Veterinary business and clinical leaders are integral in driving the success of an organization or hospital. They not only advocate for excellence and innovation but also prioritize maintaining high standards of care for animals. Together, these leaders propel advancement, advocate for best practices, and safeguard the integrity of the veterinary profession.

Various veterinary businesses, organizations, and hospitals recently announced new promotions and appointments. The following individuals are among those making career advancements:

David Sturrus, chief client officer of Banfield Pet Hospital

In a newly created role for Banfield Pet Hospital, based in Vancouver, Washington, David Sturrus has been named the chief client officer of the veterinary hospital network. According to a news release, Sturrus brings 20 years of experience in customer and growth strategy to Banfield.

 In this role, Sturrus will work directly with the organization’s senior leadership team.

"As a passionate pet owner myself, I look forward to having the opportunity to strengthen the client and associate experience so that we can support pets in new, innovative ways and at all stages of life," Sturrus said in the release.

 "This includes enhancing offerings like our signature Optimum Wellness Plan and evolving how and where care is delivered to better meet the needs of pets and the people who love them."

"As we look to expand our impact to deliver quality care to more pets and more clients, I'm thrilled to welcome David to this newly created role to help transform the partnerships we build with pet owners and our caring hospital teams," Mony Iyer, president of Banfield Pet Hospital, said in the release.

Peter Selover, president and chief operating officer of Sage Veterinary Imaging

The previous CEO of Exubrion Therapeutics, Peter Selover, transitions into a new role at Sage Veterinary Imaging (SVI) in Round Rock, Texas, as its president and chief operating officer. According to the company release, Selover will assume responsibility for SVI operations including management, human resources, finance, and veterinary outreach.

 SVI founder, Jaime Sage, DVM, MS, DACVR, will maintain her role and in providing high quality veterinary imaging.

“We are all very excited to welcome Pete to the team. By assuming the business management of the imaging centers, I’m able to focus exclusively on maintaining the highest standards of care in providing human-quality imaging to our patients, and training the next generation of veterinary radiologists,” said Sage in the release.

“My passion is to build successful businesses and work with talented, motivated people in achieving success. Dr Sage and her team are meeting the growing need for higher quality veterinary imaging. My addition to the team will enable her to be laser-focused on excellent patient care. She has a vision for the practice to always push to a higher level of veterinary radiology. I’m excited to be part of the team,” Selover said.

Philip Fox, DVM, MSc, DACVIM/ECVIM (Cardiology), DACVECC, chair of the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s Caspary Research Institute

Philip Fox, DVM, MSc, DACVIM/ECVIM (Cardiology), DACVECC

Philip Fox, DVM, MSc, DACVIM/ECVIM (Cardiology), DACVECC, is a senior veterinarian, service head of cardiology, and Vincent Astor chair in comparative medicine for the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York, but was additionally promoted to the chair of the hospital’s Caspary Research Institute. In this role, he will lead teams of AMC veterinarians and clinical investigations to study naturally occurring diseases in pets.

“Through his accomplishments as a veterinarian, educator, and researcher, Dr Philip Fox has made important contributions to help advance veterinary medicine. This is one of the fundamental components of AMC’s founding mission,” said Helen M. Irving, RN, MBA, president and CEO of AMC, in a news release.

Fox has over 40 years of experience working in cardiology and research. After undertaking an internship and residency in cardiology at AMC, he transitioned to the hospital staff as a cardiologist. “In my new role at the Caspary Research Institute, I look forward to continuing to work closely with the veterinary teams at AMC to expand the hospital’s impact in the veterinary field through the contribution of clinical research,” said Fox.

Michael Black, chief revenue officer and general manager of consumables for BARK Inc; Michael Parness, chief marketing officer and general manager of Play for BARK Inc

BARK Inc, has announced the appointments of Michael Black as chief revenue officer and general manager of consumables, and Michael Parness as chief marketing officer and general manager of Play.

Prior to his appointment at New York, New York-based BARK, Black has held several roles in the chief executive level at companies including Paragon International Advisors, Outward Hound, Pet Accessories at Walmart, and PetLab Co, all within the pet industry.

Parness has 3 decades of experience in various consumer-packaged goods industries including high-level work with pet companies. He served most recently as the chief marketing officer of JustFoodForDogs.

“We are thrilled to elevate our leadership team with the addition of two proven leaders who bring a wealth of experience across the pet, e-commerce, and retail sectors,” said Matt Meeker, cofounder and CEO of BARK in a company release.

 “Michael Black will orchestrate our consumables strategy in both our direct-to-consumer and retail channels. Michael Parness will oversee our growth in the play category and ensure our brand reaches as many dog households as possible. Together, we believe these additions will be instrumental in raising awareness of our mission and driving multi-channel, cross-category growth.”

