Thankful Thursday: Falling Over These Notes of Appreciation

September 19, 2024

If you need to turn your week around you have come to the right place. Read these thoughtful and powerful notes of appreciation from our team members.

Katelyn McLaughlin from San Clemente Veterinary Hospital in San Clemente, California, wants to recognize Jill Willemsen, RVT, CVPM, Hospital Manager: “Jill has been working so hard to manage the hospital and working in surgery during busy, short-staffed times.”

Amanda Paull from Vetsavers Pet Hospital, Carrollton, Texas, wants to recognize the entire Vetsavers Pet Hospital - Carrollton team: "We have the best team!  Everyone works so hard and puts forth so much effort every single day!  We greatly appreciate everyone!!"

Destiny Rodriguez from Medina Veterinary Clinic, Medina, Ohio, wants to recognize the whole team: "The whole team has done a phenomenal job helping one another out and adjusting to changes being made to our everyday routine. They're constantly coming up with amazing ideas to help us work smarter and not harder."

Dr. Allison Braun from Bradford Hills Veterinary Hospital, Wexford, Pennsylvania, wants to recognize Carley Papst, Hospital Manager, CVT: "Carley has worked TIRELESSLY to improve our practice! She has single-handedly contributed to a healthier financial structure of the practice, hired team members as a fit for the culture, and trained, empowered, and elevated team members with positivity and collaboration. She is available to meet my and the team's needs. She consistently implements training, protocols, and systems to improve our daily work and practice efficiency. On top of that, she takes team feedback graciously (even when that feedback is not given graciously!) and works to improve herself. She is truly a DIAMOND in the sea of sand and a pillar in the success of the practice. Thank you, Carley!"

Amy Roberts from Northland Animal Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, wants to recognize Skylar Baker, Technician: "We can’t say enough about Skylar and what she brings to the clinic.  Her work is unmatched. Her patients know they are getting the best care."

Becky Burnett from the Central Support team wants to recognize Taylor Crispin and Jenny Driscoll, Director of Practice Management Office and Central Support Supervisor: "For all the work they have both put into the recent Microsoft Outlook transition! This was (is) a ton of work, and I know they both have been working really hard to help make it as smooth as possible for the rest of us."

Rocky McGullion from Companion Animal Hospital of Waller, Waller, Texas, wants to recognize the entire Companion staff, Veterinarians, CSRs, Techs, Veterinary Assistants, and Kennel Techs: "Thank you for putting up with me in my new position. I couldn't do what I do without them!"

Katelin Arrellin from West Phoenix Veterinary Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, wants to recognize Jamie Rodarte, Veterinary Receptionist: "Employee does exceptional work. She is always helping others and is great at communicating with clients and tending to their questions/needs. She is a hard worker and kind to all staff, clients, and patients."

Mackenzie Hayes from Epping Road Veterinary Hospital, Exeter, New Hampshire, wants to recognize Sam Anderson, Veterinary Technician, soon to be CVT!: "Sam is a selfless, empathetic veterinary technician with many talents. Her desire to learn and deep love for everything surgery is admirable. She is always there for her teammates and quick to act in urgent situations. She has been working towards obtaining her CVT and we are so happy for her continued success. We wouldn't be ERVH without you, Sam! Thank you for everything you do."

Emily Towns from the Payroll Team wants to recognize Eric Allen, Project Systems Lead: "Thank you for being so helpful during the MS conversion. We are grateful for the quick, communicative, and resolution-based support you have provided and continue to provide to the payroll team. We know we aren't the only team out there, and your patience and kindness are greatly appreciated."

Julie Singer from Brittmoore Animal Hospital, Houston, Texas, wants to recognize Lloyd Turner, Veterinary Receptionist: "Lloyd is our newest receptionist, and one of his assets is to bring FUN into an environment. So, I offered him the opportunity to become a CFO for Brittmoore Animal Hospital. He was tasked to put together a marketing plan for his additional role. BTW, the F in CFO stands for FUN! Today was Lloyd's 1st FUN event. Guess the weight of the watermelon. The watermelon was the prize for the closest guess, and he had other watermelons for the entire team to snack on all day. Thank you, Lloyd for bringing FUN to the practice today!"

