Reimagining Pet Care

Through technology and state-of-the-art facilities, Petfolk aims to transform the way clients experience veterinary medicine.

Petfolk is committed to making unforgettable first impressions with pet owners, so much so that customer feedback often includes the phrase “double take” when describing the first time they walked through a Petfolk hospital’s doors. “Clients didn’t think they had walked into a veterinary hospital,” said Petfolk co-CEO and co-founder Dr. Audrey Wystrach. “They thought they had just walked into a spa.”

Indeed, pet owners are greeted with a customized sensory experience, including unique sounds and scents. Large, expansive windows fill the space with natural light, enhancing a spacious, open floor plan. These aesthetics are designed to foster a deep emotional connection between the client
and the clinic, creating a bond that will last through a lifetime of care for their pets.

“Veterinary medicine has always provided strong foundational care, but the client experience has often fallen short in certain areas,” said Dr. Wystrach. “There are significant opportunities for improvement and innovation, and that’s where Petfolk aims to make a difference.”

Beginnings

Growing up as one of six children on a ranch in southern Arizona, Dr. Wystrach’s parents were passionate entrepreneurs. From an early age, the children were introduced to the inner workings of the hospitality industry, including hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.

With 30 years of experience in various hospital settings, Dr. Wystrach has owned rural and mixed animal practices, worked in the corporate sector of veterinary medicine, and been involved in the de novo space since 2014. It was in 2014 that she had a shift in mindset. She began exploring how technology could improve processes and inform what she envisioned as the modern veterinary experience for both pet parents and veterinary teams. She saw the potential to reduce the friction between medicine, the customer, and communication between provider and client.

In 2014, Dr. Wystrach partnered with her brother Michael Wystrach, who had built a successful food delivery service called Freshly, which he sold to Nestlé in 2020. They combined Dr. Wystrach’s expertise in veterinary operations, medicine, and real estate design with Michael’s experience in technology optimization, data analytics, fundraising, and finance to create a new kind of veterinary entity.

“The catalyst for everything was looking at the veterinary industry and realizing we could provide a better, more streamlined experience for pet parents and healthcare teams by leveraging technology in how we build and design hospitals,” said Dr. Wystrach. “There would be a deliberate effort to meet the customer where they want to be met. I know that phrase is getting a little overused – I may have even coined it years ago – but now it’s kind of become common knowledge.”

Eliminating barriers

Petfolk’s model begins with technology and focuses on identifying and eliminating common barriers to veterinary care. Online scheduling is a “gigantic priority” for customers, according to Dr. Wystrach. Petfolk aims to provide comprehensive information about pets’ health and wellness through its proprietary apps, available on both Android and iOS. This technology streamlines intake forms, giving the care team a thorough understanding of why the pet is coming in. Through these platforms, Petfolk can also clearly communicate cost expectations. “We are trying to reduce their anxiety before they ever walk in the door.”

During in-clinic visits, Petfolk encourages clients to move freely throughout the facility alongside the veterinary team. The floor plan has no distinct front or back, enhancing transparency and accessibility. Petfolk’s technological competencies include a partnership with Zoetis for in-house diagnostic equipment, featuring state-of-the-art imaging, rapid pathology connectivity, artificial intelligence for analyzing skin and ear cytology, blood smears, and more. AI also performs an initial read on radiographs, while practitioners have real-time access to board-certified radiologists for further evaluation.

“These are just a few examples,” said Dr. Wystrach. “We have cutting-edge equipment throughout the entire hospital. From the customer perspective, we want to provide an incredible, transformative experience, and from the healthcare team perspective, an equally amazing experience.”

Petfolk certifies its teams in the Fear Free philosophy, ensuring the customer experience is as stress-free as possible and the work environment is safe for staff.

There’s also a positive side effect to having a “gorgeous” location – boosted team morale. “Our healthcare teams spend a significant amount of time in their workspaces, so we honor the fact that they need to be surrounded by a beautiful environment and have access to all these incredible tools to optimize their experience with the pet parent,” Dr. Wystrach explained.

Three years of growth

Petfolk opened its first hospital three years ago. This summer, the company celebrated the opening of its 16th, with locations throughout the Southeast, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Ten more are under construction, with plans to open by the end of the year.

The organization employs nearly 50 veterinarians and is focused on building its own in-house ‘Flex DVM’ platform to offer providers more flexible shifts. “We know that flexibility is important in veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Wystrach. “As a working mother with three children, I want to provide our doctors with the option to work part-time, full-time, or in a flexible capacity. Flexibility is part of our DNA. We have connections with over 400 veterinarians who can schedule shifts on their app, knowing exactly where to go and what the shift differential looks like. That’s core to the doctor side.”

Also central to Petfolk’s approach is its Partner Program, which allows veterinarians to advance from associate veterinarians to partner veterinarians over time, offering shared economics in their clinics and equity ownership in Petfolk. This gives veterinarians ownership without the risks of starting their own practice, as no buy-in is required.

“I saw a world where it was becoming increasingly difficult for veterinarians to start their own practices,” said Dr. Wystrach. “Today’s veterinarian graduates with over $180,000 in debt, and the last thing they want to do is take on more debt to open a practice. I wanted to show vets a path to ownership without the risk – a path where Petfolk takes care of all the heavy lifting so our partner veterinarians can focus on providing quality care and achieving strong medical outcomes for their pets. Petfolk is built by vets, for vets.”

