About AMC
After being on-call for after-hour emergencies since beginning the practice and based on feedback from the veterinary community, Dr. Bishop decided that the hospital should serve as a 24-hour emergency facility for other doctors. In 1998, the staff was increased to include committed emergency doctors and technicians who would be in the hospital for around-the-clock care.
This meant clients could bring their sick or injured pets in the middle of the night, and it also meant that pets that had to stay in the hospital were never left alone and had uninterrupted medical care.
“It definitely took our hospital to a new level,” explains Dr. Bishop, “We can’t imagine doing it any other way.” Other veterinary clinics and their clients recognized the benefits of 24-hour service and began to use the hospital as their “emergency room” when their own veterinarians were not open.
By 2002, Dr. Bishop’s staff included 13 doctors and more than 50 support professionals; the hospital was outgrowing its space. The decision was made to increase the hospital to almost four-times its original size to be able to offer the veterinary care of a regional center. The concept of the “Animal Medical Center of New England” was created to reflect this new mission of regional emergency and specialized veterinary care.
To ensure the attainment of the “high-tech, soft-touch” goal, Dr. Bishop has continued to expand the veterinary staff to include specialists in surgery, internal medicine, behavior and emergency care. His commitment to quality veterinary medicine includes education.
The spacious new facility offers conference rooms for seminars to benefit the staff, area veterinarians, and the public. Dr. Bishop will continue to oversee the continuing progress as staff and technology are added, with his same commitment to excellence and the philosophy “high-tech, soft touch.”
The Animal Medical Center of New England (AMC) is a spacious state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, providing emergency and referral veterinary services to veterinarians and clients throughout New England. The dream started over 25-years ago with owner and founder, Dr. Leo Bishop, DVM. Having a philosophy of “high-tech, soft-touch,” he came to recognize the need for 24-hour emergency care, and the need to offer the expertise of veterinary specialists to referring veterinarians, while promising trust and compassion to clients and their pets.
Dr. Bishop first began a veterinary practice in this spot in 1985, starting as a very small veterinary clinic with Dr. Bishop and his wife being the entire staff. To be able to practice successfully in the shadow of other high-profile veterinary practices in the area, Dr. Bishop quickly learned that being a highly skilled clinician was not enough; he also had to hone his skills of client care. Whether his clients came to him after a hard day at work, a long commute, or a long day with the kids, it was important that the clients and their pets were given his utmost attention with a soft touch (while being technically proficient).
The other strong philosophy that Dr. Bishop followed in launching his veterinary practice was his belief in urgent care and critical care. His overall feeling was that a veterinarian needs to “be there” for the client and their pet in times of an emergency. Throughout its evolution, the hospital has never strayed from this basic premise.