As you may have already read on our website, LVH’s mission is to provide the best veterinary medicine and client services possible. To accomplish this goal, our staff continually strives to uphold and integrate six core values into all of our daily practice activities:

We strive to carry out our core values everyday.

Over the past year, LVH’s practice owner, Dr. Strickland has made it a priority to keep these values fresh in our staffs’ minds.  It’s one thing to have a mission and set of values hidden in an employee handbook and only read on the day you’re hired; in this scenario, I’m sure very few employees would be able to talk about our practice’s mission or even list the six values. It’s another to discuss and try to carry out the vision on a regular basis.

Well it seems like Dr. Strickland’s encouragement has made an impact, as we’ve recently witnessed many examples of our staff living up to the hospital’s objectives.  This summer, we thought it would be fun to do a series on our Core Values, showcasing each value and providing examples of how we’re practicing what we preach!

During the spring, many of our doctors and technicians attended continuing education seminars and brought a wealth of information back to the hospital.   With that in mind, we’ll start off with development:

 Our team has a thirst for knowledge! We value and encourage creativity, continuing education, and professional development of all team members to best serve the veterinary needs of our patients.

• In March, Dr. Mallory Willkom and Clinical Technician Supervisor, Kim Shaffer attended the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) annual conference in Nashville.  Not only did these two get to take in the rockin’ country scene in the heart of Music City for a weekend, but they also attended several lectures and demonstrations.  In particular, Dr. Willkom and Kim took information they learned in a behavior seminar to create a month-long puppy kindergarten and early socialization class for some of our youngest patients.  So far, the class has been off to a great success with sessions running in May and June.
  

  Dr. Willkom, performing an exam.
  Image source: Ellen Zangla Photography

• Also in March, Dr. Lauren Kloer became a general practice member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS). At their annual meeting (in Hawaii!) Dr. Kloer attended seminars in respiratory emergencies, circulation emergencies ( bleeding patients), and nutrition for critical patients.  She also took in current topics on antibiotic use in veterinary patients and new uses for old medications.  Besides a nice tan, Dr. Kloer came back to LVH prepared to handle a variety of emergency cases.
  

  Dr. Kloer examines a patient in our treatment area of the hospital. Image source: Ellen Zangla Photography

• In May, Dr. Doering, Dr. Henly, and LVT’s Joanne Scott and Sue Perkins attended the local Central Veterinary Conference (CVC) in Washington D.C.  Dr. Henly and Dr. Doering took part in a day-long gastrointestinal surgery lab to learn new techniques in intestinal surgery.  Dr. Doering also moderated several lectures on updates in pain management and behavior.  Meanwhile our technicians learned different methods for keeping our patients calm and stress-free when they’re at the hospital.  Joanne focused on preventing feline aggression, while Sue learned how to create a fear-free environment for our canine friends.
  

  Sue peeks over Dr. Doering’s shoulder during surgery. Image source: Ellen Zangla Photography

• And lastly, did you know Dr. Strickland is a board- certified canine and feline specialist through the American Veterinary Medical Association?  This certification program involved rigorous studies beyond his veterinary medical degree; he is one of only 900 vets in North America to obtain this prestigious board-certification.
  

  Dr. Strickland loves his canine and feline patients! Image source: Ellen Zangla Photography

Have you or your pet seen our staff carry out our core values first-hand?  If so, please share your stories with us and we can use them in a future post.   And to stay updated on our latest blog posts, sign up to get them sent right to your email inbox (see the sidebar to the right).