Dr. Jeff Godwin
Nearly a hundred veterinarians seeking specialized training in small animal surgery have come to the UF College of Veterinary Medicine as residents since the college’s inception in 1976, completing a rigorous program that equips them to advance the art and science of soft tissue, orthopedic and minimally invasive surgery.
With the availability of sophisticated diagnostic equipment and a cadre of other specialists available for assistance and consultation — more veterinary specialists work under one roof than at any other veterinary hospital in Florida — residents who have trained in the UF small animal program have improved, extended or saved the lives of countless animals from not just Florida and the Southeast, but all over the world.
But their training involves not just the hands-on surgery they perform every day in the UF Small Animal Hospital under the guidance of nationally respected faculty members; it also involves exposure to non-clinical research aimed at advancing the field of small animal surgery.
And while a new, $58 million Small Animal Hospital opened in 2010, providing additional operating rooms and other badly needed clinical space, the research and training laboratory facilities dedicated to small animal surgery remain today much as they were was when the college first opened.
That situation perplexed Dan Lewis, D.V.M., an eminent scholar and longtime professor of small animal surgery at UF, who knew that the college did not have sufficient funds to initiate a major renovation he knew was needed to bring the existing laboratory up to the high standards he and his colleagues have set for training.
“Those labs are pretty much like they were back in the day when I was a resident,” he said.
He decided to take the initiative to change the situation. In collaboration with Melissa Headrick of the college’s development and advancement team, Lewis launched a fundraising campaign to solicit those he knew had benefited in some way from the UF small animal surgery program: former residents and faculty, referring veterinarians, grateful clients, alumni and other friends of the college. He wrote personal emails to each individual on his list asking for their support to bring this project to fruition.
“I’ve been humbled and amazed at the response,” Lewis said.
Dr. Jeff Godwin performs a surgical procedure in his clinic. Godwin made a major gift to support UF’s small animal surgery laboratory renovation as he has always valued UF’s contributions to the knowledge in this field.
These efforts generated more than $100,000 in donations, half of which will be provided by Jeff Godwin, DVM, (’80), hospital director at Animal Medical Clinic in Melbourne. Godwin donated $50,000 up front with a pledge to donate an additional $50,000 over five years. In recognition of his support, the laboratory will be named in Godwin’s honor.
The funding will allow for an extensive remodel of existing laboratory space, which will allow the program to maintain its status as an international leader advancing the field of small animal surgery as well as a world-renowned small animal surgical training program. The facility will allow faculty to develop new innovative surgical techniques and will include stations for residents to gain proficiency in arthroscopy and minimally invasive soft tissue procedures. The space will also allow the UF surgery team to offer continuing education training programs for veterinarians practicing at varying levels, from board-certified specialist surgeons who wish to adopt the latest innovations in advanced surgical techniques to general practitioners who want to learn or become more proficient in basic surgical techniques. The facility will also house the small animal gait laboratory which will be equipped with state-of-the-art, dual force plates.
Although he did not complete a small animal surgery residency, Godwin, a member of the college’s charter class, has long been actively involved with his local veterinary association in Brevard County as well as the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, which he served as president in 1998. The FVMA awarded Godwin its Distinguished Service Award and a Life Membership in 2020 for his outstanding contributions to the association and the veterinary profession.
While managing his clinic’s three locations, with a total staff of 75 — including 14 veterinarians — doesn’t leave Godwin with a lot of time to practice, orthopedic surgery is his favorite thing to do when he’s able.
“When my wife, Jo, and I discussed making this gift, there were a combination of factors that motivated us to do it,” Godwin said. “First was my love of orthopedic surgery, then my respect for the orthopedic research done at UF and finally our desire to give back to the university and leave a legacy that would help others.”
Godwin said he has loved orthopedic surgery since his days as a veterinary student at UF, where he studied with the late Rob Parker, D.V.M., and the late Mark Bloomberg, D.V.M., both of whom Godwin viewed as mentors.
“I get a satisfaction in ‘fixing’ things, and when I look at post-operative X-rays, it gives me immediate positive feedback…well, most of the time,” Godwin laughed. “Because of my interest in orthopedics, I joined the Veterinary Orthopedic Society in 1995 and have been attending the VOS conferences every year. That is where I met Dan Lewis and some of the other UF orthopedic surgeons who came along after I left veterinary school.”
Godwin said he and Lewis served on the VOS board together and both are past presidents of the organization.
“We have gotten to know each other pretty well,” Godwin said.
He added that through VOS conferences, he became more familiar with the surgical research performed by Lewis as well as others, including former UF faculty member Antonio Pozzi, D.M.V., and current UF faculty orthopedic surgeon Stan Kim, BV.SC, and others and was “very impressed.”
“They do great work and make me proud to be a Gator,” Godwin said.
The UF small animal surgery team are recognized leaders in the use of circular and hybrid external fixators, total joint replacement, limb deformities, limb lengthening and stifle kinematics related to cruciate ligament disease, he added.
“Their work has helped a lot of surgeons, clients and patients,” Godwin said.
Godwin said his career in veterinary medicine has always felt like a calling, and has proven to be one he still finds rewarding, 41 years after graduation from veterinary school.
“I am very grateful for the education I received at UF, and joined the Dean’s Circle of Excellence when it began, as a way of expressing that gratitude,” he said. “But Jo and I started talking about wanting to do something more.”
When Lewis’s email arrived, about a week after one of those discussions, he and his wife decided that the opportunity to contribute to the surgery lab renovation project was a perfect fit for them.
“We decided we would give them what they needed to make it happen,” Godwin said. “We challenge other UFCVM alumni to look for a way they might be able to make a difference, showing their gratitude as well as helping future generations of students, residents and animals.”
Dr. Jeff Godwin
