October 2008: Erin Finn, Groomer

This month we recognize the outstanding service of an employee who has very much embraced Countryside’s philosophies on customer service.  She always keeps her cool.  She stays calm under pressure and makes our clients feel at home.

Recently, one of our clients was “blown away” by this employees dedication.  The client was trying to schedule a grooming appointment for her dog who is now in heart failure.  She wanted her dog Bridget to come in later in the day for a grooming.  When she asked this groomer when her shift finished, Erin simply stated, “When I’m done.”  This simple statement impressed the client so much because it demonstrated that the groomer was an employee dedicated to doing a good job and was NOT just here to punch a time clock.  The client told the doctor to whom she reported this situation to, that we should be proud to have such employees like her.

Groomers are paid on commission, not hourly, so any time beyond 40 hours that a groomer puts in does not reflect in any extra benefits except for fitting in another dog.  That dog’s owner would probably understand and would have let the groomer schedule her on another day, but the groomer saw the client’s need and chose to stay later to make that client happy.

Also, just as early as yesterday, one of the two morning groomers had to unexpectedly call out for the day shift leaving her grooming appointments potentially dangling in the lurch.  Instead of panicking, the groomer on duty, along with her manager worked out a plan to do most of the dogs on the other groomer’s schedule, as well as her own.  And some clients were notified and rescheduled.  One client left her house before her phone call and was adamant that her dog be done.  The groomer saw the importance of the situation and making this client happy and took the client’s little cocker spaniel in for a full grooming. Turned out the dog also was extremely matted and took more time than the standard cocker, but the groomer did not winch, her enthusiasm did not fade and she stayed and put in the extra time to make our client happy.

That is why this month we recognize as Countryside Veterinary Hospital, Above and Beyond Employee of the Month for October 2008, groomer, Erin Finn.

September 2008: CJ Churhill, DVM

Although members of her department always appear to together per se, I’ve been told they are admittedly VERY dependant upon one another for support behind the scenes.

Her team has expressed that they feel so fortunate to have her on their team. They always feel like she's 'got their back' when they need a hand. They feel like they can package up a tough case as best they can, and she'll pick up where they left off with ease, grace and insight to anyone’s oversights. She is extremely talented and humble AND she's got a great sense of humor.

Though she won't admit it, she is a SUPERSTAR!

We are so lucky to have her here.
           
This month we recognize as Countryside Veterinary Hospital, Above and Beyond, Employee of the Month for September 2008, veterinarian, Dr. C.J. Churchill.

August 2008: Misty Lequin, Animal Care Specialist Desk Team

Having been here for just over 3 months, this employee has shined from day one.  When she started her position, there were many little nuances to learn.  She absorbed her new role and duties like a sponge.  Clients love her.  She enjoys interacting with them and always makes each client and pet feel welcome and safe when they drop off at our boarding and grooming facility.  She is smart, quick and efficient.  Many times she is a one girl show and never panics, never shows stress, instead prioritizes and gets the job done.  She comes to work with a smile on her face and keeps that smile from the start of her shift until she walks out the door.

July 2008: Kelly Stenquist, Veterinary Technician

The above and beyond employee of the month for July, is someone that is dedicated to keeping things running smoothly in the hospital.  She is first and foremost always smiling, even under the most extreme circumstances, she never misses a beat, never falters and keeps cool under pressure.  She welcomes any request that a doctor sends her way, and is often heard asking her team and the doctor what she can do for them next, when her task is completed.  She is happy to do anything, and will eagerly assist another department when technician assistance is of the essence, and she keeps the troops going.  Her upbeat personality makes her a joy to work with in the hallway.  You always know that she has your back.  And multi-tasking… this girl does it all.  One would think she had a juggling degree.  She doesn’t let her doctor fall behind and is one who proactively looks for her doctor’s next clients in the waiting room and keeps out-patients in check.  It is a pleasure to be around her.  You can’t help but want to pick up the pace, work a little quicker, and work with pride when you work beside her.  Her enthusiasm is contagious.

June 2008: Aimee Powers, Veterinary Technician

It was a sunny Sunday.  There was a fresh, blossom scented breeze in the air.  As I wrote up the last of my medical records for the day, in walked this employee.  She was on a mission to complete something that was missed for Dr. Churchill the previous day.  I asked her if she was in the neighborhood.  She remarked that she had made a special trip to Countryside to complete a task for CJ on her own time.  That is dedication!

I hear it every shift when remarking to her co-workers, "What can I do to help you finish up so that you can get home?"  "What else needs to be done?", "What can I do?"

I hear it when I come out of the exam room, regardless if she has been assigned to work with me.  "Dr., what can I help you with, I have a minute here."

She makes sure our hospital runs smoothly.  She is efficient and leaves no stone unturned, no job left for someone else if she can help it.  She takes charge of the situation and organizes all who work with her.

Yesterday she was assigned to help in the front.  An emergency euthanasia came in and no other technician was available.  She jumped in (with a smile) and placed an IV catheter for me.  In 2 seconds.  On a very dehydrated yorkie who could not breathe. 

Above and beyond?  YOU BETCHA!!!  This girl is it. 

May 2008: Lori Travers, Veterinary Technician

Never resting, never stopping, always working, always caring, always following through.

April 2008: Sarina Carlo, Client Relation Specialist

She’s creative, she’s talented, she’s hardworking, and some would say she is a little bit crazy.  Crazy because she works split shifts, double shifts, regular shifts, in rain, shine, sleet or snow, and in two different departments and travels 1.5 hours one way to work.  One would ask why would she travel so far to have phones constantly ringing in her ears, people waiting with their pets patiently and sometimes not so patiently staring her down as she assists incoming customers, updates records, prints brochures, photo copies files, and fills prescriptions?  We may never know the answers to those questions, but frankly we don’t need to, her actions speak louder than words. 

Constantly working, constantly busy with busy work that makes a difference, this employee has thrown herself full force, along with her fellow CRS teammates into her job.  She seemingly never tires and when she is not working the desk, juggles so many graphic design projects for the hospital, it would make your head spin. 

For her dedication, hardwork, and willingness to adapt to any job or task that is asked of her, this month we recognize, as Countryside Veterinary Hospital, April 2008, Above and Beyond, Employee of the Month, client relation specialist, Sarina Carlo.

March 2008: Lindsey Loiselle, Animal Care Specialist Supervisor

For the 8 months that I've worked here, this person hasn't received "Employee of the Month" once.  It strikes me as odd, as she is the one I would dedicate this award to every month. She is constantly teased that she does nothing but meticulous organizing and computer-work, while everyone else does the tiring dirty work...this is not at all true!  She does so much more than she gets credit for.  She is always willing to give a hand and help out anybody that comes her way and is always conscientious and responsible.  As an excellent supervisor, she keeps everyone on task and makes sure everything is done thoroughly and on time.  With her calming touch and reassuring voice, she strives tirelessly to make sure every critter feels safe, comfortable, and happy as can be.  With her positive energy and boisterous self, any problem--large, small, or furry--that's thrown to her seems quickly and easily taken care of.  And we certainly can't forget her tendency to, quite simply, cut to the chase with her opinions and/or problems--wisely, confidently...and, oh! loudly! 
            I remember once, when the hospital was absolutely swamped, full of knowledge and patience, she gave an hour long lecture to one of our clients about her diabetic cat.  Although she doesn't have the same extensive knowledge as a doctor, she explained extensively the causes and effects of the disease and left the client reassured, confident, and with more knowledgeable of the disease than many of us knew!  There are so many more instances of her endless patience, friendliness, and smiles with the clients.  No matter the age or temper, every client ends up liking her!!!
            From house calls, urgent errands, upset pets and clients, to simple phone calls: she takes it all on with a smile, everyday.  As someone who's trained many employees after her, as a top advisor of the "Fit and Furry Club," and as role-model employee, she is a strong leader. She works with someone's weaknesses but more importantly,  recognizes their strengths.

January 2008: Janel Kydd, Animal Care Specialist Desk Team

This month’s above and beyond employee is always using her creative talents to think one step ahead of our current procedures and protocols to make them better for our patients, clients and staff.  When developing a suggested protocol, she thinks of the pet’s best interest first, the client’s needs next, and includes the needs of the staff who will be involved in administering the protocol.  It is her job to monitor pet files prior to them coming in for boarding and grooming visits.  She and her other co-workers at the retail desk alternate making phone calls to clients prior to their ancillary services visits with a protocol she helped to create and one she maintains.  The file is reviewed to ascertain what services the pet might also need while he/she is here for grooming or boarding.  The standard services such as annual exams and vaccines are reviewed, but Janel takes it one step further.  She looks for recommendations from the doctor for rechecks, dentistry, and any other recommendations, and notes that as well.  This is all done for the best interest of the pet.  To further promote the best interest of the pet, Janel and the other retail team members, call the pet parents of the pet and remind the client of their upcoming grooming or boarding appointment, and alert them if there is any required medical procedures the pet will need while here in order to board or be groomed.  They also remind the client of any recommended services for example for boarders: dentistry (previously mentioned) and spay/neuter.  And for grooming, rechecks and other procedures that can be done the same day.  The client has the opportunity to ask questions or address concerns prior to them dropping off their pet.  This assists the employee checking in the pet in many ways.  The employee has a list of needed services in front of them to discuss with the client.  The client is already aware the services need to be performed.  Paperwork is already filled out prior to the client arriving, the client then only reads over the form, signs it and the pet is admitted.  Janel organizes and calls all of the big boarding week or weekend pets a week or more in advance to ensure that the pet is still coming (allowing for any pet on the waiting list to possibly get in the boarding facility if we know enough in advance) and gives the client time to decide on additional services beyond the required services that would be of benefit for their pet.  Since Janel and the retail desk team have embraced these protocols, boarding and grooming admissions have been much smoother.  Like anything, there are outside factors that can alter the perfect admission, but Janel’s dedication to the pre-boarding and pre-grooming admission protocol removes most of the chance of facing an uninformed and/or irate client at check in & speeds up the check in process.

