Web Extra
by Marcia Hill Gossard ’99, ’04 Ph.D.
Some people really are larger than life. Joe and Barb Mendelson are two such people. When they wanted to give to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, they asked what would do the most good. When they were told that the hospital desperately needed a new CT scanner, they didn’t hesitate.
Last spring, the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital installed a new, upgraded spiral, computed tomography (CT) scanner for use in both small and large animals thanks to a very generous donation from Joseph T. Mendelson, Sr. and his wife Barbara of Santa Barbara, Calif.
“We knew that a CT scanner would help everybody for a long time,” said Joe Mendelson. “I’ve been around horses my whole life and the old CT scanner wasn’t adequate for what the veterinarians are doing at WSU.”
More than a decade ago, Joe and Barb Mendelson’s dog, “Scout,” was treated by WSU alumnus Dr. John Oplinger (‘79) at the Wickenburg Veterinary Clinic in Arizona. The Mendelson’s were so grateful for the wonderful care Dr. Oplinger gave Scout, they wanted to give back to his alma mater. And they did just that. Their first gift to WSU in 1996 started a cancer fund in Scout’s name, and they have been supporting the college ever since. In 2010, the Mendelsons made an extraordinary donation when they gave the college the funds to purchase a 16-slice spiral CT scanner.
Speed is one of the main features of the CT unit, and the imaging is produced in a variety of planes as well as in three-dimensional representations of anatomic structures. Small animals, such as cats and dogs, can often be imaged in the new CT scanner in seconds, in many cases without general anesthesia. With the faster speed, many more horse can be scanned each year.
“Before the new CT, we only imaged a few horses a month, but now I would expect to do 10 times that,” said Professor John Mattoon, a board certified veterinary radiologist and chief of WSU’s diagnostic imaging section. “The new CT is truly state-of-the-art with brand new software that greatly improves its capabilities.”
Horses are too large to fit entirely in the CT scanner, so only the head, upper neck, and lower limbs are imaged. For smaller animals, the entire body can be scanned, and is especially useful for examining the lungs and abdomen.
For the Mendelsons, WSU has a special place in their hearts. Although neither attended WSU (Joe almost came here in the 1950s on a basketball scholarship) or have had a pet treated at the Veterinary Teaching hospital, they have become loyal Cougars and dear friends of the college. Their current veterinarian in Santa Barbara, Dr. Ron Faoro (’81), is also a WSU alumnus.
“Seems we have a lot of connections to WSU,” said Joe Mendelson.
We’re glad they do.
Over the years, Joe and Barb Mendelson have become loyal Cougars and dear friends of the college. When they first visited in 2009, they fell in love with the campus and with Pullman. And they wanted to find other ways to contribute to WSU. Joe now serves on the WSU Board of Governors and Barb is on the WSU Board of Trustees. She is also interested in supporting the good work in the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health.