Thankful Thursday: Lifting Each Other Up

October 21, 2021

Each month we publish the amazing notes of appreciation that lift up teams and employees. October is no different! Take a look, maybe you or someone you know has a message from a colleague.

This first message was submitted in memory of Tracy Knight. We appreciate Dava and the team at Cozy Cat for sharing this touching note with all of us. 

Dava Hunt from Cozy Cat Veterinary Hospital, Raleigh, NC, wants to recognize Tracy Knight: "Tracy Knight was a special lady and a valued employee. She was our part-time receptionist for 17 years on Saturdays and she loved taking care of the clients. She worked with a rescue group in the area and would feed and rehome strays she found on campus at her full-time job at Meredith College. Tracy had to leave us about 6 months ago with health issues and found out she was dealing with cancer. She lost that battle at the end of September and we had to say goodbye to her.  She will be missed by all that met her and she was a great friend and coworker."

Chad Harris, DVM from Vet Leader Team, wants to recognize Jennifer Weitzel, Regional Manager: "I've recently started working with Jennifer on a few projects, with the main focus being on remote work options for our employees.  Jennifer has hosted numerous calls and has really made a huge difference within our company.  She is the first to dish out the kudos but doesn't give enough to herself.  We are lucky to have that positive energy and great attitude on our team!!!"

Anna Childers-Smith from Lake Station Pet Clinic, Lake Station, IN, wants to recognize Kaleigh Weaver, HM at South Bend Animal Clinic: "Kaleigh has been a solid cheerleader for me and is always willing to take my call or offer suggestions or her thoughts when I come to her. She has made my most stressful days better and has given me things to laugh about when I wanted to cry. Thank you for all the support, Kaleigh!"

Bailey Perryman from All Animals Veterinary Hospital, Sanford, NC, wants to recognize Jessica Petry, Veterinary Assistant: "Jessica Petry, or JP as we call her, is the quintessential team player! She is always ready to jump in and help whenever ANYONE asks, doctor, manager, coworker, even volunteering on the weekends. JP trains our new Vet Assistants, leads rounds with our staff, does team training, and solves problems every day for her HM! Plus, she makes us delicious snacks every week! We cannot say enough about how grateful and lucky we are to have her on our team!! We are very Thankful this Thursday for Jessica "JP" Petry!"

Amanda Martinez from Northside Animal Hospital, Waco, TX, wants to recognize Casey Haddock, Vet Tech: "Thank you for being an all-around great tech, we ALL admire your hard work and dedication."

Amelia Mihalik from Animal Hospital Inc, Willoughby Hills, OH (and also supports many other practices), wants to recognize Alannah Labesky, Sr. HM, and Jennifer Weitzel, RM: "Alannah and Jennifer have been nothing short of remarkable. I feel so lucky to be in a position where I feel so supported and encouraged every single day.  I am so thankful for the opportunities I've been given. Jennifer said it best: "Change is how we evolve in our career." Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you two!!"

Tina Fye from the OPS team wants to recognize the IT support team: "I am so thankful for all that you do to support our teams. You also have a unique way of giving us a good laugh and talking us off the ledge so thank you not only for your expertise but your attitude! You are my heroes!!"

Marilyn Lear from Beach Park Animal Hospital, Beach Park, IL, wants to recognize Naomy Pavon Vargas: "I want to thank Naomy for transferring from reception to technician and hit the floor running. Naomy does great with pets and clients. She is still there when reception needs her. Huge Kudos to Naomy"

Sue-Anne Gentry from the OPS team wants to recognize Dr. Maria Kenny: "Dr. Kenny has taken on the responsibility of another clinic in the same town.  She has done so with grace and a great attitude and is working so very hard to make sure that the staff at both clinics have a better work-life and the patients/clients are taken care of. Thanks, Dr. Kenny, you are a great example for us all!"

Sue-Anne also wants to recognize Bailey Perryman: "Bailey was recently promoted as HM and has had a baptism of fire, but she is doing an amazing job.  She works every day for the wellbeing of her staff, the clients, and patients every single day!  She is fun, smart, and another great example."