Petfolk emphasizes ownership throughout the entire organization. Every employee holds shares in the company. “We took a long, hard look at establishing and maintaining an incredible culture, and we knew that culture starts at the pet care center,” said Dr. Wystrach. “We are proud to have shared responsibilities and ownership of each facility by a business partner and a veterinary partner. I think that’s really unique in the veterinary space. Doctors are not required to make a huge financial investment. It’s a reward without risk and an incredible opportunity to participate in an owner mindset with a lot of support behind them.”

For Petfolk’s nursing and vet assistant staff, there is a company-wide commitment to celebrating its team of veterinary professionals while offering accelerated training programs to enhance skills and career opportunities. Underscoring its commitment to company culture, Petfolk was ranked 5th on the Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces list for 2024 by Newsweek.

Life cycle of care

As an organization, Dr. Wystrach explains that Petfolk is built to operate efficiently at scale. Their centralized services are divided into two main components: a customer service team and a nurse-driven virtual care team. Clients have 24/7 access to this virtual care team through the Petfolk app and nurse chat available on the website. These virtual resources offer a variety of services, including appointment scheduling, case management, chronic care management, billing support, and prescription management. “Many aspects of the customer experience don’t need to happen in a physical location but can be managed remotely,” Dr. Wystrach said. By providing these remote services, Petfolk reduces stressors for clients, such as noise and traffic, that are often associated with traditional veterinary hospitals.

The on-site teams also benefit from this setup, as staff are not overwhelmed by multitasking. For example, doctors aren’t burdened with a large number of callbacks at the end of the day. “By optimizing and utilizing the resources that support our facilities, we allow doctors to focus solely on practicing medicine,” she added.

Petfolk enhances its workflow through a connected care ecosystem. The organization has established robust communication channels among doctors and business partners, creating an integrated experience for both customers and the healthcare team. “It’s an extremely sophisticated experience,” Dr. Wystrach noted, emphasizing the streamlined interaction and coordination among team members.

When it comes to purchasing, Petfolk follows a “shared mindset” approach that revolves around a commitment to working from a formulary. “We have a highly skilled medical team with significant input from all our doctors, associates, and partners,” Dr. Wystrach said. “Our medical review board holds monthly meetings to ensure we maintain consistency in our medical philosophies and product choices, which are foundational to our DNA. Our doctors appreciate the consistency, especially in a world full of variables.”

To provide the best services, Petfolk relies on strong vendor partnerships. “As a young organization, establishing great partnerships is essential. As we have grown, we have attracted more attention, but I truly value the early supporters who have been with us from the beginning,” Dr. Wystrach said. “While it has become more challenging to form new partnerships, we are proud of the incredible relationships we have built. MWI Animal Health, for example, has supported us from the start. I’ve been a loyal customer since 1994, and they’ve been by my side my entire career. Zoetis is another significant partner, and these relationships are vital to us.”

There are various purchasing options based on a doctor’s experience and desire to expand services in different areas. Some hospitals might look into specialized equipment, like lasers or advanced ultrasound machines, depending on their needs.

Petfolk’s primary focus is on general practice and urgent care, allowing its veterinary teams to handle a high volume of cases involving surgery, dentistry, and routine wellness and illness care. Petfolk does not offer overnight or specialty care and does not market itself as an emergency care provider. “Our footprint is carefully designed,” Dr. Wystrach explained. “We have the capabilities to meet 80% to 85% of all our clients’ needs.”

Petfolk veterinarians are deeply engaged because they experience a wide variety of cases, from the life stages of puppies and kittens to urgent medical issues. This model enables veterinarians to have more control and direct interaction with case management, reducing the fragmentation pet parents often face when visiting multiple providers for different services. “I am confident that we have created an excellent medical process for managing all our wellness and illness cases,” said Dr. Wystrach. “Our doctors have access to ultrasounds at every location for quick scans, oxygen capabilities, and competent, well-trained staff. All these factors are crucial to ensuring our doctors feel comfortable delivering comprehensive care.”

Consistency in wellness care is further supported by an organization-wide standard of care and an agreement on core and lifestyle vaccines. “Currently, many of our clinics are in the Southeast, which helps maintain core competencies across the board,” she noted. “There will always be a need to adapt as the world changes, but our doctors love the formularies we use and appreciate being able to practice to the top of their license with the support they receive.”

Petfolk veterinarians are highly engaged, interactive, and feel validated through their participation in the company’s medical review board. This inclusive approach aligns with Petfolk’s vision for the future of veterinary medicine. “We’re now at 18 hospitals, and our foundation is very strong,” Dr. Wystrach said. “We are excited for the future of Petfolk.”

Setting the mark

Petfolk’s team is committed to leveraging technology to improve processes and optimize workflow, said Dr. Wystrach. “How do we continue to promote flexibility, happiness, and joy at work within our Petfolk community?” she asked. “As practitioners, we need to streamline processes to ensure that doctors feel great about their jobs and are well-supported. I believe we’ve become one of the most loved pet brands and veterinary service providers in the areas where we operate, and we’re excited to expand that reach throughout the United States.”