![\"Advanced](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/1-Advanced-Animal-Care.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nIt\u2019s no secret that with nearly 50 veterinary practice consolidators operating in the U.S. market, competition for clients and staff remains fierce. However, the contributions of independent practices, which remain in the majority, have been nothing short of extraordinary. They have fended off corporate purchase offers and thrived despite COVID, labor shortages and other significant challenges, all to make life better for animals and their owners. The work of independent practice owners is inspirational, to say the least, and it\u2019s important to highlight and celebrate their achievements. The exceptional clinicians profiled on these pages decided proactively to remain in private practice, often to ensure that the workplace culture and their legacy stay intact.<\/p>\n
As with any \u201cbest of\u201d list, more veterinarians fit the bill than we could showcase in one article, so please know that ours is far from complete. Rather, we present a glimpse of 10 special veterinary practice owners determined to survive and thrive on their terms.<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\n![\"Erika](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/1-Erika-Cartwright.jpg\")
One of the most distinctive aspects of Advanced Animal Care is that it\u2019s co-owned by a clinician and an administrator. Leveraging their complementary skill sets, Dr. Erika Cartwright and Jennifer Galvin created a flourishing, AAHA-accredited practice in a remote, previously underserved region of Arizona, California and Nevada.<\/p>\n
As the name of the tri-state practice underscores, Advanced Animal Care and its 21-member team provide a level of veterinary care that didn\u2019t exist in the sparsely populated area before AAC opened in 2012. Before then, pet owners had to drive more than an hour to find a veterinarian.<\/p>\n
The co-owners\u2019 motivation to launch a practice grew out of their dissatisfaction with their previous workplace and their desire for a great cultural fit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe envisioned owning a hospital where employees could grow and thrive while making a living wage,\u201d said<\/p>\n
Dr. Cartwright, an Oregon State University graduate. \u201cI\u2019d always wanted to own a practice but didn\u2019t feel it made sense to do it on my own. As a veterinarian, you need to be available for your clients and patients, but managing an entire hospital is a full-time responsibility in and of itself. So, Jenn and I felt that together, we could form a practice where clients and staff could be better served.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their approach works because, like the other successful independent practices profiled on these pages,\u00a0Dr. Cartwright and Galvin prioritize their employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cHands down, the most special thing about this practice is our team,\u201d Dr. Cartwright said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how great the doctors are if the team isn\u2019t there to support them. Team members will make or break a hospital. You\u2019ve got to treat your people right.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen employees feel like they have a stake in the business, that their opinions matter and that we\u2019re always looking to improve the way we operate, it shows in their commitment and hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that, in turn, translates into a satisfied, loyal client base.<\/p>\n
She and Galvin are committed\u00a0to remaining independent practice owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like to do things our way,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Cartwright said, pointing to their unusual clinic hours of Sunday through Thursday. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be told what\u2019s best for our practice from a corporate office far away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take pride in the service we give to our clients and patients and the different ways we support our community outside of the practice, and we both enjoy rewarding our staff,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re successful because of the decisions we make, and we wouldn\u2019t want to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Integrative](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/2-Integrative-Pet-Wellness-Center-v2.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Lily](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/2-Lily-Chen.jpg\")
East meets West in this unique practice, which provides holistic veterinary care in a serene, homelike setting in an upscale suburb of Los Angeles. Dr. Lily Chen, also a certified veterinary acupuncturist, founded the practice in 2020.<\/p>\n
After graduating from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Chen spent the first decade as a general practitioner in conventional small animal hospitals but gradually grew more interested in the holistic aspects of veterinary medicine. She launched a part-time house-call service in 2018 to deliver integrative care, which allowed her to spend time with pets and their owners where they lived \u2014 a more intimate, personalized and relaxed setting than a traditional clinic can provide. She soon needed to expand her practice, so she opened a brick-and-mortar clinic in a 500-square-foot space. Demand for her services exploded, so two years later, she and her team moved into their current 2,000-square-foot facility, which she characterizes as a \u201chealing space for people and pets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Integrative Pet Wellness Center offers a wealth of services, including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, aquapuncture, sound healing and vibrational therapy, behavioral medicine and training, nutrition and supplement consultations, IV vitamin C therapy, laser therapy, wellness care, dental cleanings, medical massage, microbiome restorative therapy, electric stimulation, reiki, vitamin testing, and senior wellness and enrichment.<\/p>\n