Finally, she would like to recognize Tiffany McBride, Dr. Gold, and the entire team: "This is a great team that looks out for each other, and for the full VetCor team.   They are a great example of diversity and inclusion and they have so much to teach us all about how to do this. Thank you for being such an awesome team to work for!"

Marilyn Lear from Beach Park Animal Hospital, Beach Park, IL, wants to recognize Bruce Blaine: "I want to thank Bruce for taking so many extra shifts in the kennel when we were down a person over the summer. Bruce was here 7 days a week and it was greatly appreciated."

Sean Sornsin from the OPS team wants to recognize Cesar Molina and Mark Allen: "Thankful for all the hard work Cesar and Mark are putting into helping their partner hospitals each and every day.  They continue to be available at all hours and days for any matter that comes up.  Very thankful for all their hard work."

Dawn Trimble from Silver Spring Animal Wellness Center, Glendale, WI, wants to recognize Anthony "TJ" Lozito: "TJ is an amazing team player, patient/client advocate, and multi-talented team member. He painted the ceiling in our exam room after a repair had been made, covered for an injured co-worker, rocked surgery just to name a few accomplishments just this week! His work ethic, responsible character, and respectful energy is truly recognized and appreciated! So grateful to have him on our TEAM every day!!"

Lisa Adaes from Fresh Pond Animal Hospital, Belmont, MA, wants to recognize Milena Glennon: "Milena goes above and beyond on her daily tasks at Fresh Pond Animal Hospital. Milena is always extremely polite to the clients. She is a huge asset to our team.  She just celebrated 22 years with VetCor and I am so grateful to have her!"

Peter Ammon, DVM from Animal House Veterinary Hospital, St. Charles, North Aurora, IL, wants to recognize Briana Tucker, Lead CCS / Receptionist: "For past 5 months since we have been without a practice manager, Bree and 2 other leaders have divided up the practice manager's responsibilities.  Bree has become a leader, who others can go to with questions and has accomplished her new tasks in a timely and accurate manner.  I don't know where we would be without her.  Thank you."

Jennifer Weitzel from the OPS team wants to recognize Kelly Buckley: "Kelly is amazing! She has such a positive attitude and is a true joy to work with.  She is always willing to help anyone and assists with many projects. I'm so thankful for all of her help and support!  She is 1 in million!"

Jennifer also wants to recognize Alannah Labesky, Senior HM: "Alannah gives 100% every day!  She is so devoted to her practices!  Even during challenging times, she always finds a way to smile!  I am so thankful that she is a part of the VetCor team!"

Jessica Geraldo from Burlington Veterinary Hospital, Burlington, MA, wants to recognize the entire staff at Burlington Vet: "The entire staff at Burlington Vet has stepped up while I am on maternity leave! Every staff member has taken on additional tasks in order to make the hospital run smoothly! Thanks!"

Joyce Boston from Countryside Pet Hospital, Conover, NC, wants to recognize Hannah Long, Vet Assistant and Lab Guru, Hunter Jones, Vet assistant, Robin Davis, RVT: "Hannah and Hunter have made spreadsheets and put them on their calendars to make monthly inventory counts go swiftly and smoothly. What a relief!  Hannah also keeps up with all things Idexx related, and Robin has become an expert at handling the pet food inventory as well as always carefully numbering and helping log controlled drugs when they come in! Thank you all so much!"

Kirby Jones from Southridge Animal Hospital, Denton, TX, wants to recognize Erin Durham, Lead Technician: "Erin is an amazing leader in our team. She is our lead trainer and a wonderful teacher. She works very hard, and the entire practice appreciates all the things she does to go above and beyond for our patients, clients, and staff. She is a devoted learner and uses free time to listen to industry podcasts and constantly expands her skills through learning. She's an amazing person, who the entire practice values dearly! Thank you, Erin! We couldn't do it without you."

