CROW announces new clinic director
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel is pleased to announce that Dr. Heather Wilson Barron, DVM, has accepted the position of Clinic Director at CROW, effective Jan. 1, 2012.
Dr. Barron is a Georgia native who grew up on St. Simons Island. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also completed her residency in Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery. In addition to being faculty on the UGA Zoologic, Wildlife, and Exotic Animal Service for a decade, she also spent several years in private practice in Georgia and Florida. In 2005, she received the Young Achiever Award from the College Alumni Association and the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association in recognition of her achievements, partially due to her efforts in establishing and finding support for the Wildlife Treatment Center at UGA.
She is a boarded specialist in avian medicine (one of less than 200 world wide), but has experience in all areas of exotic, aquatic, and wild animal medicine and surgery. She is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), is Conference Chair, and this year received an AAV Outstanding Leadership Award. With over 16 years experience in orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries, Dr. Barron has also pioneered some minimally invasive endosurgical techniques in multiple species, working extensively with lasers and radiosurgical units.
Dr. Barron has pursued a number of research projects to improve the medical and surgical care of a variety of wildlife species and has pursued funding to support these efforts. From her research and clinical work, she has authored or co-authored over 120 scientific publications in her field. Additionally, she is an internationally acclaimed speaker in her field and provides consultation to veterinarians all over the world.
Currently, Dr. Barron is Department Head of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and a professor of Exotic Animal Medicine St. Matthew’s University, School of Veterinary Medicine in Grand Cayman. Additionally, she is medical director for Cayman Wildlife Rescue and the Cayman Turtle Farm and provides medical and surgical care for resident and free-ranging Caribbean turtles and other aquatic wildlife.
About her work and joining CROW, Dr. Barron states, “I love wildlife medicine and enjoy sharing that passion with others. Wildlife and conservation medicine is an exciting and rapidly expanding field with important implications for the interrelated ‘one health’ of our planet. I’m so enthusiastic about joining the CROW team. In addition to the outstanding facilities, everyone I’ve met there has been incredibly gracious and is clearly committed to the cause of saving lives and educating the public about the issues we face. It will also be great to work with CROW’s volunteers who are so supportive and bring so much value to the organization. They are not there for the pay and remind us how rewarding CROW’s special work can be. I am honored to be able to work with them, the students and the entire CROW staff.”
“All of us at CROW are looking forward to welcoming Heather,” said Executive Director Steve Greenstein. “Not only is she an accomplished medical professional, but she is also a compassionate kind person with a positive attitude and a concern for the world around her. Our organization and our community will be a better place when she arrives in January with her family.”
CROW President John Schubert added, “Everyone at CROW is excited to have Dr. Barron join our team as Clinic Director. She will continue the tradition of providing high quality medical care to our patients and giving our students, staff and volunteers the opportunity to learn all they can about wildlife medicine.”
Clinic Committee Chairman and CROW Board member Dr. David Nichols is also excited about the news and said, “Having someone with Dr. Barron’s experience and talent at CROW is a great opportunity for us to advance our efforts in the fields of medical care, teaching and research. The fact that she is coming to CROW speaks volumes about our reputation in the wildlife community and she will help us protect and enhance that reputation for years to come.”