December 2007: Mary Martin, Front Office Manager

Because to her it is not worth doing unless you do it right, in the most productive time possible,
and with the best of intentions.

November 2007: Tammy Mangano

A fellow co-worker wrote these kind words recently about Tami, nominating her for employee of the month.

“I knew immediately from the beginning that she would fit in as part of our cvh family from the get go.  She is someone that I have seen grow tremendously in the past year.  She started out here not knowing much at all about outpatients or surgery.  In one short year she has been promoted to a full fledge Veterinary Technician.  Her ability to communicate and relate to the clients is amazing. I watched as new pet owners went from happy to worried as there sweet little puppy ‘Odie’ was admitted to the hospital for what may have been something very life threatening.  In an instant she was their rock.  She was there for them whenever they came in to visit.  She was sure to keep them up to date on his status and comfort them when they were afraid that they may just have to say good bye to their new friend.  (Luckily as we all know Odie is back to being a happy, energetic normal puppy.)

This employee is someone who never says ‘No.’  She smiles through the tough days that other people grunt through.  She is always eager to help out were ever and when ever she is needed.  I have seen her persevere in times when other people would have given up and walked out.  Even though technicians are not recognized as nurses she possess EVERY characteristic that a great one would have.  I am so very proud to say that she is part of the team.  Countryside is very lucky to have her.

October 2007: Danny Hurd, Animal Care Specialist

I will not bother keeping this employee’s name secret until the end of this dissertation.  It would be very hard to do so.  He is already famous at our hospital for doing such a good deed, that you will easily guess who it is.  When I first heard about this unselfish, brave act of kindness involving both humans and pets, the very wonderful thing is, that it did not surprise me when I was told whom it was.  It is his nature, his character, to do the right thing.  The employee that I am speaking of is Danny Hurd.

On a recent afternoon on his way into work, Danny was on 495 following an SUV. The SUV suddenly lost control and rolled multiple times into the median.  Danny immediately pulled over to see if he could help.  When he reached the car, the mother in the drivers seat was disoriented and out of it, the dad in the passenger seat was alert, and a little baby in a baby seat, strapped in tight to it’s seat and the seat to the seatbelt, hung contentedly upside down dangling in the back.  As Danny talked to and assisted the parents he heard a meowing sound from the back of the vehicle.  A very shaken and tossled and confused kitty was calling from it’s carrier.  The police came, Danny was a good Samaritan, all was well, but he went one step further. He told the woman he would bring the cat with him to his work at the veterinary hospital, and that when she and her family were all right, she could come pick up the kitty.  That he would take good care of her cat for her.  Below are 3 emails that I received after hearing that story, that all nominated Danny for Employee of the Month for his kind actions.

From Lisa:  Hey Gayle- Dr. Rule just told Jenn M and I that Danny from Kennel witnessed the big roll over on 495 the other day, pulled over, helped pull the people out of the car, saw that they had a cat in a carrier in the car, gave the people his info because they couldnt' take the cat in the ambulance and brought the cat to countryside...If that's not worthy of employee of the month, than I don't know what is! So, Dr. Rule, Jenn M and I, (Lisa) would like to nominate Danny from Kennel!

From Meredith:  I wanted to nominate Danny Hurd for employee of the month for Oct.Because of his good deed that occurred around the end of Sept. or Beginning of Oct., Now I know this didn't occur at work per say but it does reflect well on this hospital that we have such a dedicated employee to the welfare of pets. When Danny was coming down 495 on a Saturday afternoon he witnessed an SUV roll-over and end up in the median. Being the good Samaritan that he is he stopped, called 911, and proceeded to help get the family that was in this accident out of their vehicle. While helping the family exit their vehicle he heard a cat crying, and discovered that the family cat was with them in the truck in its carrier. As the whole family was going with the mother to the hospital in the ambulance, he offered to bring the cat to the hospital to have one of our Dr.'s check it out and make sure it wasn't injured, as well as keep it here until they could come pick it up after they where all treated for their injuries. I feel he should be recognized for his good deed and compassion for the welfare of pets. Danny displays this level of care in every pet he handles here and is always willing to step up and help with every task we ask of him.Wether we are asking him to construct a shelving unit, restrain an animal, or hunt down an item that we know is "in the hospital" some where, he always does it with a smile. He even over came squeamishness at the sight of blood when one night a frequent boarder "SVEN"  (Danny recognized the dog immediately) came into be treated for bite wounds around its face and in/on its ear. He dove right in to make sure that "SVEN" was ok, and wanted to know what he could do to help.  These are just a few examples of the many things that Danny does to help make all of our jobs easier.   Please consider him for employee of the month.

From Lindsey:  So... I think that you should make Danny Hurd employee of the month for October!!  He's great!!  Ever since he started here at countryside he's been an amazing asset to the entire hospital.  Whenever anything needs to be done, Danny is the first one to jump up and offer always with a smile!!  I remember early summer, Mrs. Manser called about her cat.  He was having difficulty breathing and being that Mrs. Manser can't drive, she needed someone to pick up her pet.  It turned out that the cat died and Mrs. Manser wanted to bury him at home.  Danny offered to drop him off for her.  When we arrived, we realized that the space originally dug in her backyard was not big enough for the casket.  Danny jumped right in and started digging the grave for her.  It was about 95 degrees out and here's Danny sweating in the back yard digging in the dirt!!  He is always very respectful and sincere.  Mrs. Manser was so grateful for all of Dannys hard work!  There's been many cases like that where Danny has just stepped up to the plate and impressed everyone!  He gets a little nauseaus at the sight of blood, yet has never let that stop him!  The night that Sven Murray got bit and came in all bloody and needed to get cleaned up, Danny immediately recognized Sven and stayed very late here making sure that Sven felt safe - even in spite of all the blood!!  He comes in every shift on-time and with a smile!  The biggest thing that I can say about Danny is his sincere love for the animals.  I've caught him a couple of times in the runs with nervous dogs trying to ease there tension and then playing with hyper dogs trying to get some energy out!  He is really good at reading the dogs and knowing what they need.  His genuine love for animals, great personality and upbeat work ethic should, in my opinion, get him employee of the month!!!

Well, all that said, no one can argue that Danny truly is deserving of employee of the month.  Danny is a deeply caring individual that does not look for extra attention for his kind efforts.  He acts this way because it comes naturally. 

This month we recognize as Above and Beyond Employee of the Month for October 2007, Animal Care Specialist, Mr. Danny Hurd.

September 2007: Kerry Arsenault

A few weeks back we received a nomination for a wonderful employee who always gives her all, strives to be the best she can be as a person and at her job at all times.  She was nominated by another employee because she is a willing member of the Countryside team, she is very approachable and is always willing to take on client requests without complaint.  Her nominator is impressed with the ease that she settled in to her position as a veterinarian in this busy and often hectic atmosphere.  She is well liked and well respected by all of the departments and she has fit like a glove since day one.

She recently stepped up to take over a doctor taught lecture that was not hers (when the other doctor was not available to teach it) in order to keep the lecture schedule accurate and to cause the least disruption to the staff.  This act alone was going above and beyond all of her other wonderful attributes that won her this distinction today.

July 2007: Karla Perez, Animal Care Specialist Desk Team

This month’s employee went out of her way to “Wow” a client.  She did not shy away from a very uncomfortable task and really made a difference for an elderly couple.  Her co-worker nominated her for employee of the month with these words:

“On Sunday June 3rd, my co-worker (Karla) and I were working when a woman came in crying. This elderly woman explained her dog was in the car with her husband.  The dog couldn't walk and was here to be euthanized.  My co-worker (Karla) said to the woman she would take care of getting a stretcher and help.  She handled the situation calmly, respectfully and with amazing professional responsibility.  She made a very tough day go easier for this elderly couple who were torn apart by the death of their dog.”

June 2007: Ken Buckler, Maintenance

The scene is set, it is March 2007 and the hospital has a major, important meeting that is due to take place only two weeks away.  Due to all the construction going on over the past year and the meeting date looming, with only two weeks left to prepare, this employee took on the task, originally as a non-permanent hire, to not only start a new job within that time, but to do whatever it took to meet the two week deadline.  He came in on short-notice and worked extra shifts to ensure things were finished for the March 19th seminar.  His work was and is efficient, quick and done with great quality, it is like he has always been here.  He takes pride in keeping the hospital in exceptional condition to meet and exceed our client’s expectations. He is able and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.  It seems as if he knows how to do almost everything given to him and is willing to figure it out if necessary.  He set up the oxygen generator and has been troubleshooting it with the company, leaving his day job when necessary to be here to spend time with the technicians from Airsept to get things working properly.  Today was one of those days as a matter of fact. 