Christina Maples from the OPS team wants to recognize Jenn Maniscola, Hospital Manager at Indian Walk Veterinary Center: "Jenn has been an amazing leader and over the past few months has shown true growth, tenacity and most of all has been an amazing resource for her community. She has exuded Vetcor's core value of Building Community! Her dedication to growing her team is very apparent, and she has put countless hours into each and every one of her team reviews, researching every possible avenue to continue supporting their growth!"

Danielle Mercado from Leland Vet Clinic, Mableton, Georgia, wants to recognize Spence King, Regional Manager: "I just want to take a moment to express my gratitude for Spence. I truly appreciate his patience and zen-like demeanor, no matter the situation. He’s been teaching me so much about operations and showing me how to handle difficult situations with grace and dignity. I’m incredibly thankful for his guidance."

Jessica Daniels from Central Animal Hospital, Petaluma, California, wants to recognize Brittany Klopp, Courtney Fairchild, and Ashley Fairchild, HM, Lead CSR, and CSR: "I wanted to give a shout-out and show gratitude to the team at Central Animal Hospital. Brittany and her team are always finding unique ways to build team spirit and engagement. Courtney and Ashley arrange some great events from cook-offs, cereal taste test, and even "guess the baby picture" games. Thank you for having a warm and inviting team!"

Lynsey Mohr from Rehoboth Beach Animal Hospital, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, wants to recognize Dawn Conklin, IT Support: "A huge thank you to Dawn in our IT department for her incredible help fixing an IT error after our recent server swap. Not only did she swiftly resolve the issue, but she also kept things light with her great banter! I genuinely appreciated her guidance on troubleshooting in case the issue arises again—it's clear how passionate she is about her work. We’re so lucky to have someone like Dawn in our company, who truly goes above and beyond. Thank you, Dawn!"

Mandy Tinker from Aspen Springs Animal Hospital, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, wants to recognize Crystal Poirier, Lead RVT: "Crystal is always willing to help out wherever needed in the hospital. She is very knowledgeable and does her best to learn new things. Crystal is a positive member of the ASAH team - thanks, Crystal!"

Kelly McNeely from Heartland Niagara Animal Hospital, Niagara Falls, Ontario, wants to recognize Jess Dickie, DVM: "Dr Jess is such an amazing doctor! She's incredibly passionate about her work, and she always goes above and beyond for her patients. Dr Jess brings a vibrant, infectious energy to the clinic; she is loved by her clients, her patients, and her teammates! She's such a vital part of the team, and I greatly appreciate everything she does to help us grow."

Jolene O’Brien from Berrien Vet, Baroda, Michigan, wants to recognize Zoe Meyers, CSR/Assistant: "Zoe has done an exceptional job learning both reception duties and crossing over to vet assistant shifts. She is always available to help her coworkers at any time. She is incredibly kind, always sporting a smile on her face. She is just such a pleasant person to work with. I am very proud of her. "

Danielle Gutierrez from Zippivet Arboretum, Austin, Texas, wants to recognize Dr. Helburn, Kayla, Wyntear, and Alicia, Cat Team: "Y'all are amazing I loved the creative energy surrounding the cat ce photo submissions. Y'all got 9th place and a shout out there but here you guys are number 1!!"

Layla Amberger from Blair Animal Clinic, West Lafayette, Indiana, wants to recognize Trey Thomas, Kennel Manager: "Trey was recently promoted to Kennel Manager and is always super helpful and fun to work with every day. We are suffering from staff shortages, as so many businesses are, and I asked Trey if he would help spruce up our boring and outdated job posts. Little did I know, he had a true talent for writing and marketing, and he knocked it out of the park! Our job posts not only accentuate our fun, loving, and supportive staff group but also explain why you would want to join us in authentic yet funny descriptions of the job duties. His creative writing skills are top-notch! Thanks, Trey, for all you do every day!! "

Oliver from Brunhoeber, Kansas City, Missouri, wants to recognize Melissa Beeler, Receptionist: "We have been short-staffed lately, and Melissa has stepped up to help with restraining pets and even picked up extra shifts to help out."

