About
A surgeon, a center, and a very specific idea about how surgery should work
Dr. Rosemary Lombardi built Operational Wellness around a single conviction: excellent surgical care should reach the pets who need it without pulling them away from the veterinarian who knows them.
The surgeon
Dr. Rosemary Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi earned her veterinary degree from Ross University in 1999, completed a comprehensive internship in small animal medicine and surgery, and finished her postdoctoral surgical training on Long Island in 2005. She went on to spend more than thirteen years as Surgical Director at East End Veterinary Specialists, and for part of that time as Physical Therapy Director as well — a pairing that shaped how she thinks about recovery.
That combination is the reason post-operative care, pain management and regenerative therapies are not afterthoughts here. A technically perfect procedure that leaves a patient uncomfortable for months has only solved half the problem.
She founded The Veterinary Center for Operational Wellness as an outpatient surgical center dedicated to orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, CT imaging, mobile surgical care and regenerative treatment options — deliberately structured to complement the primary care veterinarian rather than compete with them.
Outside the surgical suite, she shares her life with her family and Khal, a German Shepherd who has been with her for nine years.
“Where operational excellence meets compassionate value”
Every procedure is performed with compassion, and a commitment to excellence. Two Latin phrases sit behind that: primum non nocere — first, do no harm — and dolores relevare — relief of pain. They decide which cases get operated on, and how every patient is handled once they do.
Background
Ross University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1999
Recipient of the Surgical Proficiency award in two consecutive years.
Georgia Veterinary Specialists
Internship, Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 2000
A one-year comprehensive internship before returning north for surgical training.
Postdoctoral surgical training on Long Island
Residency completed 2005
Surgical training completed in the same community the practice serves today.
East End Veterinary Specialists
Surgical Director, 13+ years
Also served as Physical Therapy Director for part of that tenure, folding rehabilitation into surgical recovery.
Published research
Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
Published on perianal fistula disease in dogs.
The center
An outpatient surgical center in Lake Grove
Purpose-built for orthopedic and soft tissue surgery, CT imaging, mobile surgical care and regenerative treatment — without the cost structure and logistical barriers that come with a traditional referral hospital.
Collaborative by design
We work alongside referring veterinarians and return patients to their primary care practice as soon as it makes sense.
Backed by 24-hour partners
When a case needs advanced monitoring or overnight care, we coordinate with trusted 24-hour facilities so nothing falls between the cracks.
A professional, personal setting
High-quality surgical care and alternative therapies, delivered somewhere small enough that the surgeon knows your patient by name.
Next step
Want to talk it through with the surgeon?
Owners and veterinarians alike — a phone call is usually the fastest way to know whether surgery is the right next step.