In three months, he has now become famous for an opening email statement of, "I went for a walk..." then finishing the email with all proactive items he noticed on his own that need fixing, requesting permission to do so.  Employees have commented, “Wow, did you get that room looking great- it exceeded all expectations…..I was thinking of a Band-Aid patch, but you did more than that.”  Ken is not about the band-aids, he puts in the effort and energy it takes to do the job right, on a time table that often meets and exceeds expectations. He also on occasion thinks out of the box to make our good products work better such as when he made a little ‘butt pusher’ for the aqua treadmill, to help the PT team keep those pets moving. 

He is always looking out for what can be done better and what should look better.  He noticed that the electrical outlets and switch plates in specials were browned and very ugly, and asked to replace them.  For years, not months, there has been a horrible smell in the kennel vestibule leading to the runs.   It has been grossing many an employee out, to the point that it was down right frustrating and annoying. It took him all of one day to diagnose it, and less than a week to fix it.  Much to the thrill of many a staff member.  He is never idle.  At times when his written work load is complete, he has found other needed issues to fix such as proactively cleaning the gutters of the building that he found extremely full.  He is easy to work with and many have commented that he is a really nice guy and he makes a mean sno-cone!

April 2007: Hollie Neild, Physical Therapy Technician

This employee was nominated for her above and beyond efforts in the middle of a snow storm.  Having only one appointment to see that day, she could have easily requested rescheduling it and thrown in the towel, but instead she drove out and braved the weather for her one appointment.  When she arrived, a client who does not drive called about her cat that desperately needed medical services. The employee went and picked up the cat and brought her back to the hospital for treatment.  Later, a hospitalized patient was in need of blood transfusion.  She volunteered her own dog as a blood donor.  Even though he was too small to give the blood in the long run, it was the offer and attempt that counted.  There were many others who rose to the occasion that day, namely 2 managers and a supervisor who all came in to help out that day whom were not scheduled to be there, and two technicians on staff, who were scheduled to be there and gave it their all as well.  This month’s employee is in good company with many wonderful, caring people at Countryside Veterinary Hospital.  Our patients are in good hands.

January 2007: Ashley Hentz, Animal Care Specialist Desk Team

A client sent the office an email this month, recognizing this month’s Above and Beyond employee for her kind efforts in assisting his family with their ferrets.  The email reads as follows:

My name is Bill Windeknecht, my wife Linda and I, along with our 10 year old daughter Kasey have utilized your facility for the care of our pet ferrets for the past year and a half or so. Your doctors have been fantastic and the care they have received at your boarding kennel has been phenomenal.

    One of your employees, Ashley, has gone way above and beyond the call of duty recently and I sincerely hope that her extra caring, loving efforts are recognized.

    We recently experienced the passing of our first ferret Daisy. Daisy has been boarded at your kennel perhaps 3 - 5 times over the past and Ashley has always sent us a little note and a photo and report card, which my daughter absolutely loved. When Ashley found out about Daisy's passing she sent a beautiful poem, "The Rainbow Bridge" along with a hand written sympathy card as well as a gorgeous photo of Daisy to my daughter.

    Ashley's words and the poem meant the world to my wife and I because it gave Kasey such peace to read about Daisy's 'future' and we were at such a loss at that grief stricken time to say the right thing.

    My wife and I both run our own businesses and are in total agreement that we wish that we had one employee with as much caring and compassion and call to action as young Ashley has. I am sure that whatever course her life takes, she will be successful if she brings that level of customer care and service to her chosen field.

    Please thank her again for us because an act of kindness like that powerfully impacted our daughter's life and she, as well as Linda and I will never forget that.

I contacted this client and thanked him for sending me his email telling me of how wonderful he thought our employee was.  I also told him that she would be the employee of the month for January and asked him to keep it a secret. 

December 2006: Kerry Southard, Inventory Control

A multi-tasking employee who truly takes the word “mult-tasking” to the next level, this month’s employee is juggling three departmental jobs at the same time, all with her usual grace and poise.  She started her employement at Countryside on a very part-time basis in September of 2004.  Coming in when there was work to be done in her department on shifts where she could help out.  She is a very independent worker, keeping to herself and working diligently on everything she does, and has been coming and going for years in this manner until recently.  While we undergo the many changes that are occurring due to our current hospital construction and renovation project, many opportunities have opened up for her at Countryside and she has stepped up to the plate to fill in multiple hospital department needs.  For example, an assistant groomer became promoted to groomer, and there was an opportunity open for an entry level bather.  She jumped right into the role, while still maintaining her inventory and retail duties, even coming in one morning after a last minute phone call, when another bather was sick so that the groomer would not be alone in grooming the 12 or more dogs on the schedule that day, ensuring all dogs would be groomed on time and all owners would be happy.  Her versatility allows her to be an approachable and friendly client advocate for those clients with food and retail questions, a competent orderer and educator of product, and she never shies away from the tedious duties of stocking our now vast shelving space in the new building.  She is attending a class started 3 weeks ago for non-medical hospital team members to learn the ins and outs of dispensing veterinary pharmaceuticals so that we may staff our soon to be operational in February 2007, independent pharmacy in the front office of the hospital.  This will free up the technicians to assist the doctors in out-patients, take x-rays, draw blood, give fluids, run blood pressure checks, extract urine, discharge surgery patients, see technician appointments, give hospitalized patient care and medications, and much more.  This month’s employee of the month, jumped at the opportunity to learn the new pharmacy skills, again to better herself, but also to help the hospital.  She has been attending these classes with CRS staff and ACS staff faithfully, and plans to graduate from this Countryside University program in January 2007. 

Recently engaged and having just closed on her first home with her soon to be husband, and having just received her certification in the craft of jewelry design, she is juggling many tasks outside of the office as well. Her mellow and easy-going nature would make one wonder how she gets it all done.  It would seem that her personality lends itself to rolling with the punches and keeping an optimistic outlook on things.  This makes her someone with whom people enjoy working, without hesitation.

November 2006: Stephanie Frost

November’s employee of the month is a hard worker, who comes to work focused and determined to do an excellent job no matter what the day, or what the shift.  She is charged with caring for the patients in our kennel and does a phenomenal job.  She works well with all of the members of her team and always puts the patient’s needs first.  She is very thorough and is quick to alert doctor staff should a patient need extra care.  She can be counted on to be on time for her shifts and ready to work.  Due to her quiet nature, she is one of our stellar employees that often flies under the radar.  However, she is talented with speaking with clients and consistently rises to the occasion when her job requires.  She never shies away from any ACS task, and keeps herself very busy.

October 2006: Tanya Smart, Groomer

October’s employee of the month has been working hard in her department since the day she began with our company.  She started training for her current position on the day she arrived at the hospital.  That training and her skill level had to increase at a rapid rate, due to the loss of an employee early on in her department training.  She rose to the occasion to fill that need.  She has been coming up with ideas to increase client and pet satisfaction in her department by adding special add-on services and package deals to the already varied services her department provides to our clients.  She was instrumental in creating our current grooming scheduling system with scheduled drop-off and pick-up times to better utilize the time of the bathers, the groomers, and allow for guaranteed ready pets when they say they will be done.  She designed and is using a grooming report card for all patients and working on adding before and after pictures, to further better the communication between the grooming department and our clients (much like the report cards we use in out-patients and in the kennel for that purpose).  Currently she is working on a promotion to increase holiday groomings by offering a discount off of the grooming if the client brings in a toy for donation to “Toys for Tots”.  She, herself, has offered to store the toys at her home garage and will take them to “Toys for Tots” on behalf of Countryside Veterinary Hospital as the toys arrive.  She is very talented, focused and dedicated to her co-workers, our patients and our clientele.  Her hard work is admired by clients and pets alike.  The happy, beautiful pets that leave the parlor after visiting her, tell the tale of their grooming visit with happy eyes and wagging tails, while showing off their beautiful new hairdos.

September 2006: Lisa Dupont, Client Relation Specialist

This month’s employee of the month was recognized for an above and beyond action through an email by a doctor, who was so impressed with her actions, nominated her for employee of the month.  Later that night, another email came in from the actual client who was so grateful of the employee’s above and beyond actions.

The doctor email reads as follows:

9/15/2006  2:03 PM
Subject:  employee of the month

Gayle- I just had a client who brought their dog in for diarrhea.  The dog had an accident in the car.  Lisa D. went out to the car with gloves and actually cleaned up the mess for the owner.  The owner was so impressed that she wanted me to relay her feelings to Lisa's manager.  I even encouraged the owner to email you about the incident.

The owner was Dale Crosby, and her dog's name is Max.

dawn

The client email reads as follows:

8/15/2006 9:50 PM
Subject:  The blond angel with the rubber gloves

As I looked at the back seat of my car I felt overwhelming dread.  My 1 /12 year old Lab had had diarrhea all the way from my home to the hospital and the chore looked immense and hopeless.  I took one sheet of the paper towel roll given to me at the front desk and set in to clean up the immeasurable mess.  Lo and behold when I popped my head out of the car for a breath of fresh air, Lisa appeared.  She had rubber gloves and cleaners and even a wastepaper basket for the refuse.  She dug right in and together we cleaned that mess up.  I can’t offer enough praise or thank her enough but I do know that she deserves recognition for her Herculean effort and that is my story.

