about your job?
A. I love the opportunities to travel all over the country and Europe to see really cool places to work with my clients. I love working with the competition horses and the atmosphere of high-level competition, as well as caring for the sweet trail horses at home.
Q. What is one of the most interesting cases you have worked on?
A. My horse Batman. He was an abandoned polo pony suffering from West Nile Virus. He was paralyzed for three days and no one wanted to treat him. We treated him with intensive care for three days and used a tractor as a last ditch effort to get him to stand. He has since made a full recovery and is currently playing polo.
Dr. Sarah Puchalski is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology whose specialty includes the interpretation of bone scans, MRI, ultrasound, radiographs and other diagnostic imaging techniques. With her addition to the staff, Palm Beach Equine Clinic is one of the few equine hospitals in the country to employ a full-time radiologist on-site. In addition to working with horses locally and assisting veterinarians around the world, Dr. Puchalski also competes in the Medium and High Amateur Owner Jumper circuits.
It is important for clients to get know our doctors so we asked Dr. Puchalski to share a little about herself!
How do you like being in Wellington and having the opportunity to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival?
I think it is a really unbelievable opportunity to ride in the most competitive rings in the country regardless of the level at which you are competing.
How do you like working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic?
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is great place to work. It is very vibrant and busy. I like the energy that comes out of the place and the imaging equipment is world-class.
Why do you feel it is important to have a Board Certified Radiologist on site?
My full time job is image reviews which takes a high level of specialization. This provides support for all veterinarians ranging from field veterinarians to surgeons. It is very rare for an equine hospital to have a full-time radiologist so having one on board offers a step up in the quality of service. When a horse comes in for an MRI or bone scan everything can be reviewed before the horse leaves the clinic so if any other care is needed it can be handled in one visit.
What ways do veterinarians use radiologists?
There are a couple ways. One is that I read complicated images such as bone scans and MRIs. Most veterinarians do not have the training to read these images. The second way is to provide a second opinion on routine diagnostic techniques such as radiographs and ultrasounds. Clients and referral veterinarians will also use my opinion for pre-purchase examinations.
Tell us about your studies and how you’ve developed an international reputation?
I did two internships in field service and sports medicine at New Bolton Center Hospital at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinarian Medicine. Then, I spent four years at the University of California, Davis in imaging. For eight years I stayed there as faculty for doing research instruction and clinical service. I have published more than 50 scientific articles and performed over 100 presentations around the world on lameness diagnosis and Diagnostic Imaging in Sport Horses.
What would you like veterinarians and owners to know about you?
My philosophy is to support all veterinarians, whether it be a veterinarian from Palm Beach Equine Clinic or a referral. I read cases from all over the world on a daily basis. Many owners ask their veterinarian to consult with me for a second opinion. I view my role more as a support role for all veterinarians to provide the best care for horses.
Introducing Dr. Ryan Lukens
Dr. Ryan Lukens joined the Palm Beach Equine Clinic team in June of 2012. He has been a great asset and some of you may not have had the opportunity to meet him.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic currently has 24 veterinarians providing exceptional veterinary care and client services. As we grow, thanks to our clients, we feel it is important that everyone gets to know our veterinarians. Not only professionally, but also personally. Each of our doctors brings exceptional veterinary skills and great personal strengths to our Palm Beach Equine Clinic Family. It is the combination of these strengths that makes our Team a success.
We sat down to interview Dr. Lukens and asked him to tell his story.
Q: You went to Ohio State and played football, do you feel that your football career helped you with your future in veterinary medicine?
A: Yes, I played football for 5 years at Ohio State, from 2004 to 2008. I was a fullback and a linebacker. My senior season was my freshman year in veterinary school. I remember studying for Cell Biology and Clinical Pathology during my plane rides back from games.
My coaches were very accommodating. I would usually have to skip Sunday film day to study for Monday exams and then make up film review after my exams on Monday, which would usually have been a “day off” from football. Needless to say I was busy during that first quarter of vet school. Football taught me discipline and time management.
My Coach, Jim Tressel, instilled values in his players by group discussion and study of leadership books. These values affect my career today, I am always aware of how my actions and words affect everyone around me. The lessons from Coach Tressel have helped me improve my communication skills with my clients and fellow colleagues.
Q: Your wife is a small animal veterinarian, how did this play a part in your education and career?
A: My grades were above average during my last football season but improved the following quarter. This improvement in grades can be traced back to meeting my future wife in school a month after my football career ended. The day we met we spent most of our time studying together and immersing ourselves in our class work.
Studying became fun and we tackled the challenges together. She was small animal oriented and I was able to teach her equine aspects while she helped me with small animal based courses. From our separate experiences working with different animals our entire pre-vet school lives, we greatly improved each other’s understanding of former less-familiar species.
When we entered clinical rotations our 3rd year, I would always find a way to get out to the barn rather than stay in the small animal clinic. It was fun being able to teach my wife about horses, she had almost no experience with horses when we met.
Q: How do you feel about being a part of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic team of doctors? What kind of experiences have you had since joining PBEC?
A: I am more than happy to be a part of this prestigious clinic and to live in the center of horse country in South Florida. I do not miss lameness exams in the snow! I started working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic for over 6 weeks while I was finishing school. This opportunity led to a great start in my career. I was able to familiarize myself with the operation of this efficient, tertiary medical facility.
