1. Shift to a One‑Size‑Fits‑All Corporate Model
The company has moved from a collaborative, hospital‑centered approach to a rigid, top‑down structure. Even high‑performing hospitals must adopt standardized initiatives that may negatively impact their local patient flow, client satisfaction, and financial results. High‑performing hospital managers were informed that recent company‑wide initiatives were created to lift poor‑performing hospitals, even if doing so negatively affects the strongest sites. The message has been that reduced performance at top hospitals is an acceptable outcome as long as overall company averages improve, even though a far more effective approach would be to preserve what works at top performers and focus improvement efforts on struggling hospitals so that the organization’s true average success rises rather than its strongest contributors being held back.
2. Near‑Total Turnover in Regional Leadership
The regional leadership team has experienced near‑total turnover, creating instability and a significant loss of veterinary‑specific operational expertise. Because the C‑suite has limited veterinary background, hospitals rely heavily on the regional team’s practical industry knowledge to guide decisions and support operations. The recent pattern of replacing experienced veterinary leaders with individuals who come from more traditional corporate environments has raised concerns that the organization is moving away from valuing on‑the‑ground veterinary expertise at a time when it is needed most.
3. Departure of Strong Managers
Respected, high‑performing managers recently left -removing trusted support during a period of major organizational change.
4. No Internal Career Growth Paths
Internal advancement is extremely limited. Instead of promoting capable team members, the company brings in external hires “who already have the title.”
5. Low Confidence in CEO’s Veterinary Leadership Experience
Many hospital teams feel the CEO has not yet built trust or demonstrated a deep understanding of a profession rooted in compassion, client relationships, and high‑quality medical care. There is a widespread perception that her focus is centered on reinforcing her authority and proving her effectiveness to the Board, rather than engaging meaningfully with the teams who deliver care every day. Her insistence that every hospital adopt her initiatives — even when there is little to no buy‑in from those responsible for executing them — is creating long‑term trust issues across the organization. Team members increasingly feel treated as operational resources rather than people whose expertise and insight are valued.
6. Perception That Financial Goals Outweigh the Mission
There is a growing belief that company direction is driven more by financial targets than by helping people and pets.
Teams strongly believe doing the right thing medically and achieving financial success can coexist — one does not need to be sacrificed for the other.
7. Budgeted 2025 Capital Investments Ignored or Delayed
Hospitals with long‑standing facility issues were denied renovations that were already budgeted for 2025. These delays impact staff working conditions, patient safety, and the client experience.
8. Ineffective Centralized Initiatives
Recent Initiatives, using off-site resources, lack veterinary‑specific training, leading to incomplete triage, inaccurate scheduling, and substantial rework for hospital teams.
Despite claims that these resources increase new‑client bookings, many hospitals have seen:
Fewer new clients
Higher no‑show rates (likely due to confusing or negative customer experiences.)
9. Hospitals and Partners Cannot Opt Out
Even when the company-wide initiative harms operational outcomes or client trust, hospitals and partners — including those with earnouts — are required to use it.
10. Cultural Decline Reflected in Motto Change
The former motto, “happy starts here,” once reflected a people‑first culture.
When employees raised concerns about the shift toward authoritarian leadership, the motto was omitted instead of addressing the underlying morale issues.
11. The benefits are expensive and the deductibles are bankruptcy worthy. If we were a people first company, like our former values suggested, benefits wouldn't be a GLARING weakness.
12. Burnout is treated like a personal resilience issue instead of an organizational weakness.
13. Beware of recent 4-5 star reviews - likely PR cleanup. The CEO has a 10% approval rating, so the quote "Keep the C-suite leadership in place" is fishy. When praise comes from the people hired directly into the leader's orbit, it doesn't reflect the company, it reflects the proximity to power.
