First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency

What First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency does

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency (FCVS) is a single-site, 24/7 veterinary specialty and emergency hospital located at 301 Jacksonville Drive in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, serving pet owners, referring primary care veterinarians, and law enforcement K-9 units across Northeast Florida (Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, and surrounding areas). The hospital opened in July 2015 as First Coast Veterinary Emergency (FCVER) and subsequently expanded its service mix to include board-certified specialty surgery. It operates as a portfolio company within National Veterinary Associates (NVA) and participates in Ethos Discovery clinical research. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services — emergency stabilization, orthopedics (TPLO, arthroscopy, fracture repair), neurosurgery (IVDD, spinal fractures), soft tissue and oncologic surgery, regenerative medicine (PRP, stem cell therapy), and critical care — supplemented by an online pharmacy through SecureVetSource.

The hospital's diagnostic platform is anchored by an OmniTom Elite 16-slice CT scanner with Photon Counting Detector (PCD) technology, supporting CT angiography, CT perfusion, and non-contrast imaging, complemented by digital radiography, ultrasound, ECG/EKG monitoring, in-house laboratory testing, and a comprehensive critical-care monitoring suite (pulse oximetry, blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, fluid pumps, syringe pumps). Patient intake is enabled through EzyVet-based online client registration, emergency check-in, and a primary-care veterinarian referral portal (rVet). Payments are accepted via cash, debit, major credit cards, Trupanion pet insurance, and Care Credit, with a 75% deposit of the estimate required for hospitalized patients and no payment plans offered due to the nature of emergency care.

The clinical team includes two American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) diplomates (Dr. Megan Wilson, DVM, MS and Dr. Tom McNicholas, DVM, with 20+ years of experience), a Medical Director of Emergency (Dr. Jessica Eich, University of Georgia DVM), and multiple full-time emergency veterinarians. The hospital is the preferred emergency and specialty provider for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and St. John's County canine officers, having successfully treated K-9 Officer Huk after a July 2022 gunshot incident. It has received NVA's Chairman's Award (2022), President's Award (2021 and 2022), and People and Patients First Award (2022), and was named Jacksonville Magazine's Best Pet Emergency Service in 2024. Marketing channels include blog content (pet safety, toxic substances, hospital news), email newsletters via Constant Contact, organic social media, and community sponsorships of Jacksonville SWAT, K9 United, Kanine Social, and UNF Ospreys.

Name

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency

Legal name

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency

Website

https://fcvets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency is a 24/7 veterinary specialty and emergency hospital in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, serving pet owners, primary care veterinarian referrals, and law enforcement K-9 units across Northeast Florida with board-certified surgery, advanced imaging, and critical care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMACAC

Veterinary Surgery Centers (Soft Tissue/Orthopedic/Neuro)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

SECONDARYHLAMACAD

Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

SECONDARYHLAMACAL

Veterinary Specialty Imaging Centers (CT/MRI/Advanced Imaging)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

SECONDARYAFAEANAG

Veterinary Imaging, Surgery & Specialty Referral Centers

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

SECONDARYHLAMAAAD

Urgent Care Veterinary Clinics (Non-ER)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Clinical Services (Companion Animal)

Keywords

• Emergency veterinary care
• Veterinary specialty services
• Veterinary surgery
• Veterinary diagnostics
• Animal hospital services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Emergency Veterinary Services: 24/7 emergency care services for pets including triage, stabilization, diagnosis, and treatment. Available when primary care veterinarians are closed.
2. Specialty Surgery Services: Board-certified veterinary surgery including orthopedics (TPLO, arthroscopy, fracture repair), neurosurgery (IVDD, spinal fractures), and soft tissue surgery (liver shunts, tumor removals, thoracic surgery). Surgery department hours Monday-Friday 7:30am-6:00pm.
3. Advanced Diagnostics: CT scanning, digital radiography, ultrasound, ECG, and in-house laboratory testing for diagnostic purposes.
4. Regenerative Medicine: Platelet Rich Plasma and Stem Cell Therapy services for orthopedic conditions.
5. Online Pharmacy: Online pharmacy services for pet medications and supplies through their website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency is a 24/7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospital in Jacksonville Beach, FL that provides emergency medical care, board-certified specialty surgery (orthopedics, neurosurgery, soft tissue/oncology), regenerative medicine, and advanced diagnostic imaging (including an OmniTom Elite 16-slice CT scanner) for dogs and cats referred by primary care veterinarians or presented directly by pet owners.