Thank you Lisa!!!!

Dale Crosby, Maxy’s mom JJ

July 2006: MaryEllen Marshalsea

This month’s employee of the month has come up in conversation more than once, through-out the Countryside facility and cross departmentally.  Those that speak of her talk of her dedication and devotion to the practice, her sweet personality, and her unwavering team spirit.  How she comes to work ready to work and jumps right in and gets the job done.  She continues to progress in her skills, and is a fast and efficient learner.  She is currently juggling caring for a loved one who is recovering from cancer, her veterinary college studies, and her job and doing so in an artful and professional manner.  Always managing to still make everyone smile and without complaint.  She jumps on any extra shifts available and is a true team player.

June 2006: Sarina Carlo, Client Relation Specialist

This month’s employee of the month has really blossomed as a receptionist.  She joined the team not so long ago, but had already been working for the company for many months in another capacity.  A recent example of her going above and beyond in her semi-new role was when she stayed until 7pm on a Saturday evening with another receptionist to make sure the nightly-on call was working properly.  She and Alice fielded phone calls from the practice managers as they directed the two on how to solve the problem.  This employee, with her extensive computer knowledge, came to the line and was able to navigate Windows Explorer to find the written protocol for changing the main message which it turns out she had to tool through many layers to find that night after having worked an exhausting day.  She was cordial and kind throughout the process, remaining calm and able to then assist her co-worker so that Alice could then record new messages in the mailbox. This allowed clients to be redirected temporarily to getting directly the DVM cell phone number, as the emergency mailbox was not working.  Thus saving the DVM on call that night from having to check the general mailbox multiple times all evening and into the wee hours of the morning.  The other capacity for which she has worked for us previous to the reception team and still currently does prior to her CRS shifts, is as a marketing assistant.  She designs some of the most amazing brochures.  Other employees have commented that the flyers and handouts she creates are “awesome”.  She takes on any media related task and with her great talent, which she makes seem effortless, always presents a final product, in a timely manner that makes you say, “Wow.”

This month we are pleased to announce the July 2006 Countryside Veterinary Hospital, Above and Beyond, Employee of the Month is marketing assistant and CRS, Ms. Sarina Carlo.

April 2006: Aimee Marchant, Veterinary Technician

This month’s employee of the month was nominated just yesterday.  A last-minute entry but a very worthy one at that.  She was recognized by one of the doctors for a very specific, very special act of taking ownership of a client and pet. The nomination was written quite eloquently and is as follows…

“I want to nominate Aimee Marchant for employee of the month.  She has always been an exceptional technician, in regards to her professionalism, ability to multitask and get the job done, as well as her technical ability.  Today she superceded all my expectations in handling a difficult client, a difficult situation and really epitomized ‘exceptional customer service’.

Fuzzy Barretto is a relatively young cat admitted last week for kidney failure.  Initially we hoped that the cause of his disease would be easily treated and he would recover, however, it became apparent that Fuzzy wasn't going to get "well".  Fuzzy's owner has had a difficult time understanding Fuzzy's disease and has been having difficulty coping with the reality that Fuzzy's time is limited.  He has strived to understand our treatments and goals for Fuzzy, but has had a difficult time with the large amount of information.  Because of his need for repetition and for support throughout the process, our constant staff changes (in scheduling) had left him feeling lost.  Aimee befriended Fuzzy and his owner during the last few days of hospitalization and really made a difference in the client's perceptions of our busy, large practice.  He regained trust in us and started to feel like he had made the right decision in trying to treat Fuzzy's condition.

While it is not unlike a staff member to spend a lot of time at a discharge for a client that needs a little extra care, Aimee really stood out today.  Despite the difficulty in explaining the ins and outs of kidney disease and how it affects the body, Aimee took the time (4 hours in all) to help Fuzzy's owner understand what we were treating and why.  She took extra steps so that he would not get confused after going home by making him a calendar checklist for medications and recheck visits.  She made an extra, easy-to-read list of medications and dosage instructions.  She demonstrated subcutaneous fluid administration, medication administration, etc., all the while painstakingly repeating instructions and reasons for using each medication over and over for the owner's benefit.

It is difficult for a DVM for spend the amount of time we want with each client, especially when appointments are occurring at the same time.  Aimee stepped in and took over readily, and truly, fully, took care of this pet and his owner.  I felt confident that Fuzzy and his owner were in good hands, although not my hands, and I am sure the owner felt the same.”

January 2006: Ben Williams, Animal Care Specialist

The gross and disgusting don’t deter this month’s above and beyond employee.  In fact, it interests him and maybe has driven him to pursue his veterinary ambition over the years.  He is one of those employees who is dedicated to the craft and brings with him always a great attitude no matter what the day, no matter what the task.  He makes those around him at ease and comfortable with his good sense of humor, and he gains respect from his peers and others with his good work ethic.  He currently shares his time in 2 departments while continuing his education.  Currently applying to vet schools, we know that should he pursue his dream, he will make an excellent vet someday.  His mature and caring bedside manner with the patients and owners and his true love for the occupation and all it represents, will be hard for others to overlook.  This month, we recognize as Countryside Veterinary Hospital’s, January 2006, Above and Beyond Employee of the Month, Animal Care Specialist and Veterinary Technician, Ben Williams.

December 2005: Angela Calice, Veterinary Technician

For our employee of the month each staff meeting and now this Christmas holiday party, we look to nominate and then choose an employee in the previous month that has gone above and beyond the call of his/her job to help a client, another employee, start a new program at the hospital, or any number of things that fall into these categories.  Last month, one of our technicians helped a client in a very above & beyond manner and we felt it quite worthy of this award. 

She had an irate client call because we had prescribed for her cyclosprine 25mg and told her that it would be in liquid form. The prescription was called into a pharmacy in Taunton.  When the owner got there she picked up HUGE capsules.  Our technician called Brooks pharmacy near the owners town (because the owner did not want to make the far drive to our office) to see if they could compound it for her.  They said that there used to be a liquid form of the drug but that it is no longer being made.  Our technician then called a compounding pharmacy in Fall River and Kayes Pharmacy in Maryland.  She was then told that they could compound the medication but it would cost around $300 for 50 ml.  Finally, the technician contacted FlavoRx (a pet product we use in house for compounding pet meds, with different flavors to choose from such as whitefish salad, cheesie cheddar, roasted lamb, salmon steak, shrimp cocktail, red angus beef and Mom’s banana bread).  The FlavoRx company gave her a recipe for a formula to compound the client’s meds.  She made a copy of the formula and wrote it in the FlavoRx book that we keep with the product and then emailed the technician team to make them aware of the formula in case they ran into the same situation.  We are very impressed at the lengths to which this month’s employee of the month went to not only help the client and pet, but also to follow through so that others would have an easier time should they find themselves in this situation.

So tonight, when you are congratulating her on her award and her efforts, also offer her your encouragement on another effort she is undertaking, to further her career by sitting for her Certified Veterinary Technician examination in January!

November 2005: Janel Kydd, Animal Care Specialist

What can you say about an employee that never sits still; is always cleaning and takes pride in her work; can handle any problem that a client may have; is skilled at putting a distraught client’s mind at ease; is thorough and shows plenty of initiative; is observant and handles herself professionally at all times?  You would say that is employee of the month material.

November’s employee of the month recently shined and displayed all of those qualities that she does on a regular basis by using her skills to help a team in need.  Last Saturday, a panicked CRS team who had suddenly become short-staffed due to a team members sickness had asked her if she wouldn’t mind admitting a few boarders for them from start to finish if the CRS’s were swamped when the boarder checked in.  She calmly told them it would be no problem to help, even though the kennel was also busy that day.  Her nominator wrote, “She really went above and beyond!  She printed all the day’s expected check-in reports, and when we called back to boarding she came up and checked each one in by hand!  It really made a big difference on a crazy short-handed day.”  It was also further noted they were thankful and impressed with her efforts.

October 2005: Lisa Dupont

This month’s employee is a boomerang.  We were thrilled to have her back on the team.  She completely fit in like a glove, like she had never left.  She is not afraid to tackle those hard client questions, and has a knack for turning what seems to be the most dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one.  Earning that clients respect and their business for the practice.  She never shies away from an opportunity to say ‘hello’ or to make eye contact with clients or staff.  She is always on ‘ready, set, go’ mode from the moment she arrives for shift until her shift ends.  Since she has been back she has moved her hours all around at the request of her manager when help is needed in other shifts.  She is calm and reassuring with the clients when needed and upbeat to brighten their day.  She is also not afraid to take charge or stand up for Countryside if someone has the wrong impression of us, and she is able to turn her convictions into theirs as well.  Today we had the pleasure of welcoming her as one of our newest members to the CVH Safety team.  And belatedly we’d like to congratulate her on her September, Red Sox National Anthem appearance.  The Sox recognized her for what we already knew.  She is a class act.  Those American Idol jerks don’t know what they are missing.