Kirby also wants to recognize Dr. Katie Spoo, Chief of Staff: "Dr. Spoo has risen to the role of COS with grace and enthusiasm. She's an absolutely amazing person and leader. She's a highly trained martial artist, crazy cat lady, and cancer survivor. We've made changes to update our standard of care under her amazing guidance and our practice is better for having such a strong leader. Thank you, Dr. Spoo!"

Finally, she would like to recognize Dr. Natalia Ordonez, Associate DVM: "Dr. O" has been a critical part of our practice for several years. Her skills with client communication, surgery, and dental care make our practice better every day. She has an amazing sense of humor, and always goes out of her way to get people cards and gifts for special occasions. She's thoughtful and wonderful in so many ways. She balances having a toddler and working a demanding position with long hours, and always steps up to help even when she's already overwhelmed. We appreciate your humor, dedication, and compassion for clients and patients alike! We love you, Dr. O!"

Amy Miller from the OPS team wants to recognize her RM Team - Jennifer Weitzel, Cesar Molina, Sue-Anne Gentry, Jill Craig, Alannah Labesky: "They are an amazing team that provide such excellent support to our practices. They go above and beyond, and I'm lucky to be a part of such a great team! Jennifer cares deeply for her teams and their well-being, Cesar always is thinking outside of the box to support his practices, Jill provides a genuine relationship with her teams, Sue-Anne helps the practices see the big picture with DEI, and Alannah is always positive and eager to do the best to support her practices and help them grow."

Erin Leder from Columbus Central Veterinary Hospital, Columbus, NJ, wants to recognize Julie Nelson, CCS: "For going above and beyond, covering shifts for coworkers and staying positive!"

Amy Klotz from Douds Veterinary Hospital, Oberlin, OH, wants to recognize Dr. Erica Keller and Lisa Hozalski, Veterinary Assistant: "With school being back in session and their kiddos back at it- both Dr. Erica Keller and Lisa have been available to pick up some additional hours for us that have conveniently made them both available at the same times/days. They have made a great team!"

Melissa Strycker-Grzeskowiak from Western Vet Clinic, South Bend, IN, wants to recognize all of her RVT's: "We have 7 RVT's at WVC: Mel, Pam, Tara, April, Jenn, Allison and Myself (Mo), who are all extremely hard-working, dedicated and amazingly talented technicians! They all work together with the rest of our staff to help ensure we are providing the best care we can for our patients and clients. Amongst our Vet Techs, we have an array of special talents, some thrive in the surgical and dental suites, some love the equine patients, while others love interacting with clients and trying to help them understand what all is going on with their pets. We try to help each staff member advance in any areas that they enjoy!"

Miranda Anderson from Countryside Veterinary Clinic, New Richmond, WI, wants to recognize Mandy Harris, Receptionist: "I want to thank Mandy for always having a positive attitude even on stressful days and making our workplace fun, she is always the first person to jump in and pick up the slack. She is an awesome coworker!"

LeAnne Charles from Mars Hill Animal Hospital, Bogart, GA, wants to recognize Tiffani Adcock, Liz Briscoe, Jessica Wolford, Dr. Joey Gross: "I want to recognize our 3 RVTs Tiffani, Liz, and Jessica. They worked hard to earn their credentials and they continue to be a blessing to our hospital. We recognize them during Tech Week but they deserve recognition all year round. Thank you, ladies! This month we also celebrate Bosses Day so I want to recognize Dr. Joey Gross. He has been my boss for nearly 25 years and I don’t know what we would ever do without him."

Allyson Mihalko, Lead Tech from High Plains Veterinary Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO, wants to recognize Lila Jones, Veterinary Assistant: "Lila is a ray of sunshine in my day!  She is always so happy and cheerful!  She is always willing to help out with anything she is asked to do!  I would clone her if possible!  She is an astounding VA and I want her to know how appreciated she is!"

