We are fortunate to work in one of the greatest professions in the world. Every day, we are able make a difference – healing animals, helping others, discovering new science, and teaching future leaders. It is truly a privilege to be part of our SVM community and the top veterinary school in the country.
Veterinary professionals have a unique position unlike many careers. We share qualities like compassion, conscientiousness, dedication, and very high achievement that can lead to some of the greatest joys and highs a job can bring. However, those same traits can lead to burnout and make us especially vulnerable to mental health issues. And our profession comes with emotional and financial stressors that, unfortunately, can sometimes define us.
For a year now, we have been surrounded by extra complications in our lives due to the pandemic that can compound those issues.
Our leadership team places a tremendous amount of importance on the emotional and physical well-being of every VMTH member. Beyond wellness resources available for faculty and staff, our goal is to provide a workplace where we can help each other productively manage stress levels while maintaining our high quality of care. I want to encourage anyone who is having trouble dealing with their stress level or anxiety to utilize these resources and speak to someone immediately.
Conversely, if you are concerned about a colleague, please reach out to that person. Sometimes the best thing we can do is listen. If you feel uncomfortable or find it beyond your capacity in this manner, please refer that person to campus resources. Sometimes one phone call by that person to a resource can make all the difference.
We see and hear about examples of our great teamwork every day in accomplishing our daily goals. That doesn’t end at patient care – that same teamwork translates very easily into the care we show for each other. Our team members have always managed to do this, and I encourage you to continue to be that person you want your colleague to be for you.
The VMTH leadership team looks forward to celebrating everyone’s future successes and working together to create an environment in which we all thrive.
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Dr. Jane Sykes
Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
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A kangaroo from the Sacramento Zoo was recently treated at the VMTH. (Photo by Don Preisler, SVM Communications)
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Recognitions
The hospital’s Focused Recognition Award Program provides an opportunity to highlight our ongoing cultural journey and recognize those who have provided remarkable progress within our five cultural beliefs: One Team, Trusted Dialogue, Pursue Excellence, Realize Our Vision, and Value People.
February recipients:
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Megan Wright was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of One Team and Value People, which contributed to the key result of Staff Satisfaction.
“Megan is the most kind-hearted person in the VMTH. One of her co-workers has been on leave, so Megan has been checking in with her. When Megan heard that she was running out of leave, Megan solicited donations for her. Megan is always thinking of others and likes to spread cheer throughout the VMTH!”
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Eryca Sphar was recognized for exemplifying our cultural belief of One Team and Pursue Excellence, which contributed to the key result of Exceptional Patient Care.
“Eryca proactively troubleshot our ISO lawn mower and was able to mow an overdue area of lawn in our Isolation Unit so we could spray weeds. All this while providing excellent patient care. Thanks, Eryca!”
Thank you, Megan and Eryca, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.
Thank you to everyone for submitting the Focused Recognition Award cards and demonstrating your support of each other that demonstrate excellence in support of our cultural journey. The drop boxes are located: Reception A, second floor in Pritchard waiting room 2198; Large Animal Reception, first floor in Pritchard next to water fountain/restrooms; Reception B, first floor in CCAH next to the recycle bins.
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Pandemic Recognition:
As we have surpassed the one year anniversary of the VMTH’s temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we salute the heroic efforts of our essential healthcare workers (and their support staff) who continued to work in the hospital throughout the pandemic. Hundreds of team members from the VMTH are to be commended for their continued dedication: the technical staff, pharmacy staff, laboratory teams, central services, client service representatives, barn and grounds crews, and administrative staff. This team is here every day, going above and beyond to make sure the hospital is a safe work environment and ready to serve our community. With the student presence diminished, the technical staff has taken on a much larger workload than before. Our first line responders have tended to severely increased numbers of emergency cases, as other clinics throughout Northern California were not able to remain open. Our client service representatives and technicians endured weather extremes throughout the year to ensure our new outdoor receiving process remains successful. There are hundreds of these examples that showcase our staff’s commitment to our ultimate goal of providing the highest level of care to our patients and clients. Thank you for that dedication. We look forward to a time when we can celebrate this success together.
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Key Cultural Pillar
"One Team"
Congratulations to the Community Surgery Service for its latest round of positive reviews from students recently on that rotation:
- “I gained so much hands-on surgical experience in this rotation, as well as experience with physical exams, anesthesia, surgical preparation and scrubbing, and recovery. I am so thankful for this experience and for the attention I received from the dedicated faculty and technicians.”
- “This rotation was very enjoyable, fun, and a great learning experience. The clinicians and technicians made the learning environment easy-going yet professional.”
- “I realize it is not possible to have a lot of people in the clinic at once, so I think this rotation has done the best they could trying to provide students enough exposure to different surgeries. Overall, the vets were helpful, the techs were amazing and friendly, and I had a great week in clinic on this rotation.”
- “The faculty and support staff are absolutely terrific, patient, supportive, and kind. Everyone seemed so invested in our learning and made this a terrific experience.”
- “I really enjoyed my time on community surgery. For a large animal student who doesn’t have a lot of clinical experience in the small animal world, I did not feel intimidated, and instead felt supported by all the clinicians and staff. I also learned a lot and enjoy surgery much more than I originally expected.”