July 2005: Chrissie Pariseau, Animal Care Specialist

This employee has been employed at CVH since 1998.  She started here while in high school and just can’t seem to get enough of us.  That is just fine with us, because we certainly wish we could get more of her time.  She juggles an amazing schedule between college and work and has been one of the most faithful seasonal employee on record, returning for not only standard holidays and school breaks to work scheduled shifts, but also coming to as many staff meetings as possible even if she is not officially back on the schedule.  This girl has smarts and personality.  She has a knack about her of pulling everything all together, even at the busiest of times and maintaining a spectacular attitude, while making it all look easy.  She doesn’t even appear to break a sweat.  She is trained as an ACS, technician assistant/technician, CRS and helps in any other department when asked.  Even the most demanding of clients cannot avoid the spell of her cheerful giggle.  She’ll make a great vet some day.

June 2005: Joan Bartlett, Client Relation Specialist

The following is a nomination email I (Gayle) received last month.  I couldn’t have written it better myself, so if you will indulge me I would like to read her nomination:

“Hi Gayle I'm writing to you to nominate an employee for june's employee of the month.  I would like to nominate this person (Joan Bartlett) from the CRS team.  I think that she is a wonderful receptionist.  She is always so kind, courteous, and helpful to clients and the patients.  She appears to truly love what she is doing. Her smile and her sunny personality make my day a brighter one!  I have never seen her lose her cool she always handles a problem with professionalism and a big smile.” 

We agree that she (Joan) is always cool as a cucumber, which is probably a witty expression you might hear come from her on a regular basis.  She keeps the mood light, and makes us laugh with her wit and style. 

April 2005: Gail Buckler, HR Manager

As all of us are well aware, we are on the cusp of a large renovation project and new build.  This new build and renovation project will expand our examination rooms as well as our laboratory, radiology, grooming, retail, pharmacy, front office and more…

This expansion also means hiring more staff to handle the expected increase client flow through our practice in the future.  Hiring more staff means streamlining current and developing new orientation and training programs.  This employee has dug down deep and centered her focus on CVH training.  She has worked long hours to streamline our current orientation process and has developed and added new training materials to the orientation so that the hospital covers all bases.  Employees are paced through the orientation program by having partial orientation and partial on-the-job work days.  Orientation materials are organized and completed according to prioritization and are the same for all staff members. She has done a top-notch, impressive, professional job and has created a standard hospital wide orientation program worthy of other businesses to template.

She has not only created an organized program, but also administers this program to all new staff.  This also ensures that all staff members are receiving the same information as it is coming from the same person each time.  Their progress is documented in their personnel files.

Her focus on training has not stopped at the orientation process.  She is currently working with the middle managers and has started to create outlines for Level I – III training, specifically centered on the duties performed in individual departments.  This training program will be complete with written assignments, hands-on assignments and other training materials followed by Level I, II, and III tests.  The documentation and testing materials will record the employee’s progress through their first year of employment, so that new staff members will be brought up to speed on our protocols and be trained in their respective duties by their first annual review.  Her goal is to have this program up and running by January of 2006.  The speed at which she is producing this training program and her enthusiasm for the project displays her dedication to our mission.  That by providing education to our staff and through our staff to our patrons, it benefits our patients and helps our hospital stand out from the rest of the pack.

March 2005: Jennifer Webb, Animal Care Specialist

I would like to nominate this employee as employee of the month, she is here everyday, very hard worker(and has never been employee of the month) and takes great care of our boarders.  She is always taking on new projects, helps anyone who asks. Over February Vacation a very unhappy cat gave her a black eye, she took a few minutes to regroup and went back to work.

One of her ongoing projects came from her volunteering to do new client letters.  She is meticulous, attentive, and has taken them to a new level.  She has done so by reworking the philosophy of the letters to include not only veterinary service specific clients, but also, obedience only clients, grooming only clients and boarding only clients as well.  No new fuzzy face goes unnoticed under her watch.

Her helpful nature by taking on projects, and her kind nature by composing herself after that nasty cat attack and not biting him back makes her a great addition to the staff!

January 2005: Sandra Bolduc

This month’s employee of the month has achieved this distinction in the past here at Countryside.  She has been with our practice for 2 ½ years, and has developed what some may call a 6th sense, a crystal ball if you will.  She seems to anticipate the next move, the next DVM request, the next client in the building.  She has worked through the addition of many new changes in her life and has always somehow found a way to balance both her personal and professional goals.  She never seems to rest, and some have rumored that she doesn’t even sleep.  One might just tend to believe that rumor.  At times when it would have been fine to rest on her current skills and knowledge she has never stopped.  Even during a well-deserved leave of absence, she just could not get enough of this place.  She came in during her leave to attend a weekly laboratory result training class.  After passing this class, she now has and uses that knowledge, skill and confidence to explain difficult lab results to our clientele. 

December 2004: Erica Gaudet, Veterinary Technician

This month we recognize an employee who works with a smile and fun attitude.  She is very compassionate towards our clients and patients and puts them at ease.  She often stays longer than her scheduled shift times and offers to come in early or on a day off if she knows we are short staffed. This year Dr. Holub has asked a handful of technicians to attend bloodwork result training sessions that he designed and administers for teaching technicians how to interpret and callback clients with their pet’s blood results.  The technicians who complete this course help the doctors by monitoring their desks to ensure that there are not endless piles of files waiting for return phone calls for the doctors at the end of DVM shift.  This is an intense course involving homework and studying done independently by the technician at home on their own time.  This employee was one of the technicians chosen to enter the program and she was eager to do so and is always eager to learn new things.  She is not shy to take an employee ‘handoff’ – (an employee who has a file in their hand and the client on the phone and needs a technician to take the call) and in a recent calculation of technicians who took employee ‘handoffs’ where a staff monitoring system was in place, she was the technician with the most slips in the bucket, therefore was the one most approached by other staff members and to say “Yes” to taking the client call.  She is easy to get along with and cares about her fellow employees’ happiness as well as her own.

November 2004: Pat Faria, Client Relation Specialist

This month’s employee was recently nominated by her manager for taking on a new role in the hospital.  She has been at CVH for over 3 years and has recently stepped up to the plate to be a shift supervisor for her department.  She is always energetic and personable with the clients and their pets, and is a strong team player who cares deeply about her team mates.  She is compassionate and caring and focused on providing above and beyond customer service.  In her new role, she has a renewed energy in making sure that the day-to-day activities are completed as smoothly as possible, and that clients see her as a friendly face.  She has been training new employees even prior to becoming a supervisor and has continued this in her new position.  Her devotion to the practice is obvious as she gives 110% to every customer, every employee, and every task that she is assigned.

October 2004: Angela Marshall, Veterinary Technician

This month’s employee is someone who always comes to work with a smile and a winning attitude.  She is so easy to get along with you  feel like you’ve known her for years even if you have just met her.  It is very apparent in her actions and what could be termed as a “glowing presence” that she enjoys her job and is totally a “people person”.  However, don’t let the word “people” fool you.  She is very much a “pet person” too.  She is kind and comforting to the pets at all times and truly has a nurse’s bedside manner.  A further testament to her love of all animals, she recently organized the first annual Countryside Team to walk in the MSPCA 24th Annual Walk for Animals, rallying her team-mates to raising over $600.00 for the cause.  She showed tremendous Countryside Team Spirit and helped many animals in the Greater Boston Area.

September 2004: Gert Foster, Groomer

In a busy practice that offers not only veterinary services but also ancillary services as well, it is important for the well-rounded employee to know a little bit about everything.  I’ve heard the old saying that “A little bit of knowledge can be a bad thing”, but in this case it is not true.  That old saying refers to the person who thinks they know everything, but truly only knows a little about a subject and comes off as obnoxious. This employee is far from obnoxious.  The knowledge in her own area of expertise is superb and she knows all the important little things in the surrounding departments that help her department gel well with others.  This “gelling” if you will, benefits the pet, as the pet’s best interest is first and foremost, while also the added benefit of revenue generation for the hospital.  By understanding vaccine histories and the basic anatomy of dogs and cats, she is able to recommend needed services to clients such as lump removals, or vaccines that need to be updated, as well as notice if there is something physically just not quite right with a breed.  She will try well-known and newer products on pets to know which ones work best and will recommend those products to clients whose pets could benefit from using them at home.  She has been seen walking through the waiting area, making eye contact and saying “hello” to clients and pets, many times stopping to discuss obedience and grooming with them.  She is sometimes just as important as the doctor when giving obedience recommendations.  As an apprentice trainer under Linda Holway, she has grown passionate about her hobby.  Her confidence as an apprentice trainer handling over-flow classes, is readily apparent to the clients and pets who attend her classes.  I recently attended a class taught by her and before entering the class, had no expectations of the event good or bad.  While observing and participating, I realized that she truly has a gift for calming not only dogs, but people, and for being understanding and level headed in a room full of rambunctious dogs who would much rather wrestle each other at times than to sit and lay down on command.  Other class attendees responded favorably to her techniques and it was obvious that they respected her advice and were very pleased with the results they were viewing thus far after only 3 classes.  They genuinely thanked her for her time and mentioned they looked forward to the next class.  This month we recognize an all-around contributor to the well-being of pets with her knowledge of grooming, obedience, retail products and food, record review and computer invoicing, and general good health of pets.