Kaitlyn Behling-Mikesell from Central Animal Hospital, Savannah, GA, wants to recognize Cara Hammons, DVM, Chief of Staff: "Dr. Hammons is wonderful with all of her staff and makes work a fun environment! She has made my transition into my role as the Hospital Manager so easy and smooth and I always look forward to my workdays with her!"

Karen L. Moodie from Wendell, Newport, NH, wants to recognize Doug Donovan, DVM, Ph.D.: "Learning new procedures, perseverance through crazy days, working to keep us going."

Danielle Perkins from Indian Walk Veterinary Center, Newtown, Pennsylvania, wants to recognize Tessa Martin (CVT) and Michelle Aylen (CSR):"Tessa has gone ABOVE and beyond in her first year with us straight out of graduating from Manor and passing her VTNE. She has worked hard during her training to become a fantastic surgery and appointment nurse and is already leading the next class of externs that we are hosting. She has great patient bedside care, attention to detail, teamwork, and teaching skills. We are so excited to have her grow with us.  Michelle has also been an integral part of our family who just spent 12 years with us! She constantly puts her best foot forward and comes to the day always optimistic, giving clients their best options and fielding many concerns from pet parents to get them the best care we can give them. She meets challenges with a laugh and smile on her face and thinks outside the box to problem-solve. We love Michelle!"

Elizabeth Dewhirst from Tara Animal Hospital, Colleyville, TX, wants to recognize Beth Kossuth, Receptionist:  "Kudos to Beth for taking a very emotional call from a client that was planning on committing suicide on the day they spoke. The client had called to ensure her cats would not be harmed by the carbon monoxide buildup in the garage. Beth was able to keep the client on the phone to discuss what had led her to feel so alone. They prayed together and chatted, while we behind the scenes coordinated getting the police to the client. The client willingly went to a treatment facility, and is doing well."

Mary Ehrenberg from Middlebranch Veterinary, Carmel, NY, wants to recognize Jeanine Sartoris: "Jeanine is our head client service representative. She handles a heavy workload every day, and manages to get it all done and leave with a smile on her face! We have been curbside for a year and a half, and it has not been easy! She has been our rock at the front desk, and we appreciate her so much!"

Candice Atkinson from Royston Animal Hospital, Royston, GA, wants to recognize Renee Walters - Boarding/Kennel Manager: "Renee Walters - Keeps our boarding facility running smoothly with her outstanding team - that she has trained.  Kennel work is hard and demanding but Renee and her team make the job look easy and fun.  They all keep close watch over the pets in their care and give them the attention and love they need while in the care of Royston Animal Hospital.  Renee has 17 years of experience, dedication, and love for the pets she has served.  Thank you, Renee, for all you do to help team RAH be successful!"

Nicole Goelz from Goosepond Animal Hospital, Monroe, NY, wants to recognize her awesome LVT team! Sarah Farina, Linda Enright, Desiree Morrison, and Kim Green: "The technicians at Goosepond never stop amazing me. Their hard work truly keeps our hospital running. We are all so grateful for their dedication, loyalty, knowledge, and perseverance. I appreciate their leadership more than they will ever know and I'm even more thankful for it in the past year and a half. Thank you to our incredible Licensed Veterinary Technician team! I hope you're as proud of yourselves as I am of you!"

Beth Knutson from Bellwood Animal Hospital, Rockford, IL, wants to recognize Shane Harris, Grooming Manager: "Shane always goes above and beyond to help out his team and his clients.  He regularly accommodates pets to be groomed, often maxing out his schedule.  He will often drop off pets at their homes for those that cannot drive over to pick up their pets.  He helps out with maintenance all over the hospital and is conscious of any facilities concerns at all times.  He helps out with the hospital's opening responsibilities on a regular basis, as well as daily bookkeeping and customer service, and phones.  We are truly thankful for Shane for everything he does!"

Dr. Connelly from Willard Veterinary Clinic, Quincy, MA, wants to recognize her staff: "We want to especially say thank you to all our lay staff for the incredible dedication, sacrifice, and hard work over the past year!"