Merck Vet Manual gets new editor-in-chief
Merck Vet Manual gets new editor-in-chief
Kenilworth, NJ – May 2024 – Laurie Hess, DVM, has joined the Merck Manuals team as Editor-in-Chief of the Merck Veterinary Manual and Director, Scientific Affairs.
Dr. Hess comes to Merck from online pet product retailer, Chewy, where she was the lead exotic animal veterinarian. Prior to that, she served as Petco’s Director of Veterinary Medicine, overseeing the care of animals at more than 1,500 stores nationwide. She served as Director of Pet Health & Nutrition for the exotic animal food manufacturer, ZuPreem.
“In my new position, I am honored to be collaborating with the nearly 400 distinguished experts in their fields,” said Dr. Hess. “Our goal is not only to expand and enhance this venerable reference, but to grow the number of users.”
Board certified in avian medicine, Dr. Hess exclusively treats birds and small exotics. One of approximately 100 board-certified avian specialists worldwide, Dr. Hess has been an exotic pet expert on numerous television and radio shows and is the author of Unlikely Companions: The Adventures of an Exotic Animal Doctor – a memoir about life as an exotic animal veterinarian.
She is an active member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, and the Association of Avian Veterinarians, where she was elected and served as president. Additionally, she is certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
Dr. Hess was a senior associate editor for Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. She authored chapters in The Veterinary Manual before joining Merck & Co., Inc. She serves on the editorial board for DVM360.
After receiving her B.A. in biology from Yale University, she earned her veterinary degree at Tufts University and completed a 1-year internship and 2-year residency in avian and exotic animal medicine and surgery at the Schwarman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York City.
Dr. Hess co-headed the Avian & Exotic Pet Service at the AMC for nearly a decade, and then in 2010, she opened the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Westchester County, New York.
Like The Merck Manual for human health professionals and The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook for consumers, use of The Merck Veterinary Manual website is unlimited and always free, has no registration, and the user experience is not compromised by advertising or commercial messaging of any kind.
About Merck
For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives.
Source: Merck Manuals