July 2004: Theresa Gilman, Client Relation Specialist

This month’s employee always steps to the plate to get things done.  She welcomes every task that falls upon her and accepts it with a smile.  She keeps her cool in unpleasant or wild and hectic situations and never lets the clients see her sweat.  She is easy to accept direction and she actively seeks feedback on her performance.  She looks ahead to see what tasks are coming and follows through on those tasks. She has been called the queen of follow through because when she owns something, she owns it. She won’t put it down until it’s completed to its fullest extent.  She gets along with everyone and blends in with all departments.  She is pleasant to work with and if you ask her to do something, you can walk away knowing it’s done.

June 2004: Kayla Landry, Animal Care Specialist

This employee is a part timer, but does a full time great job. Whenever she is asked to help, she steps up willingly. She is eager to learn new things. She cares for her charges in a compassionate and gentle manner, but knows how to be strong when needed. I am most impressed with her professional manner with clients. When called to an exam room to help, she answers swiftly and will even enter the room before the doctor. Many times I have been forturnate to find her, the client and the pet all smiling and having a good time before I even step in to the room. Hat's off to a great employee!

April 2004: Dr. Keri Reeves, Associate Veterinarian

This month we recognize a compassionate, caring employee who during her first year of employment has fit in like a glove.  When she started, her easy-going personality and work ethics made it seem like she had been a member of the CVH team for years.  Clients have bonded to her and respect and accept her advice.  She puts the patient’s best interest first and humanely treats all patients.  She recently thought to develop a new protocol on blood pressure monitoring.  As a result, on her recommendation, the doctor team reviewed this protocol and agreed to make blood pressure monitoring part of our standards of care for senior patients.  She then researched a second blood pressure machine, purchased it and found a home for it and asked to have the Standards of Testing brochure revised.  She later eloquently informed the staff of the new protocol, reasons for the protocol and where she had located the machine, at our last staff meeting.  She comes to work always with a smile and is easily approachable by staff members for questions.  She is a valuable member of our doctor team and we look forward to our continued association.

January 2004: Shauna Rice, Client Relation Specialist

It seems like at least once a week someone is approaching a manager or another staff member and commenting on what a dedicated hard-worker this person is whom has been selected as the employee of the month.  They say that she comes in everyday ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done.  That she is like the little energizer bunny that never runs down.  You never see her sitting around. She is always doing something that needs to be done.  And that she is wonderful to work with, is very knowledgeable in her job and will help anyone out at any time.  She will often come up and ask if any one needs help.  Others have commented that she is an exceptional worker, very pleasant to work with and in their opinion very deserving of this award as she meets the criteria of good performance each and every day which they feel this award should be based on.  Many notice her happy and cheerful when she comes to work, and that she stays that way for her entire shift.  They say her attitude is contagious to the rest of the staff and that it is hard to be in a bad mood when she is around.  She asks intelligent questions and is always willing to learn, and she learns fast too!  They have noticed that she steps up to the plate and deals with difficult situations like its second nature.  She is very considerate of her fellow employees and has a true team spirit, even being concerned her shift was covered after a recent family tragedy. 

November 2003: Mary Thresher, C.V.T., Kennel Manager

This month one of our employees has truly epitomized the title of “Employee of the Month”.  She has risen to the occasion to pick up the pieces, to help keep the hospital running smoothly and to back up the technician department when they need her.  She has put the hospital and it’s employees first in front of herself.  She has stayed focused on both her own team as well as concentrating on the effects that a missing department manager has had on the technician team and all other teams around them.  She has kept a cool head while juggling many tasks and hats.  She often fills this role cross departmentally, even when no crisis is to be averted, and though she is always admired and appreciated for this behavior and commitment, we thought it fitting today to openly applaud her for her efforts.  She has especially out done herself this month and once again shown her generous and caring nature. 

October 2003: Cat Wey, C.V.T., Veterinary Technician

This month’s employee of the month has started to earn the rank of “jack of all trades”.  She is focused, determined and will handle anything that comes her way.  She can be counted on to join committees and offer ideas to better the hospital and is a truly devoted employee.  I received recent nominations for her to be employee of the month.  Staff members have commented on how she is consistently a hard worker.  That she is always here for shifts.  They include that she never calls in sick and is a well-rounded and well-educated technician.  She also steps up to the plate to help the purchasing team to keep our hospital stocked with supplies.  They notice that she is proud to do her job and it shows.  They say, not only is she superb at helping with the inventory stuff, she is an asset to our technical team through her education and skill.  That she is easy to work with, non-argumentative, and shows appreciation to other techs and the rest of the staff.  Lastly they have commented, she is very respectful and deserves this honor.

September 2003: Kim Sullivan, Client Relation Specialist

This month and over the past few months I have heard wonderful things about our now September Employee of the Month.  If you mention her name, people feel compelled to give you a 5 minute dissertation about how thrilled they are with her and what a terrific job she is doing. For example, the following is an email I received from a fellow employee that sort of sums up the input I’ve gotten about her:

I would like to take this opportunity to nominate someone for Employee of the Month.  Although she has been here only a short time I have found her a joy to work with.  She is very conscientious about her job.  She is able to handle several things at one time.  You never have to ask her to do anything.  If it is waiting to be done and she is caught up with what she has been doing, she will immediately tackle the next thing to be done.   I have worked with her several Saturdays and have been totally impressed with her work ethics and ability to deal with people and situations as they arise.  She is also very nice and helpful to the clients that are here as well as the ones on the phone.  Although I cannot specifically mention one thing that she has done in an outstanding manner (there are so many), I found her to be a joy to work with and someone you can always find busy and always willing to help in any way.  I know this is a pretty general overview, but I hope you will consider her for the next Employee of the Month.  

Another staff member added that she communicates clearly to management and co-workers, and she picks up extra shifts to help out in her own department and in other departments.  She worked in the kennel this summer and was a fast learner. She fit right in and was very helpful.  She is friendly and also learned the receptionist job quickly, handling busy shifts with grace and ease.

July 2003: Karla Colon, Animal Care Specialist

This month’s employee has been with us for many years.  She has held multiple positions and assisted in almost every area of the hospital at one time or another.  She has been described as a “straight-shooter”.  You always know where you stand with her.  She is dedicated to quality pet care and puts pets and patients first and won’t leave her shift until every pet/patient is comfortable and cared for properly.  She takes her job seriously and arrives dedicated each day to do it to the best of her ability.  Many new employees look to her in her department for guidance and advice.  She is very comfortable approaching her manager with questions or concerns and offers ideas to better her department and the hospital.  She accepts new protocols and leads by example and is admired by her peers.  During a recent hospital food contest she worked diligently to help unload the food trucks. Even after the contest ended, and helpers drifted away, she continued and continues to unload the trucks to help the retail department as their employee numbers have dwindled recently.  Her vast experience in her department and eagerness to help where needed in hers and other departments makes her a well rounded, dedicated Countryside employee.

June 2003: Meredith Judge, Client Relation Specialist

This month’s employee has been with us for a few years now.  She, similar to last month’s employee of the month, tends to lay low under the radar.  Recently she has begun to be detected by the Countryside radar so to speak.  Over the past few months, she has proven time and time again her skill with clients and problem solving.  She even admits that she welcomes a good problem to solve and enjoys the trouble shooting and client communication aspects involved.  This admission has become a proven fact as it has been noticed that she does not shy away from the tough issues or the tough clients.  She seems to find a certain reward in winning over the initially irritated customer.  She has a kind demeanor and caring attitude that builds a direct rapport with all clients who visit the practice.  She is well spoken and chooses her words gracefully.  As a receptionist she has multiple duties and is excellent at multi-tasking and keeping busy.  She also even admits that she likes check-out.  Some may think this is a little odd, but if you really think about it, a lot of logical problem solving occurs at that desk.  She recently graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  Maybe this is why she is proving to become a master negotiator.  She has chosen to stay working here after her recent graduation as she has commented on how she enjoys the practice and challenge and has filled in and picked up any hours where needed on her team.  She is a great team player.  Agreeing to help when asked and offering to help when needed.

April 2003: Dr. Julia Hansen, Associate Veterinarian

This month’s employee of the month is someone who seems to hide under the radar.  So quiet and efficient many times you don’t realize how busy as a beaver she is multi-tasking and providing exceptional medicine and service to our clients.  Someone who just does a darn good job all of the time that we expect no more or less of her because that is just part of her, part of who she is.  It seems as if her strong work ethic and commitment carry over into all aspects of her life both work and non-work related.  That she is able to juggle so much and still find balance.  I know it gets crazy for her sometimes, but she always keeps it together.  She quickly earns the respect of the staff and of the clients with whom she interacts.  She will take a phone call on a moments notice from a frantic receptionist, or call back a client for another member of the staff without batting an eyelash if the staff member is out that day.  I think this is in part because she seems to live her life by the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”  And that is why other people are so willing and giving to help her when she asks.  She rarely needs to ask however because she will put 110% into all her appointments or cases, including research, but when she does she just tucks it away and stores it like some little whirlwind computer for future reference.  She is compassionate, caring, kind and seeks to be easily accessible at all times.  Kind of sounds like a famous mission statement that we have all embedded in our memories.

