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Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is excited to share the construction of the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Animal Hospital, a state-of-the-art, 32,000 square-foot facility designed to meet the diverse medical needs of the Zoo’s animals. The new hospital, located on the northeast side of the Zoo, will feature enhanced medical technology and species-specific care spaces, ensuring the highest standards of care for all animals.
The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Animal Hospital will replace the Zoo’s nearly 30-year-old facility, equipping the animal health team with the latest technology in veterinary medicine to provide the best care for the more than 39,000 animals at the Zoo. The hospital’s main floor will house essential medical areas, including state-of-the-art spaces for quarantined and hospitalized patients, intensive care unit (ICU) wards and an animal diet kitchen. The hospital will also feature a fully-equipped pharmacy and a clinical pathology laboratory to support comprehensive diagnostics, along with two treatment rooms, a sterile surgical suite and a dental suite. One of the most significant advancements in the facility will be the inclusion of a CT scanner, a first for the Zoo, as well as an endoscopy unit to perform advanced minimally invasive procedures.
“We are excited to see this project come to life,” said Dr. Luis Padilla, DVM, Dipl. ACZM, president and CEO of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “This hospital will advance how we provide the specialized care that our animals need and honors our commitment to continuously invest in the health and wellbeing of all the animals in our care.”
The hospital is designed with species-specific care in mind, including specialized areas designed to address the unique needs of various species. Specialized areas include cold rooms with built-in water elements for penguins, puffins and other cold-adapted species, rooms with graded flooring designed to be flooded for water dwelling species like otters and ducks and aquatic habitats for hospitalized fish and invertebrates. Even more, the hospital will feature specially designed areas for large animals, reptile spaces designed specifically for venomous animals and video systems for continuous monitoring with no disruption to the animals.
With the added space and capabilities, the Zoo will become a part of a formal, prestigious zoo medicine residency training program, enhancing its commitment to the future of zoological medicine and training zoo and wildlife medicine specialists right here in Omaha.
“The updated facility will not only enhance the healthcare we provide to the animals, but also offer incredible opportunities for our animal health professionals,” said the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health, Dr. Taylor Yaw, DVM, CertAqV, Dipl. ACZM, Dipl. ABVP (Fish Practice.) “The addition of new technologies and expanded space will allow our teams to provide the best possible care for our animals, train the next generation of veterinarians and do our part to advance the zoo and aquarium fields through research and conservation efforts.”
The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Animal Hospital is expected to open in 2026.