- “Thank you so much for an amazing rotation, and a very special thank you to all the amazing technicians. Tarryn, Rodney, Steph, Danielle, Ashley, and Kiersten are all incredible people. They were each so kind and patient, and all the work that they do to help students does not go unnoticed and is very much appreciated. It was a true pleasure getting to know and work with them all.”
- “The entire faculty, technicians, and staff at Gourley are probably the best on campus. Especially the technicians – they are so caring, helpful, patient, and kind. As busy as this rotation was, I felt it was one of the most, if not the most, useful rotations in prepping me for my future veterinary career.”
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“Pursue Excellence”
The VMTH has continued to achieve the highest level of veterinary excellence following evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The hospital recently earned re-accreditation by AAHA after a rigorous review of the hospital’s practice protocols, medical equipment, facility, and client service – continuing the level of success it has enjoyed for many years. AAHA-accredited hospitals are recognized among the finest in the industry because they voluntarily choose to be evaluated on more than 900 quality standards that go above and beyond state regulations, ranging from patient care and pain management to staff training and advanced diagnostic services. Less than 15% of animal hospitals in the United States and Canada achieve AAHA accreditation.
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COVID-19 Update:
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On March 17, the Office of the Dean held a town hall as an opportunity for School of Veterinary Medicine community members to learn, ask questions and make suggestions to help improve the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining Dean Lairmore were: UC Davis Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Peter Yellowlees and Dr. Margaret Rea, director of wellness for the School of Medicine who discussed “Coping in the Era of COVID-19.” The meeting was recorded for those who missed it.
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Staff Update:
- Please welcome Tiffany Malik as our financial coordinator in Clients Services. Tiffany graduated from UC Davis in 2011 with a BA in Psychology and Chinese. After graduating, she went on to earn her teaching degree. She worked in education for several years before shifting gears to work in administration. Prior to coming to UC Davis, she worked at Yolo County Animal Services as an office specialist for nearly three years. She enjoys being able to see animals each day and working in customer service.
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- Please welcome Jessica Varaitch-Scrase as our new Client Services supervisor in Reception B (CCAH). Jessica graduated from UC Davis in 2013 with a BS in Animal Science and Management in 2013. She started her a career in veterinary medicine at Banfield Pet Hospital, working her way up from a client service representative, to veterinary assistant, to shift lead, and finally to hospital manager. As hospital manager, she developed efficient and productive hospital teams (including the training and supervision of all staff), managed inventory and finances, and many other supervisory tasks.
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Faculty Update:
- After 16 years, the VMTH bids a fond farewell to Dr. Rachel Pollard, professor of diagnostic imaging. During her tenure at the hospital, more than 75,000 imaging cases were handled while Dr. Pollard was on clinics. She influenced the careers of students, residents, and colleagues with her love of veterinary medicine and diagnostic imaging. She served as a role model in leadership and inspired others to grow into positions they might not have otherwise considered. Dr. Pollard was a leader in the world’s largest imaging residency program, inspiring residents to learn and grow in skills, while providing a positive learning environment and increasing responsibility as they develop. She inspired students with her enthusiasm and sense of humor, leading to numerous class awards and an invitation to speak at commencement. She also mentored many students who were motivated by her to pursue careers in radiology, working with them on research projects to foster their skills and publish studies to demonstrate their interest in residency programs. Dr. Pollard’s impressive leadership skills were applied as co-chair of the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences and as chief of the Diagnostic Imaging Service, making sure that new ideas were put forward to improve working environments. Thank you, Dr. Pollard. You will certainly be missed.
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Facilities Update:
- The VMTH has started the replacement process of all three elevators in the Pritchard Building. The first elevator to be replaced will be the east elevator, which will be out of commission for about 40 days. They will then be moving to the west elevator, then the north (in the foyer entrance). Therefore, animal movement will need to defer to the other two elevators while the east elevator is under construction.
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VMTH Committee Update:
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Cultural Pillars Committee – The Cultural Pillars Committee was established to improve staff engagement within the VMTH. Members of the Cultural Pillars Committee include: Melissa Bartholomew, Becky Griffey, Dallas Hollis, Joy Hoover, David Lish, and Soli Redfield. The committee is focused on continually exploring ways to recognize staff accomplishments and upholding the VMTH’s five cultural pillars: Pursue Excellence, Trusted Dialogue, One Team, Value People, and Realize Our Vision.
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Wellness Tip of the Month
Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support and wellness professional, offers a brief tip on managing stress through the current crisis. Please see full website of services that Florence offers.
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After hearing about the recent losses of two more veterinarians, I decided this month to offer my respect and condolences to my fellow co-workers. I have learned that veterinary medicine attracts deeply caring and compassionate people. It’s a bonded community that utters the words, Not One More Vet, as they continue to work tirelessly to help animals and owners. If you are affected by these losses, know you are not alone, and there is no shame in reaching out. Call: 1-800-273-TALK. Text: HOME to 741741. For mental health counseling, contact our ASAP office or your insurance plan.
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