March 2003: Sandra Bolduc, Veterinary Technician

This month’s employee has shined since her first day of hire.  She is a caring nurse, a big-hearted advocate for the humane society, a dedicated technician and much more.  She came to us from another veterinary hospital and fit in like a glove.  In her first few weeks she was already assisting after hours surgery with a smile and kindly and lovingly addressing our hospitalized patients as if they were her own.  While in our employ she has since assisted in many projects to better the hospital.  One project stemmed from her attendance at an in-house taught estimate class.  She and Robin put together an amazing “estimate travel sheet” that is a detailed cheat sheet including different blocked categories with instructions to choose at least one item from each category.  This estimate sheet is an easy way to help all staff, including doctors to be on the same page when creating estimates, so that we all charge the same fees from the front office to the back office.  Also this saves the front office from having to ask the back office for help on more detailed estimates.  She attended both our inventory “inventory” day and our attic cleaning day, working hard both days and assisting in some tedious yet very important projects.  The inventory day was more tedious and time consuming than was expected and she came back in and finished what was left after everyone had gone home so that we would not miss a beat come Monday morning.  We could then begin properly entering supply and medication invoices to mirror correct reorder points on all retail items, food and medications.  We recently won the Frontline $7,000.00 give away.  She took a special interest in the project to appropriate the funds properly on the staff voted trip and organized our upcoming event to Blue Man Group with a yummy Italian meal to follow, further showing her dedication to the hospital and understanding of the importance of fostering the CVH team atmosphere.  The patients adore her, because she treats them like VIP’s and makes their time with us, no matter how long or how short, very important to them.  For example, I watched her kindly nurse a sick dog who had not very long to live, during the dog’s last hours.  I could tell that the patient appreciated her effort and she really did make a difference in that pet’s life and in the eyes of the owner. She knows her technical stuff too!  Last week she learned that she had passed her Massachusetts Technician State Certification test, which is an accomplishment we admire in our technical staff.

January 2003: Jean Rossi, Bookkeeper

This employee is again,as always, our unsung hero.  She is always behind the scenes making our lives easier.  At one point she had changed her work week from 5 days to 3 and was greatly missed.  Recently she has increased this work week back to 5 days.  Many of the staff have commented on how great it is knowing she will be in each day to answer their questions.  She has also increased her duties when she again increased her hours.  These duties she chose to take on are not easy.  They include handling employee Simple IRA’s, the dental and health insurance, and the hospital’s accounts receivable.   As a bookkeeper she has always handled the money and deductions from our checks for these benefits, but now she is the human resource advocate who fills in the forms, adds new employees and deals with all the headaches, keeping it all in check.  She is a wonderful organizer and can get you any number at any time at the drop of a hat.   She has recently been on a quest to help employees lower their balances and has worked hard with everyone to handle this in a fair manner that works with the masses as well as the individuals.  She is a woman with a big heart, that is always there to help in more ways than one.  This past Christmas she heard of a friend of the hospital in need and collected funds from hospital employees and was able to purchase $170.00 worth of gifts for a young child that would not have had gifts this Christmas.  She took on the task, not only taking time to buy the age appropriate gifts, but also her own money to fancily wrap these joy-giving packages.  Other employees have cried on her shoulder or asked for personal financial advice and she has always been there for them; whether it be to let them know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, or to help them organize their personal finances outside of hospital time.

December 2002: Lee Palmer

This employee has been a strong team player for many years.  Often the work she does goes unnoticed because her work involves the day to day tasks that keep the hospital running smoothly.  She blends in with her team so fluently that she often, though not purposely, hides under the radar.  We are not the first veterinary hospital for which she has shared her talents, but we are the hospital where she shines and fits best.  Her many duties can be challenging and stressful at times, but she still manages to move forward with a smile.  She recently has stepped up to the plate to help fill part of the shoes of a former employee and has done so with grace and skill.  At a time when the hospital could have seemed desperate and without full leadership, she did not shy away, she said “Here is what I can do to help, “ and “What else can I do for you?”  She can be counted on and trusted and is never late and never out sick.  There is a comfort one can take in knowing that she is there during our busiest evening hours to handle a client concern, round up the next appointment, or to educate or entertain a client to minimize their perceived wait.  That there is someone to turn to who will take responsibility without blinking an eye and a person who will stand up for her team and won’t leave until the job is done.  We are fortunate to have many employees in our hospital that share some of these same qualities.  However, we would not have so many if it were not for a senior member such as herself that acts as a strong role model from which others can emulate.

November 2002: Lori Travers, Technician Assistant

This month’s employee began her employment here in 2002 and has worked hard to make a niche for herself on the team.  She had previous experience in the veterinary field, but like most people coming to our practice from another practice they quickly find out that a Countryside employee is given much more tasks and responsibility than most other practices in this area.  This is because we believe in our employees and try to challenge them to be all that they can be to keep their job rewarding to them.  She accepted those challenges from day one and continues to search for more challenges like a sponge.  Here is what some of her co-workers have to say about her:

‘This employee is just a great person to work and be with.  Her gentle and compassionate personality belies her fierce determination to learn more and develop her skills.  In a short time, she has learned how to perform many difficult tasks and one often hears her say.  “Oh, do you mind if I try that?”

She takes great care for her patients and most importantly, never hesitates to ask a question if something doesn’t seem right.  In fact, asking questions is one of the ways that she has learned so much and become such a valuable employee.  She isn’t afraid to admit she doesn’t know something and that is exactly why she has come to know so much!’

‘I called Ms. Bienek today, (Tuesday, November 19, 2002), for a callback and she told me that her dog Molly had met Lori (the employee) today and that she just loved the rapport that Lori (the employee) had with her dog.  (The employee) Lori took time to talk to Molly and she immediately felt comfortable and went with her willingly, wagging her tail!’

October 2003: Dee Hoyt, Groomer

This employee has been with the hospital for many years.  There was a time she had left us for a short while, but she never really left us.  She was always there when we needed her and would come in if we called her and needed her help.  She referred to us another long-term employee who is also a well respected team member and has also done wonders for their department.  She has recently added more hours to her schedule and this was thrilling news to the staff.  She is friendly, outgoing and always wears a smile.  She can talk to anyone, clients and staff, and make them feel like she is their best friend, because she is genuine and real.  Her clients request her by name because she has endeared them so strongly to the practice and because she is a team player.  She supports the other members of her department by talking highly of them to clients and staff, by mentoring them in her chosen career field through her actions and daily presentation, by supporting them when they need her, and by rearranging her schedule to come in when the hospital needs her.  Her clients are not just the humans, but also the pets.  The pets really remember her.  They show up tails wagging and eyes bright and happy, looking forward to their long afternoon in her care as she fluffs and buffs them and treats them with respect.  She is never harsh in her words, is always gentle mannered and kind and truly believes that if the pet is not cooperative it is because they are scared or not trained to grooming and does not take out her frustrations on them, rather calls the client and recommends ways we can minimize their pet’s stress in order to achieve the desired grooming results.  She is completely professional but includes the staff also in her personal achievements and plans which makes you feel like you are part of her family.  She is truly part of our family and we look forward to working with her many more years into the future.

September 2002: Cyndi Clark, Client Relation Specialist

This month we honor a person whose hard work and dedication sometimes goes unnoticed due to her humble nature.  She is one of those people whom if you recognize her she will thank you, but she will quickly tell you, “Oh that’s just my job, but thanks.”  She started working here in April 1999.  She was with us for about a year and we were heartbroken when she left to pursue other avenues.  Approximately a year or so later she contacted us and asked if we had any openings and if she could reapply.  She had said that the grass was not greener and she missed this place.  She had always been an excellent employee and I believe was hired on the spot.  It proved to be an excellent decision, for she has not led us ever to regret that choice. There have many changes in her department lately and still she holds strong.  She continues to rise to the occasion, not only in training new staff but keeping her added duties and in many cases adding more to her plate.  She is relied upon to produce approximately 1200 letters a year to send to our new clients.  These letters are proofed before mailing so as not to have a patient or client name or address wrong and also so we don’t send one to a patient that is deceased.  Her attention to detail is impeccable. Every letter is accurate every time and that is an amazing task.  She is the first person in the history of the hospital who has been assigned that task, that we can boast who has this perfect record.  Some have described her to be almost psychic at the front desk.  They say that she is a good communicator and team player and that they feel at ease if they are side by side with her because she is always one step ahead of them and can read their mind.  Topping this off is her always pleasant nature, and her infectious smile. She is a pleasure to be around and a friend to our whole staff. 

June 2003: Judi Wanamaker, Animal Care Specialist

This employee has been here a little over a year.  She is very hard working and dependable.  She comes to work ready to go, and if things are slow she asks for projects to keep her busy.  Being a “slacker” is not in this woman’s vocabulary.  She is pleasant always replying “yes” when asked if she can help no matter what the task entails.    This is her first job in an animal related field and she is a natural.  We get nothing but reports of good work done by this employee from all areas of the hospital: including the doctor staff, receptionists, technicians and her fellow ACS team members.  A particular Saturday shift 6 months into her employment, her co-worker had called in sick.  Calls were made to try and add coverage to her department without success.  She never once complained.  She jumped right in, focused and took care of every pet that Saturday morning, never sacrificing excellent care for the many pets though there was only one of her.  Staff members kept checking on her only to find that she had things completely under control.  She never shies away from a client phone call, a staff question or request, or a kennel tour.  She is easily approachable, and her calm, caring demeanor shines through no matter what the hour or the shift.    Her reliability has yet to be challenged, as she even stayed home from a family camping trip to help cover hours on a busy holiday weekend. She continues to take on more tasks and excel in her department each day.  We look forward to her future with us as she further challenges herself as a Countryside Veterinary Hospital employee.

