Almost every day, we receive notes from clients thanking us for our service. It is particularly rewarding when the notes contain specific examples of our team fulfilling one of our Cultural Beliefs. Two such notes recently demonstrated the hospital’s pursuit of excellence, and they should be shared with everyone in hopes of lifting spirits as we head into the heart of the holiday season.
The first comes from a long-time client named Dottie. Her latest dog, Auntie Em, was seen by Dr. Michelle Miller and the Small Animal Internal Medicine Service. Dottie kindly completed our patient satisfaction survey after her visit and gave her experience scores of 5 (the highest) on all 16 questions. She commented, “Auntie Em is my fourth dog that has been treated at VMTH over the past 40 years. I have always been impressed by the care and professionalism shown by absolutely everyone throughout the years. Kind, caring, willing to listen and explain things clearly are the top three things that set the VMTH above and beyond any other place my fur kids have been treated. I don't know of anything you could do better because you always exceed my expectations!” Thank you, Dr. Miller, for making Dottie feel heard and pursuing a path toward excellence for Auntie Em’s treatment.
Another note came from Dr. Frank Sousa, a physician and retired faculty member from the UC Davis School of Medicine. He called Dr. Elise Lenske’s technique in treating his dog Auggie as “expert technical care that required careful evaluation and dissection, as well as reconstruction.” For a human medicine surgeon to recognize the complexity of his dog’s situation and praise the treatment plan speaks volumes about the level of care provided. Congratulations, Dr. Lenske and everyone in the Emergency and Critical Care Service for your skillset in caring for Auggie. Dr. Sousa went on to praise Dr. Lenske’s people skills as well, commenting, “I was particularly impressed with her communication skills and the manner she explained exactly what was going on before and after her evaluation and then again after the procedure.”
There are hundreds of untold examples of these circumstances that happen every week in the VMTH. Your pursuit of excellence in patient care, clinical research and instruction is unwavering, despite national disasters such as wildfires and pandemics, as well as the everyday conflicts faced in a profession that is known for emotional stress and work-life balance challenges. Clearly, the VMTH community has chosen not to rest on its laurels but to continually strive to better this wonderful profession.
I wish you and your human and animal families all the best this holiday season. May you find some much deserved rest that invigorates you for a hopefully much better 2021.
Happy Holidays,
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Dr. Jane Sykes
Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
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Key Cultural Pillar
"Value People"
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Thank you to everyone who helped keep the hospital open over the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend. From everyone on the Client Services team to all the patient care and support service staff and students who continued their outstanding activities over the holiday, we thank you for being heroes to a community who needed you. A heartfelt appreciation goes to the entire care teams led by these clinicians:
Ophthalmology Service:
Dr. Elyse Salpeter and her team had a busy holiday period, responding to several emergency cases and surgeries. In addition, Dr. Salpeter also spent much time on the phone consulting with clients and referring veterinarians throughout the 4-day period.
Small Animal Internal Medicine Service:
The Internal Medicine team tended to many patients. Dr. Dennis Woerde treated a dialysis patient on Saturday, as well as other emergency patients throughout the weekend. Drs. Jennifer Chan and Emmelyn Hsieh were onsite all weekend covering pick-ups and inpatients. Dr. Michelle Miller was scheduled off for the holiday but came in on Thursday to take care of a critical patient that was on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Sean Hulsebosch covered the Thursday and Friday holiday shift.
Large Animal Clinic:
Drs. Emily Berryhill and Sarah Schale tended to patients in the Equine Medicine Service. Drs. Julie Dechant, Bridget Nottle, Tom Bergstrom, Stefanie Arndt, and Tom Cullen were all present for the Equine Surgery Service. Dr. Suzanne Clergue and the C-barn team were busy in the Livestock Medicine Service. The Equine Field Service team, led by Drs. Jennifer Cassano and Brittany Middlebrooks, was out in the field over the weekend and referred a case into the hospital.
Anesthesia/Critical Patient Care Service:
Drs. Harriet Flynn and Kristi Kobluk managed all the anesthesia cases over the 4-day weekend.
Emergency and Critical Care Service:
Drs. Kate Farrell, Laurence Saint Pierre, and Helen Philp and the entire team from the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit were very busy all weekend, including multiple ventilator patients.
Orthopedic Surgery Service:
Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little and his team cared for four total hip replacement patients over the weekend.
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COVID-19 Update:
- A mobile COVID-19 saliva testing unit is now available each Wednesday on the south-side of the Vet Med Administration building by the Scrubs Café. There will be five testing stations with hours of operation from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The appointment system is configured to permit you to set up an appointment online specifically for our site. The estimated capacity for these stations is 500 tests per day. Note, the mobile unit will not be available on December 23 and 30 but will return in January.
- Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the VMTH COVID-19 Listening Session on December 7. If you were unable to attend, a recording of the session can be found on the VMTH Viper page in the “VMTH Town Hall Meetings” section.
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Welcome:
- Please welcome Maura Ferrero as the new Safety Officer for the VMTH. Maura has a 9-year history with UC Davis serving the Department of Pharmacology, starting out as a student assistant in 2011. After serving in different roles within the department, she was promoted to Associate Specialist I as the laboratory manager for a large research group. In that role, Maura was responsible for training of new personnel in laboratory safety procedures and all annual refresh trainings. As that laboratory’s safety officer, she prepared for annual inspections to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental health and safety regulations by maintaining training documents and by performing corrective actions when needed. Before moving to California, Maura graduated from the University of Torino in Italy with a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, with an emphasis in Cardiovascular Physiology. She started her career in the Department of Pharmacology as research support for Postdoctoral Scholars and PhD students, but then gradually shifted her work and interest into the field of workplace safety. Maura will be located in Vet Med 3A 2335.
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- Please welcome Shond Felton as the VMTH’s new Procurement Manager. Shond recently sent us a personal greeting to introduce himself: Greetings, team! My name is Shond Felton. I am the new Procurement Manager and will succeed Manuel Carrillo in this role when he retires in December. I have lived and been many places, so not really from “anywhere”; but I claim the great state of Texas as home. I recently retired from the United States Air Force where I served for 20 years. My professional background is material management/logistics. I have managed everything from paper and pencils to IT equipment to aircraft parts and Humvees. I’ve lived in three countries but served in a total of seven. I have been married for 3 years, and my wife is originally from Zimbabwe. With all that said, I can’t wait to meet everyone. I know I have some big shoes to fill, but I can’t wait for the challenge!
-- Shond
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A Fond Farewell:
- Congratulations to Manuel Carrillo on his retirement from the VMTH after nearly 38 years! We wish Manuel the best and thank him for his hard work and dedication. Manuel was kind enough to send us a farewell note: I started working at the VMTH on October 1, 1982 as a pharmacy student employee. After graduation, I became a pharmacy tech and eventually started doing the pharmaceutical ordering. After 10 years in the Pharmacy, I moved over to my current position as Central Service Manager – a position I’ve held for the past 27+ years. I’ve managed Central Service distribution, Sterile Processing, Receiving, and laundry, with each area having their own set of responsibilities. The VMTH and Central Services have grown and changed tremendously during my time here. When I first started, we didn’t have computers, and we used a card file for our item database. I was a part of the programming, design, and troubleshooting for both the Pharmacy and Central Service computer modules. I’ve been very proud of my staff for taking on the continuous expansion of our workload. 27 years ago, I started with seven employees, Now with a staff of nine employees, our production has increased tenfold. Central Services generates approximately 1,200+ purchase orders per year and keeps an inventory database of roughly 4,000 items. We’ve also worked diligently with vendors on contracts to keep our cost as low as possible. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet and get to know so many good people throughout my time at the VMTH. In retirement, my wife and I plan on moving to the California central coast, as we both love the ocean. Our plans also include traveling once COVID-19 is contained. I also look forward to having time to enjoy many of my hobbies such as photography, painting, and other creative endeavors. Thank you to everyone, past and present, for the support and memories throughout the years. --Manuel
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VMC Update:
- Construction on the All Species Imaging Center (ASIC) will begin in early 2021. Stay tuned for monthly updates in the new year. We are excited about moving forward with this next part of Phase I of the Veterinary Medical Center campaign. Beyond creation of the ASIC, this project will also include an expansion of the small animal ER/ICU on the second floor of the VMTH.
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Campus Update:
- Congratulations to Campus Veterinary Services staff veterinarian Dr. Jake Theil on recently passing his American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine specialty boards. Dr. Theil joined CVS in February 2019 after completing a residency at Stanford University. “We are truly thankful to have Jake on our staff,” noted Associate Director Dr. Rhonda Oates.
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Wellness Tip of the Month
Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support/grief counselor, offers tips on managing stress through the current crisis. Please see the full website of services that Florence offers.
- Feeling exhausted? Fatigued? Unmotivated? You could be suffering from Pandemic Fatigue. This 15-minute podcast answers questions about how to deal with the stress of the pandemic.
- House Officers are invited to participate in “Take-A-Break Thursdays,” the VMTH’s virtual drop-in group facilitated by Florence. This group allows House Officers to share whatever is on their mind and to receive support in a safe, confidential space. Register here
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