Jessi Steere from North Laurel Animal Hospital, Laurel, Maryland, wants to recognize Susan Phillips, Hospital Manager: "Susan has been leading our hospital for 12 years (her work anniversary is September 21).  She has done an amazing job, and we are lucky to have her!"

Marcy J. Messina, DVM from Livingston Animal Hospital, Livingston, New Jersey, wants to recognize Christine Lincoln, Hospital Manager: "Christine started doing the hospital manager's job before she was even offered the job.  My previous hospital manager left suddenly.  Christine is extremely organized; she took charge and went through months of paperwork/mail to get all of our bills paid and filed appropriately.  She was very eager to learn all of the duties a hospital manager is required to perform.  She did this all while being the only CSR."

Dr. Messina also wants to recognize William Simone, Head Technician: "Bill started work when construction on our hospital had just finished.  I had just lost my hospital manager, who was also my head technician.  He started working immediately.  He organized the exam rooms, treatment room, and surgical suite.  He cleaned the entire hospital and removed the trash that was left in the back of our hospital.  He is a very educated technician who has been working in this field for over four decades.  I feel very confident in his skills, and his compassion for the welfare of our patients is unsurpassed."

Cindy Wyma from Two Notch Road Animal Clinic, Columbia, South Carolina, wants to recognize Sarah Smith, Veterinary Assistant: "I would like to give a big shout-out to Sarah Smith. Her compassion and excellence show through her care for both the patients and clients. She is a dental superstar, and her work on them is impeccable! I am so thankful to have her as part of our Two Notch family!"

Jenny Driscoll from the Central Support team wants to recognize Taylor Crispin, Project Management Office Director: "I wanted to just recognize Taylor for all his support and leadership over the years. He always keeps his head up, is a wealth of knowledge, and someone who always does the right thing. He's the best!"

Jenny also wants to recognize Eric Allen, Senior System Administrator: "I just wanted to acknowledge all of Eric's hard work with the recent migration we had. He's done a great job answering everyone's questions while always maintaining a truly caring and friendly demeanor. It's been a pleasure working closely with you, Eric! "

Lastly, Jenny wants to recognize John Prindiville, Senior Corporate Counsel: "I want to take a moment to acknowledge how dedicated and thoughtful John is. He always responds promptly to emails and messages and has the answers you need. In the office, he's incredibly friendly and always open for a chat. He truly is an outstanding person, and we're lucky to have him on the Vetcor team!"

Ashley Willis from Basin Run Animal Hospital, Colora, Maryland, wants to recognize our entire team: "I would like to give a huge shoutout to our team for how they are handling our phone outages.  We have gone from 16 phones with 7 lines, to 3 phones with 3 lines.  They have utilized other communication methods and have worked together to serve our clients.  Thank you!"

Brittany Poulin from Main West Animal Hospital, Welland, Ontario, wants to recognize Jessica Cholewa, Vet Assistant: "I wanted to give a shout-out to Jessica! She is a wonderful and important part of our team. Jess is always willing to help out in all areas of the clinic. Jess is friendly and has a positive attitude. Thank you, Jess, for all you do! You are a rock star!"

Christina Lazo from Balfour Animal Hospital, Fenwick, Ontario, wants to recognize Mikayla Petter, Vet Assistant: "For her positive attitude. Mikayla has come for far with her positivity! I want her to know I appreciate and see her trying.  Thank you, Mikayla!"

Lori Krause from the OPS team wants to recognize Dimetra Tsitso, HM, and Dr. Susana Abrego Farias, COS, and all the doctors at Integrative Animal Hospital of Central Florida: "This team has done an amazing job of working to be the number one veterinary facility in their area. The community loves them and has recognized them publicly for their contributions. They have received an award for their efforts. They received the Sanford 2024 Readers' Choice Award for best Veterinary Clinic/Veterinarian. The HM, COS, and associate DVM's attended the red carpet function to receive the award for the facility."