April 2002: Robin Briscoe, C.V.T., Inventory Manager

This month’s above and beyond employee has been performing at the above and beyond level for over 15 years.  You think she would be tired already, but nothing seems to slow her down.  She commutes a great long distance to come to work each day, and never fails to put in the extra time if she feels the hospital needs her.  Lately her team has been going through a staffing shortage.  She recently changed her flex schedule of 4 days a week, to 5 days by covering the out-patient technician shift on Friday mornings and afternoons.  She also increased her hours on Tuesday evenings to allow for a management team member to be on most nights during the week, for employee and client questions and concerns.  She teaches a very well thought out, informative, gazillion handout, heartworm class that is top notch, and fun to attend.  She is required only to teach this class twice in one year, but added a 3rd class this month, to try and reach all employees during this our usually busiest of heartworm season.  This week we had many boarders requesting dentals and other minor surgeries during their boarding stay.  We had to change the schedule a bit last minute and in order to accommodate a requested boarding dental that was going home today (Wednesday), she offered to do the dental on Tuesday when she was not scheduled in surgery, in order to provide the exceptional customer service for which she is famous.  Many clients are endeared to her as closely as they are to some of our doctors and they ask for her by name.  There is not a staff member that does not approach her with a question without the confidence that she will answer it completely, precisely, and in a manner that teaches the employee how to answer that question again on their own.  Although if you were to approach her another time with the same question, she would still answer it just as thorough and with the same smile and uplifting attitude.  She is darn good at her job and no one can deny that.  She gives it everything she has and even if she can’t give that day, she makes sure she doesn’t drop the ball.  With all of her accomplishments, certified technician, head surgery technician, purchasing agent, retail area middle manager, and long term, faithful friend to all who work here, we are fortunate to have someone so well respected by her peers and our clients on our team.

March 2002: Suzanne Sargent, Veterinary Technician

This month we honor an employee who is fairly new to our practice, but through her quiet grace, strong work ethic and fast learning skills, has fit in like a glove from day one.  Many employees have come to me on a weekly basis to comment in passing on what a great job she does, as well as send me email nominations for employee of the month consideration.  Some of the comments I hear are as follows…

The first is from a member of the reception team, “She is a great worker.  She is always busy and hasn’t been afraid to jump into a new hospital and get the job done.  She seems confident and competent to take on whatever comes her way.  When she joined the team it was like she had been here forever.  She is a great addition to the tech team and is well liked by everyone.” 

Another employee, a veterinary technician wrote, “I just wanted to take a minute to express my feeling on Suzanne…she is the best!  I can remember her “shadow day” like it was yesterday. There was a dog that came in who had ingested decon.  In a nutshell, the dog needed activated charcoal administered.  As we all know, this is not the cleanest or easiest process.  Suzanne gladly jumped right in to help me.  The process, of course, did not go smoothly!  We were both covered in the charcoal yet, Suzanne wore a smile the entire time.  I immediately earned great respect for Suzanne from that point on.  I was delighted to hear that we were persistent in “scooping” her up!  From her day of hire, Suzanne works with the utmost pride and grace.  She is continuously thriving to learn more information to succeed in her job.  Every chance she gets, she is asking to help with things she wants to know how to do.  She is the first to answer a “walkie-talkie” response.  When she is in need of help, she asks, “Can you show me how to do this?”, not “Can you do this for me, I do not know how.”  I feel as though she has been here for a year, not barely three months.  We are so fortunate to have this exceptional addition to Countryside Veterinary Hospital.  I am so proudly recommending Suzanne for the Above and Beyond Employee of the Month.” 

January 2002: Dr. Sean Sawyer, Associate Veterinarian

I received a very notes from two employees wishing that this months nominee be employee of the month.  They wrote their requests so well, that I thought I would use their words as the official “write-up”, because, again, their notes say it all…

“Gayle,  Just a little note to let you know that I think Dr. Sawyer should be Countryside’s next employee of the month.  I work with Sean every Wednesday evening, and he is constantly showing me that not only is he a wonderful veterinarian and great with the owners, but he also appreciates the employees.  On more than on occasion he has thanked me for doing something that I felt didn’t need a thanks, but it was great to hear it!!  He also is great to work with due to his sense of humor.  He is always making us laugh.  Like the time he got his new chair and was offering rides in it (after hours of course!).  I know other people agree with me.  Alice and I both recently had a pet euthanized by Sean. We both agree that he was very caring and compassionate.  He made a very hard day a little easier.  These are just a few reasons why I feel Sean should be our next employee of the month.”

Another employee wrote:

“Hi  Gayle:  I would like to nominate Dr. Sawyer for Employee of the Month.  Unfortunately on 12/26 I had to put my kitty down and I had asked Sean to do this for me.  I cannot find words to express the kindness, gentle manner, and sympathy he extended to me.  It made an unbearable situation for me almost bearable. I am sure that he generates these outstanding qualities to all of our clients as well as me, especially in these situations.  This hospital is very fortunate to have him on staff.”

December 2001: Mary Thresher, C.V.T., Kennel Manager

This month we recognize an employee who is fun loving, knowledgeable in her field,  and would give you the shirt off of her back if you needed it.  She has been in the animal related field for over 15 years and has devoted her life to the care of animals. She came to our practice with an associate’s degree in veterinary technology and over 9 years experience as a zookeeper.  She still stays active in this field by meeting once monthly with her friends from the zoo and has increased the knowledge of other CVH staff members by offering up her past experience and even taking Countryside staff members on cool behind the scenes tours of their favorite zoo creature exhibits.  She is kind, easily approachable, and fair in her decision making.  This quality has served her well since her promotion in December of 2000 to our Kennel Manager.    As kennel manager she has brought about many changes to our kennel that have resulted in smoother behind the scenes protocols hospital wide.  She instituted a VIP boarding program for the client who wishes to pamper their pet.  To date we have sold $__________ in VIP boarding packages and I’m sure that number will jump during the holidays in December.  Also, she started a hospital wide towel service, which makes the lives of the Animal Care Specialists as well as the surgery technicians and groomers much easier.  And she has been instrumental in promoting turkey dinners on Christmas and New Years for those pets who won’t get left-overs at home because it is with us whom they will spend their holiday.

As kennel manager she is in charge of a team of dedicated animal lovers, which is right up her alley.  Aside from her management skills her veterinary technical knowledge serves her well in assessing the condition and in administering treatment to her kennel boarding animals.  This unique marriage has endeared many of our veterinary clients to board with us knowing that they have a full-fledged triage nurse in their corner as a full-time manager in that department.  One of her most endearing qualities is that she not only wants to prove to the world her devotion to her craft, but never stops improving her skills for her own personal satisfaction.  When she transferred from the technician department to the kennel she was hesitant for only one reason.  She felt that she had taken a job as a veterinary technician assistant to gain knowledge to eventually take her veterinary technician certification examination. She would then earn the esteemed title of C.V.T, certified veterinary technician, which is an honor that we here at CVH praise our technical staff upon achieving.  She took the management position in the kennel, but vowed to herself that she would not give up her goal and dream of becoming a certified tech.  In January of this year, she took the test and passed!  Achieving her goal and making new ones every day.  She gives back her love of learning by helping others wishing to achieve her same goals by volunteering as a DEVTP preceptor, which means she is an in-house teacher for employees who want to take veterinary technician distance education classes to further their knowledge in the field.

November 2001: Melissa Campbell & Barbara Danecki, Inventory Team

This month we have a first, due the special working relationship of this month’s winners.  That’s right I did say this month’s winner’s’. 

Tonight we honor two employees that have been described to me as peanut butter and jelly, two peas in a pod, Batman and Robin, basically inseparable, without one the other could not shine.  They truly exemplify the saying that “you cannot light a torch to brighten another’s path without brightening your own.”  They both bring to their department their own unique skills that compliment each other so greatly that it is hard not to recognize their hard work every time you walk through the front of the building.  Not that they don’t cross over into each other’s skills because each do all aspects of the job, but that they are so well matched due to their strengths. One focuses on set up, cleanliness and display as another focuses on ordering products, paperwork and representatives.  Both meet on a monthly basis with their supervisor for area meetings to discuss ideas and numbers.  They take those ideas and numbers very seriously and are driven to bring their department to new heights.  They take field trips to area pet stores in plain clothes and absorb all they can from products that sell, to displays that catch eyes; And they bring it back to our office and make it work.  Their schedules allow them to be accessible to staff and clients and they make themselves easily accessible at all times for questions.  They recently attended a doctors meeting, constructing and delivering a retail presentation, which is an example of how they are strengthening the support of their department by reinforcing that they are here and they want to make a difference.  Recognition of their current skills aside, they are cross-trained in two other departments, reception and kennel.  They are willing to help when needed in their “old” areas of expertise, proving that they are one dynamic duo that believes in teamwork beyond the scope of just one department.  It is m