Product overview

First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency operates as a 24-hour emergency and specialty animal hospital offering comprehensive veterinary care services. The organization provides a unified suite of services centered around emergency care (24/7 Emergency Care) supported by specialty services including Orthopedics, Regenerative Medicine/Orthobiologics, Neurosurgery, and Soft Tissue/Oncology. Diagnostic capabilities include advanced CT imaging via the OmniTom Elite scanner. The hospital opened in July 2015 and serves Jacksonville Beach and surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Emergency Care Round-the-clock emergency veterinary services for pets requiring immediate medical attention, including triage, stabilization, diagnostics, and critical care monitoring. Targeted at pet owners in Jacksonville Beach and surrounding areas.
• Orthopedics Specialty surgical and non-surgical orthopedic services including TPLO, arthroscopy, fracture repair, and hip dysplasia management for dogs and cats.
• Regenerative Medicine / Orthobiologics Advanced regenerative treatments including platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy for musculoskeletal conditions in pets.
• Neurosurgery Surgical interventions for neurological conditions including intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) hemilaminectomy, spinal fractures, and cervical ventral decompression in pets.
• Soft Tissue / Oncology Soft tissue surgical services including tumor removals, liver shunts, thoracic surgery, and cancer treatment for dogs and cats.
• CT Scanner (OmniTom Elite) Advanced 16-slice CT imaging with photon counting detector technology for detailed diagnostic scans including CT angiography, CT perfusion, and non-contrast imaging for pets.

Quantifiable outcome

• JSO honored First Coast with 'greatest appreciation' award for saving K-9 Officer Huk's life after being shot during pursuit
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• National Veterinary Associates (NVA)flagshipOthersFirst Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency is part of the NVA network, a major veterinary services organization. NVA handles administrative functions including privacy policy, accessibility compliance (ADA Site Compliance partnership), and provides operational infrastructure. The hospital operates under NVA's corporate policies and guidelines.
• Jacksonville SWATminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Coast is a proud sponsor of Jacksonville SWAT, supporting local law enforcement K-9 units.
• K9 UnitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Coast is a proud sponsor of K9 United, an organization supporting police K-9 units and handlers.
• Kanine SocialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Coast is a proud sponsor of Kanine Social, a local pet community organization.
• UNF OspreysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Coast is a proud sponsor of UNF Ospreys athletics program.
• Ethos DiscoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Coast participates in Ethos Discovery clinical studies including the FICUSS Study (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis), K9-ACV Study for osteosarcoma, and the Ethos PUSH Study for hemangiosarcoma. The hospital has received multiple Ethos/NVA awards recognizing excellence in veterinary care.
• South Asheville Veterinary Emergency & Specialty (SAVES)minorOthersFollowing Hurricane Helene, First Coast supported SAVES by promoting their Hilda's Hero Fund, an angel fund supporting pets and families in need of financial assistance for lifesaving care.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VCA Animal Hospitals: One of the largest veterinary hospital networks in North America, offering general practice, specialty, and emergency services. Broader incumbent in the same specialty/emergency space with a more diversified service portfolio.
• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Multi-specialty veterinary care platform offering general practice, emergency, and specialty services. Comparable in the consolidated specialty/emergency veterinary services space with broader geographic reach.
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA): Veterinary services platform and parent company of First Coast. Operates a national portfolio of specialty, emergency, and general practice hospitals, providing the most relevant corporate parent and strategic context for valuation.

Direct peers

• Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG): Specialty-free emergency veterinary hospital chain focused on 24/7 walk-in emergency care. Comparable in 24/7 emergency positioning and consumer-facing experience, though narrower on the specialty surgery side.
• Ethos Veterinary Health: Veterinary specialty hospital group operating emergency and specialty practices across the U.S. Sister network to NVA's Ethos Discovery research program and substantially overlapping in service lines and referral model.
• BluePearl Specialty & Emergency Pet Hospital: National network of specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals offering 24/7 emergency care, surgery, oncology, and advanced imaging. Directly comparable to First Coast in service mix, referral model, and 24/7 emergency plus specialty positioning.
• MedVet: Veterinary specialty and emergency hospital network with 24/7 emergency services, board-certified specialists, and advanced diagnostics. Closest direct competitor in the specialty and emergency veterinary hospital category.

Others

• IDEXX Laboratories: Veterinary diagnostics company providing lab testing and imaging equipment. First Coast is a customer and clinical research partner for IDEXX's oncologic diagnostics development, making it a comparable ecosystem participant.

Regional players

• Affiliated Veterinary Specialists: Regional multi-specialty veterinary practice in Florida. Comparable in specialty referral model and case mix, serving overlapping Florida geographies.
• Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Jacksonville: Regional specialty and emergency veterinary hospital serving the Jacksonville, Florida market. Directly comparable local competitor competing for the same primary care referral base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fcvets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Coast Veterinary Specialists & Emergency