Lori also wants to recognize Morgan Smith, Regional Manager: "Morgan has been an amazing mentor to me as I have onboarded with Vetcor. She is always available to me, even on the weekend. She always has the right answer and always has my back. She is full of encouragement when I have needed it most. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will be forever grateful to you!"

Heather Zahm from Massillon Animal Hospital, Massillon, Ohio, wants to recognize Taylor Crispin, Project Management Office Director: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Taylor for the seamless Microsoft Migration. I was scheduled to be on vacation the week after the migration & was nervous about not being here for my team during this transition. Thanks to Taylor for all the hard work, dedication, attention to detail & training, we were able to transition without an issue & without me being in the office to support my team!"

Jess Bibb from the Talent Acquisition team wants to recognize Lyndsi Fajkus, Talent Acquisition Manager: "Lyndsi recently hosted a virtual yoga session for vet med students across several universities. She did such a wonderful job, and was able to provide a relaxing experience to DVM/VMD students who have so much stress in their daily routine. Thank you so much, Lyndsi, for your collaboration, thoughtfulness, and kindness. You are so appreciated!"

Ana Castillo from Caldwell Pet Hospital, Visalia, California, wants to recognize Ashley Ayon, Veterinary Assistant/Lead: "We are extremely grateful for all your hard work, it definitely does not go unnoticed. Your hard work and dedication is an example to everyone on our team. We are so lucky to have you! Thank you for being your best every single day!"

Heather Rodgers from Advantage Veterinary Center, High Ridge, Missouri, wants to recognize Dawn Conklin, IT Support: "Dawn is always willing to help us with any IT support we may have. She is SUPER friendly and quick to help you learn. I appreciate her helping us set up the clinics new x-ray machines without an appointment.  Thank you for being VETCORS rockstar IT PERSON!"

Morgan Smith from the OPS team wants to recognize the following people:

Dawn Conklin, IT Support: "Dawn is absolutely amazing! Many many thanks to her for helping me get all of the Microsoft Office programs back on my computer after a major snafu the morning of my leadership meeting. I was very stressed but Dawn was very professional and worked her magic to get me squared away. Without her getting my computer back up and running, I wouldn't have been able to present at my leadership meeting. Dawn, you are simply the BEST!"

Mark Allen, Director of Operations: "Mark, thank you so much for all of your support and for traveling to attend my Kentucky Leadership meeting and join Erin and me in Charlotte. Thanks for being a great table moderator and for providing the hospitals with some great insight. They were very appreciative of that."

Jill Anderson, Hospital Manager at Appalachian Animal Hospital: "Jill is always willing to help other HMs in the region with many different initiatives from helping out with simple Cornerstone questions and ways to use Cornerstone to its full potential, to allowing other hospitals to visit her practice to get efficiency ideas or get training on a piece of equipment, or simply help get a major initiative off the ground at a fellow NC Vetcor hospital. Jill is an amazing collaborator and I appreciate her wealth of knowledge and drive as a servant leader. "

Lisa White-Mitchell from Kalamazoo Cat Hospital, Kalamazoo, Michigan, wants to recognize Jolene O'Brien, DVM: "Thank you for coming to help us out (LAH) during this difficult staffing time. We truly appreciate you!"

Lisa would also like to recognize Lauren Enders, DVM: "Thank you for coming to the rescue by picking up some extra LAH shifts. I know your time is valuable, and we appreciate all the help you are providing us. To have a DVM here on Mondays and Tuesdays is amazing. Since losing two doctors to retirement in the same month could have been disastrous."

Finally, Lisa wants to recognize Virl Martin, DVM: "I want to take the time to thank you for the LAH help you are providing us. Without your help and generosity, we would not be able to continue to provide exceptional care to our patients."

Kolleen Nellett from The Pet Doctors of Sherman Oaks, Sherman Oaks, California, wants to recognize Fredy Bardales, Co-Technician Supervisor: "Fredy has been a huge help with our AAHA Amplify program, jumping into writing protocols, attending meetings and following up on new protocol implementation. He is truly going above and beyond."