Paying it forward for future orthopedic patients
Blog Post | September 8, 2025
By Adam Roosa
Colorado State University’s Veterinary Continuing Education (CSU VetCE) program and Arthrex Vet Systems covered the registration fees of two introductory orthopedic courses for Dr. John Morton, Chief Medical Officer at Patty Baker Humane Society Naples (PBHSN). This pay-it-forward approach provides the no-kill shelter a potential new capacity for orthopedic care in its veterinary clinic.
Introduction to Bone Plating and Introduction to Safety-Focused TPLO are both taught by Associate Director of Education at Colorado State University’s Translational Medicine Institute, Dr. Ross Palmer, and a group of veterinary orthopedic surgeons. These courses train veterinarians to treat common fractures and ligament injuries that otherwise might result in amputation, euthanasia, or lifelong painful immobility.
“Our courses are designed to build a broad and firm foundation upon which to grow,” said Palmer.
The barriers of orthopedic care
Orthopedic procedures are a common need at PBHSN, but they are currently outsourced to specialists and are expensive to do.
“Being able to hopefully learn from these classes and take that back will be very helpful,” said Morton.
As a board-certified veterinary surgeon, Palmer sees the value of referrals of injured pets to specialist surgeons. But referrals often come with barriers, like cost and the availability of veterinary specialists.
“Thinking of pets unnecessarily losing their limbs or their lives has always burdened me,” Palmer said.
This pay-it-forward approach between education and industry aims to lessen those barriers at PBHSN.
“Between Arthrex and CSU VetCE, they’ve been able to get me out here to do these classes so I can take that knowledge back to our shelter animals,” said Morton. “We can get them a surgery that they might not otherwise have access to.”
Continuing education designed with community in mind
Colorado State University (CSU) opened its veterinary continuing education program in 2021. It has grown into the largest university-based continuing education program in the world. Each year, 2,600 people participate in CSU VetCE courses. General practitioners and specialists travel to Colorado from all 50 states in the U.S.A. and internationally from 26 countries, bringing in revenue to the university and the local Fort Collins economy.
But the program’s impact goes beyond dollars. It extends into communities around the world.
“What we are proud of is our impact on veterinary medicine,” said Geri Baker, Senior Manager of Continuing Education at the Translational Medicine Institute (TMI). “We train veterinarians who work in shelters, zoos, clinics, industry—and those individuals will improve and save the lives of hundreds of animals in their career. That’s what’s important here.”
By partnering with CSU VetCE, industry partners can impact their local communities as well. Arthrex Vet Systems, a division of Arthrex, is a global medical device company and leader in multispecialty minimally invasive surgical technology innovation, scientific research, manufacturing and medical education. Their global corporate headquarters is also located in Naples, Florida.
These types of partnerships are crucial for organizations that rely on community support. “My shelter can’t do it alone,” said Dr. Morton. “Other shelters out there can’t do it alone. It is a community, and we need to work together.”