My interests in school and to this day are sports medicine and I always envisioned performing competent lameness exams. Over the past year and a half, my lameness exam numbers have increased exponentially. This past winter season I was successful in keeping several horses that had lameness issues early on sound throughout the entire season. I enjoy doing pre-purchase examinations. I am fortunate that this area offers a great amount of sale horses. Pre-purchase exams are also an excellent way to develop relationships with new riders and trainers.
Moving from Ohio, I was quickly introduced to “summer sores”. Habronemiasis (summer sores) are not seen clinically in the north. So becoming more educated on them and providing successful treatment has been an educational experience for me.
A fortunate part about being a team member is the number of doctors and specialized fields that Palm Beach Equine Clinic offers. This is what makes the veterinary care here so proficient. It benefits the patient and client as we are able to share ideas and consolidate treatment options amongst our large team.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
A: I am currently working on becoming ISELP (International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology) certified. This course and certification will continue to expand my knowledge and treatments of lameness. I look forward to meeting new clients and treating new horses. In the future, I want to join the ranks of the lameness experts known throughout the country. Wellington is one the greatest places in the world for the opportunity to treat the best horses in the world. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
PBEC Community News
The latest community news for Palm Beach Equine Clinic
Horse Tales Literacy Program
Dr. Janet Greenfield-Davis will do a hands-on presentation for the Horse Tales Literacy Project at Good Earth Farm on January 24th from 10:00am-12: 00 pm. Sixty-five students from Pahokee and Glades Academy will have the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about horses for the first time. Dr. Greenfield-Davis has donated her time to do several educational talks for the Horse Tales Literacy Program.
Winter Equestrian Festival Lunch and Learn
Drs. Weston Davis and Sarah Puchalski will be speaking at the WEF Lunch and Learn on January 30th in the Wellington Club from 12:00pm-1: 00 pm. Dr. Davis will cover the topic, “Advances in Minimally Invasive Surgery” and Dr. Puchalski will speak on “Diagnostic Imaging for the Modern Sport Horse”. There will be an open discussion after the presentations. This event is open to the public free of charge. Palm Beach Equine Clinic would like to thank Zoetis for sponsoring this event.
PBEC Monthly Contest
Each month, Palm Beach Equine Clinic will be hosting a raffle to give our friends a chance to win great prizes. The winner of the contest will be picked on the last day of each month, every month the prize will be different. The January prize is one month of either training classes at Crossfit Wellington or one month of personal training at Evolution Fitness Wellington, you get to choose! The total value of this product is $250.00.
Tour Palm Beach Equine Clinic and Meet the Veterinarians
From December 1st, 2013 through April 1st, 2014, PBEC is pleased to offer tours by appointment. Guests will have a guided tour of the facility and time to talk with the veterinarians on staff. Tours will include the new hospital, Nuclear Scintigraphy room, and Surgery Center.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic welcomes new veterinarian Radiologist, Dr. Sarah Puchalski, and Surgeon, Dr. Weston Davis. Dr. Puchalski is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology. Her specialty includes the interpretation of radiographs in addition to other diagnostic imaging techniques.
New Team Members
With Dr. Puchalski’s addition, Palm Beach Equine Clinic is pleased to be one of few practices in the country with a full-time board certified radiologist.
Dr. Davis is a Board Certified surgeon specializing in equine sports medicine. Dr. Davis joins Dr. Bob Brusie and Dr. Jorge Gomez at Palm Beach Equine Clinic providing exceptional surgical expertise in orthopedic and soft tissue related problems including emergency colic surgery.
Expanded Facilities
In addition to this exciting news comes the announcement of a new expansion to their veterinary hospital. PBEC is located less than one mile from the Winter Equestrian Festival and across the street from the Global Dressage Festival. The expansion includes a new barn containing 11 intensive care stalls capable of providing advanced medical treatment and post-operative care. The added stalls and office space makes Palm Beach Equine Clinic the most progressive, well-equipped facility in the region for equine veterinary care.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic (PBEC) is the one of the select few equine hospitals in the country with three board-certified surgeons. With 24 veterinarians on staff, they are the most complete hospital in the southeast United States, ready to handle any emergency as well as elective surgery and preventative care.
Exceptional Equine Medical Care
Palm Beach Equine Clinic has locations in Wellington, Florida, Long Island, New York and satellite veterinarians throughout the United States. PBEC provides exceptional equine medical care with an unwavering commitment to the horse for more than 30 years. Working with patients that range from the reliable amateur horse to Olympic athletes, PBEC’s mission from day one has been to provide innovative veterinary services that promote health and happiness in horses while extending their performance careers. With this mission in mind, Palm Beach Equine Clinic remains the leading service provider in equine veterinary medicine.
From December 1st, 2013 through April 1st, 2014, PBEC is pleased to offer tours by appointment. After scheduling an appointment, guests can look forward to a tour of the facility and time to talk with veterinarians. Tours will include the new hospital, Nuclear Scintigraphy room, and Surgery Center. Visitors will have an opportunity to ask questions and meet all the new doctors on staff. PBEC is located at 13125 Southfields Road in Wellington, Florida.
Contact PBEC for more information
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is respected throughout the industry. Well known for an unwavering commitment to the horse and their owners, PBEC offers innovative, advanced medical care. Known as leaders in new diagnostics and therapies, PBEC veterinarians have published numerous articles in equine magazines and journals.