The open-concept practice is bright and airy. The top of the Dutch doors remain open to the outside, and calming aromatherapy scents the inside. There are no ringing phones; instead, soft music plays. Dr. Chen and her team work on one patient at a time, most of them on the floor. Clients note how relaxed they and their pets become after they arrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most special thing about this practice is that we can create an intimate bond with pet families,\u201d Dr. Chen said. \u201cWe feel we\u2019re all on the same side and that together, we are helping the pets get the best care that feels right for each family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Chen also strives to create an emotionally safe space for her team. \u201cThis is a judgment-free zone where people feel heard and supported,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She chooses to be an independent practice owner for freedom and autonomy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe set out to create a practice that is one of a kind,\u201d Dr. Chen said. \u201cBeing independent means we can bring our unique vision and out-of-the-box ideas to life. We can also decide for ourselves what our priorities are. We are an intimate team, and it\u2019s important to decide who we want to be as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her advice to a prospective veterinary practice owner is this: \u201cUnderstand your why \u2014 why you want to be an owner and why that\u2019s important to you. Then, find your people and community who believe in the same things you do. Practice ownership can be really hard sometimes, so you\u2019ll want to have a tribe there for you. And work on your people skills because it\u2019s all about the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"East](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/3-East-Atlanta-Animal-Clinic.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Andrea](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/3-Andrea-Dunnings.jpg\")
Dr. Andrea C. Dunnings opened her primary care practice in 2002 in a then-underserved community. Today, East Atlanta Animal Clinic boasts seven DVMs, three registered veterinary technicians, six veterinary assistants, two customer service representatives, a practice manager, a clinic supervisor and an ever-growing roster of satisfied clients.<\/p>\n
The secret to success is Dr. Dunnings\u2019 emphasis on employee engagement through training and development. After earning her DVM from the University of Georgia in 1993, she worked at small animal practices and did relief work. During that time, she found it eye-opening how few practices seemed to recognize the connection between happy, engaged employees and a warm, inviting workplace culture.<\/p>\n
To nurture that kind of culture at East Atlanta Animal Clinic, she prioritizes her team\u2019s work-life balance. When she first started practicing, working 50-plus hours a week and every weekend wasn\u2019t uncommon. In 2012, Dr. Dunnings closed her clinic on Saturdays.<\/p>\n
Telemedicine has helped facilitate the work-life balance. While virtual visits became de rigueur during the pandemic, some veterinary practices abandoned the technology once COVID restrictions eased. Dr. Dunnings\u2019 team, however, has expanded telemedicine, giving everyone a better quality of life since they can see patients virtually, even when they work from home.<\/p>\n
A consistent focus on employee well-being has produced a \u201cgreat team that really cares about our patients and gets along with one another,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Dunnings said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLifelong friendships have been made,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have many different personalities here, but we all mesh well. Our practice manager always tells new employees that everyone here is truly kind and that that\u2019s why the atmosphere is so great. I think she\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Dunnings\u2019 practice has remained independent for two decades because she has a vision and goals. While she\u2019s achieved a great deal, including implementing staff retreats, she said there is still more to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to invest time and energy into helping my staff develop into the best versions of themselves,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t know that this kind of thinking aligns with most corporate operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Eastern](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/4-Eastside-Veterinary-Associates.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Judy](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/4-Judy-Hung.jpg\")
Eastside Veterinary Associates is the epitome of the American dream. Founded in 2008 by Dr. Judy Hung, whose family emigrated from Taiwan to a small Oregon town when she was\u00a07 years old, the two-location practice embodies her childhood dream to make life better for people and their pets.<\/p>\n
It hasn\u2019t been easy. After earning her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Hung worked as an associate veterinarian at a practice where a switch to corporate ownership resulted in losing the team she\u2019d carefully built. The experience fueled her desire for autonomy.<\/p>\n
So, despite having two small children and facing a nationwide recession, Dr. Hung was driven to create an \u201canimal hospital with hospitality,\u201d as she put it, and build a team that shared her vision. With an unfailing singularity of purpose and persistence, she succeeded.<\/p>\n
