
| Arizona's Avian Specialist Dr. Hillary Frank in one of only 150 veterinarians in the world recognized as a Board Certified Avian Specialist. Dr. Frank also has many years of advanced education to treat other exotic animals such as rabbits, rodents, ferrets and reptiles. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) is comparable to the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) specialty in human medicine. It was established in 1978 to recognize excellence in clinical practice through the certification of species-oriented specialists. Veterinarians world-wide are certified in one of eight practice categories: Canine & Feline, Food Animal, Equine, Dairy, Swine Health, Feline, Avian and Beef Cattle. Dr. Frank pursued specialty certification to focus on her professional development and to improve her diagnostic skills and knowledge of advanced treatment techniques. Achieving certification continues a lifelong dedication and commitment to advancing skills beyond a postgraduate degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. A rigorous and demanding application process and certification examination must be mastered in order to obtain Diplomate status. To qualify to sit for the extensive two-day examination, a veterinarian must complete either a residency program or six years of clinical veterinary practice. References, descriptions of practice procedures, and professional education records must be submitted and assessed. In addition, two case reports, suitable for publication, must be submitted and pass peer review. The two papers submitted were titled "Diagnosis and Treatment of Psittacine Circovirus-1 in an Eclectus Parrot" and "The Use of Salpingohysterectomy in the Treatment of a Retained Egg in a Peach-faced Lovebird." Dr. Frank is a 1992 graduate from Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, and in 1995 opened North Central Animal Hospital, P.C. in Phoenix, Arizona. The facility has advanced surgical and diagnostic equipment to provide a very high level of medical care. In addition to providing health care for birds, she treats dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, and reptiles. Dr. Frank also provides licensed avian wildlife rehabilitation organizations diagnostic testing, treatment, and surgery on over 100 native and migratory birds per year at no charge. She is active in the community and a member of numerous veterinary and civic organizations. |