Today, Eastside Veterinary Associates comprises eight associate DVMs and 33 veterinary technicians<\/a>, assistants, customer service representatives and support staff in two clinics serving the greater Seattle communities of Kirkland and Newcastle. The practice has been named \u201cTop Vet\u201d by Seattle Met magazine or \u201cBest Vet\u201d by 425 Magazine every year since its opening.<\/p>\n \u201cWe stand out by doing the common things uncommonly well,\u201d said Dr. Hung, who credits her staff for making it happen. \u201cMy teammates are a constant reminder of how blessed I am to be able to do what I was created for in my adopted hometown of Seattle. It is a joy to hear simple phrases such as \u2018good morning,\u2019 \u2018please,\u2019 \u2018thank you,\u2019 and \u2018good night\u2019 from each other as we live out our core values of having each other\u2019s back and providing a safe space to learn and grow together.\u201d<\/p>\n She is committed to keeping Eastside Veterinary Associates independent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe advantage of being independent is that our team is like a speedboat that can navigate rough waters with flexibility and efficiency,\u201d Dr. Hung said. \u201cMost of our talented team members are homegrown and can practice with autonomy, mastery and purpose to create a better life for pet owners and their beloved pets. We have proven that living your \u2018why\u2019 is possible while being financially sound. Transparency is a core value that we practice philosophically with each other and is reflected physically in our light-filled, modern buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes an extraordinary team to have this level of trust and respect for each other. We are grateful every day for our work family, which we call \u2018ohana\u2019 (the Hawaiian term for family).\u201d<\/p>\n Enter Dr. Julio Lopez, a board-certified internist, Los Angeles native and Cornell University graduate. Recognizing an opportunity, he joined Dr. Christine Fabregas-Arnau in buying the shuttered practice from its\u00a0corporate owner. Unfortunately, the transaction took place at the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n As co-owners and together with a third DVM they recruited, the team has rebranded and revitalized the practice. The new name, Jade Vets, reflects the symbolic associations of the mineral itself: healing, compassion, emotional balance, being in harmony with nature and helping people reach their full potential and higher purpose.<\/p>\n The neighborhood that Jade Vets sought to serve (Encino) welcomed the new business, and the practice is thriving with a team now six strong. Dr. Lopez\u2019s internal medicine expertise is one differentiator setting the practice apart. Another is that Jade Vets plants a tree, via One Tree Planted, for every new client, a tangible expression of a core value to help create strong, healthier communities. In addition, a commitment to conservation motivates the owners to support organizations making a difference. Jade Vets awards travel scholarships to team members so they can take part in conservation efforts worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are building a practice where everyone is proud to work,\u201d Dr. Lopez said. \u201cWe recognize that providing exceptional pet care \u2014 another of our core values \u2014 isn\u2019t possible without a great team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve chosen to be independently owned because we can make decisions not always solely based on the bottom line.\u201d<\/p>\n So, when he started Los Angeles Veterinary Center in his hometown in 2017, after earning his DVM from the Western University of Health Sciences, Dr. Ramirez intended to make high-quality care more accessible and affordable. His approach was to establish the practice as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter thinking a lot about the increase in corporate influence over vet care, the widening gap in treatment options for clients who can\u2019t afford to see specialists, the increased burden of student loan debt among incoming vets, including myself, and the overall lack of community-centered veterinary clinics, this was the best option I could come up with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The model is rare, Dr. Ramirez said, noting, \u201cMost nonprofits focus on high-volume spays and neuters\u00a0or rescues.\u201d<\/p>\n Los Angeles Veterinary Center is a full-service primary care practice staffed by three DVMs in addition to Dr. Ramirez. They are all California natives, and three grew up in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a community service organization that charges a reasonable fee to those we serve in order to pay the bills, and we work with many organizations that help subsidize reasonable treatment plans for those who can\u2019t afford them,\u201d Dr. Ramirez said.<\/p>\n He aims to provide the gold standard of care, but he never hesitates to help clients prioritize diagnostics and treatment options if the standard is beyond their financial means. His philosophy is to offer customizable medical choices based on client comfort and patient needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that every client has different expectations and every patient has different needs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dr. Ramirez acknowledged that he doesn\u2019t technically own the practice because of its 501(c)(3) status, but he\u2019s chosen to remain independent to satisfy the community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n Shortly after she started riding horses in fifth grade, Dr. Rachel Roemer told her parents she wanted to be a \u201chorse doctor.\u201d After earning her DVM from Cornell University and working for a few practices that didn\u2019t provide the professional environment and opportunities she sought, she founded Great Bay Equine in 2016.<\/p>\n Dr. Roemer never envisioned being a solo practice owner. Instead, she thought she\u2019d eventually become a partner, but she then realized it was up to her to take charge of her career and create her desired practice. And so she did.<\/p>\n Great Bay Equine maintains an office but no clinic. The practice provides full-service, on-the-farm ambulatory care and 24-hour on-call emergency services. Now a two-doctor practice, Great Bay Equine grew from \u201cpractically nothing,\u201d Dr. Roemer said, within five years. Her team includes two veterinary assistants and an office assistant.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t handed anyone else\u2019s client list, and we aren\u2019t located in an underserved area,\u201d Dr. Roemer said. \u201cOur success is a testament to the service we provide and the team we\u2019ve created.\u201d<\/p>\n For an ambulatory practice, Great Bay Equine provides an array of services, including dentistry, ophthalmology, internal medicine, field surgery, gastroscopy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, digital imaging, and laboratory and pharmacy services. In addition, its integrative medicine menu includes acupuncture and herbal medications. (Dr. Roemer is a certified veterinary acupuncturist and a certified veterinary medical manipulation practitioner.)<\/p>\n \u201cOwning my practice has enabled me to do things both personally and professionally that would have been much harder or impossible without the amount of control I have as an independent owner,\u201d she said. \u201cGoing forward, I think being independent will continue to give me flexibility and help attract and retain associates who\u2019ll have a real opportunity to help grow and have ownership in the practice.\u201d<\/p>\n She encourages anyone considering starting a practice to consult with colleagues who overcame business challenges and with distributors knowledgeable about equipment financing. For would-be equine practitioners<\/a>, she recommends the Decade One networking program. \u201cAnd get basic training in accounting and QuickBooks,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Although the idea of practice ownership is daunting, she said, \u201cIt was more attainable than I would have thought as a young practitioner right out of school. While there are extra stresses and responsibilities as an owner, the rewards have far outweighed the downsides for me.\u201d<\/p>\n After graduating from the University of Missouri, Dr. Stobie started small (literally out of the trunk of his car), traveling to local hospitals to perform surgeries. He established his first brick-and-mortar hospital three years later, offering 24\/7 emergency care and internal medicine and adding specialties over time. In 2011, he opened a 33,000-square-foot hospital in central New Jersey and renamed the practice NorthStar VETS.<\/p>\n \u201cI envisioned a place where we could do everything under one roof,\u201d he said. \u201cBy not sending cases away to other hospitals for different specialties, pets could get everything taken care of in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n The state-of-the-art hospital has won awards for its green building initiatives and sustainability practices, such as geothermal heating and cooling and the use of reclaimed materials from an old barn on the property.<\/p>\n To make care even more accessible and convenient, Dr. Stobie opened two satellite locations through which NorthStar VETS doctors rotate, providing consultations, rechecks and emergency care<\/a>. It\u2019s an approach he valued when one of his three children needed treatment at Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia and got follow-up care at CHOP clinics closer to home.<\/p>\n NorthStar VETS continually develops new and improved treatment techniques.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always trying revolutionary procedures, innovative therapies and extensive clinical trials,\u201d Dr. Stobie said. \u201cThese give us new avenues to help animals, and it\u2019s really rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n He advises younger veterinarians considering practice ownership to be:<\/p>\n Dr. Stobie said his practice\u2019s independence confers significant advantages.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Jade](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/5-Jade-Vets.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nJulio Lopez, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)<\/h3>\n
Jade Vets \u00b7\u00a0Los Angeles, California<\/h5>\n
![\"Julio](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/5-Julio-Lopez.jpg\")
Talk about a turnaround. Originally owned by a solo veterinarian for 30 years, the urban practice was sold to a corporation in 2015. However, after a couple of years, the associate veterinarians left, and the owner couldn\u2019t recruit new staff. The business closed.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Los](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/6-LA-Vet-Center.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nVictor Ramirez, DVM<\/h3>\n
Los Angeles Veterinary Center \u00b7\u00a0Los Angeles, California<\/h5>\n
![\"Victor](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/6-Victor-Ramirez.jpg\")
While a lifelong love of animals drove his desire to be a veterinarian, Dr. Victor Ramirez\u2019s modest upbringing gave him a keen appreciation for just how difficult (if not impossible) getting appropriate veterinary care can be for some pet owners.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Rachel](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/7-Rachel-Roemer.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nRachel Roemer, DVM, CVA, CVMMP<\/h3>\n
Great Bay Equine \u00b7\u00a0Portsmouth, New Hampshire<\/h5>\n
\n![\"NorthStar](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/8-NorthStar-VETS.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nDaniel Stobie, DVM, MS, DACVS<\/h3>\n
NorthStar VETS \u00b7\u00a0Robbinsville, New Jersey<\/h5>\n
![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/8-Daniel-Stobie-v2.jpg\")
One of the nation\u2019s largest independent veterinary hospitals, NorthStar VETS is a paragon of cutting-edge clinical care, progressive values and a workplace culture that leads with customer service. Founded in 2000 as Veterinary Surgical and Diagnostic Specialists by Dr. Daniel Stobie, the practice today employs more than 250 people, including 50 board-certified veterinarians in 18 specialties.<\/p>\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/9-The-Stock-Doc.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/9-Amy-Stockton.jpg\")
Wyoming is the nation\u2019s least populated state but home to one of the most exceptional veterinary practices around. Founded in 1997 by Dr. Amy Stockton, who remains its sole owner, The Stock Doc is notable for its commitment to serving a rural county bigger than the state of Connecticut.<\/p>\n![\"Riverview](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/10-Riverview.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/10-Amy-Weed-Tate.jpg\")
Dr. Amy Weed Tate can\u2019t recall a moment when she didn\u2019t want to be a veterinarian. Childhood friends remember her carrying stuffed animals wearing Band-Aids and homemade wraps on their legs. Then, as a teenager, she went to work in the kennel at Riverview Animal Clinic and loved every minute. She even dreamed of owning the clinic someday.<\/p>\n