Banfield appoints first chief client officer. News release. Banfield Pet Hospital. April 10, 2024. Accessed May 3, 2024. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banfield-appoints-first-chief-client-officer-302113133.html

Sage Veterinary Imaging welcomes new president. News release. Sage Veterinary Imaging. April 29, 2024. Accessed May 3, 2024. 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e4dec9334a0ef12a0ea039b/t/6629823bc6fb12549a1f0dc8/1713996347173/Sage+President+release+FINAL.pdf

Schwarzman Animal Medical Center promotes longtime head of cardiology Dr Philip Fox to chair of the Caspary Research Institute. News release. Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. May 1, 2024. Accessed May 3, 2024. 

https://www.amcny.org/press/schwarzman-animal-medical-center-promotes-longtime-head-of-cardiology-dr-philip-fox-to-chair-of-the-caspary-research-institute/

BARK Strengthens Leadership Team With Appointment of Two Pet Industry Leaders. News release. BARK Inc. April 3, 2024. Accessed May 3, 2024. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240403587811/en/BARK-Strengthens-Leadership-Team-With-Appointment-of-Two-Pet-Industry-Leaders

Articles

Check out the latest news in the veterinary industry with these 5 recent position promotions

Paws and profits: Recent business and clinical appointments (May 5, 2024)

An online pharmacy that provides home delivery for clients has been launched by Bond Vet. The new BondRx service is available in regions where the company operates.

Through the BondRx portal, clients can fill or refill a prescription. Submitted orders will be

reviewed and approved by Bond Vet’s team, before being fulfilled and mailed to the client’s door. Prescriptions for monthly preventives, antibiotics, prescription diets and other therapies are handled by BondRx.

“We’re always thinking through how to better deliver convenient care to our clients—saving

them a trip to the clinic and automated medication refills solve a huge pain point,” Garrett

Lewis, CEO of Bond Vet, said in a news release. “This is yet another step in our reimagining of the veterinary clinic environment and network to better serve our clients and their pets.”

Bond Vet was veterinarian-founded in 2019 with a goal of reimagining the veterinary experience. The company operates clinics throughout the New York metropolitan area, as well as the Boston, Washington, DC; and Chicago areas. It offers clients same-day and walk-in appointments,

convenient hours, online appointment bookings, telehealth and a 24/7 pet parent helpline. With the launch of BondRx, the company aims to streamline the pharmaceutical purchasing process for thousands of pet owners.

Bond Vet introduces BondRx, its online pharmacy. News release. Bond Vet. April 29, 2024.

Bond Vet is now offering the service, which includes home delivery, to its clients.

New online pharmacy launches for clinic network

 readers! It is so hard to believe that is already May. As we continue to move month to month, that means we are getting closer to the rest of our Fetch conferences for 2024. We are heading to Nashville in less than 2 weeks, Kansas City August 23-25, Atlantic City October 14-16, and Long Beach December 6-8. All our upcoming conferences feature amazing faculty, keynote addresses, networking opportunities, and more! Check out our Fetch events 

 to secure your spot at your favorite Fetch conference today!

As for this week, here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

 the results of a survey it conducted that analyzed 301 companion and mixed animal veterinary professionals to get a better understanding of the pros and cons these professionals face.

s Australian correspondent Phil Tucak, BSc, BVMS, gave readers an inside scoop of the work being done at the Australian Synchrotron, plus what attendees can expect to learn at the upcoming Australian Veterinary Association’s annual conference.

, Katie Fish, DVM, sat down with our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to take a deeper dive into the importance of having a structured mentorship program in veterinary clinics

Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences investigators recently 

on the frequency of health conditions diagnoses in purebred and mixed-breed canines, finding it was mostly equal.

Are you considering switching from your current position into relief work? CJ Burnett, CExP, 

 the pros and cons of working as a relief veterinarian to give readers a better understanding of what this career would look like, from a financial standpoint.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

 that lactating dairy cattle will soon be required to be tested for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, more specifically type A H5N1.

Wrap up: Survey sheds light on the current state of the veterinary industry, and other news 

Facing the challenges of daily veterinary practice is exciting and complicated. You are a physician, surgeon, counselor, business owner, trainer, teacher, problem solver, and caregiver, navigating a constantly changing landscape, including compounded medications. Compounding opens wonderful possibilities, allowing you to customize treatment for your patients when a commercially available medication does not fit exactly what they need, such as a different strength, flavor or dosage formulation, avoiding drug allergies/sensitivities, creating a new form of a discontinued medication, and even combining 2 medications together for easier administration for certain patients.

As you consider calling in or writing a prescription for compounded medication for your patient, you may wonder...is the medication truly what it states it is on the label? Can you trust that it is safe, effective, and high-quality?

Find out if your compounding pharmacy is going above what is required and implementing the best practices by calling them and speaking to a pharmacist. This can help determine if they are familiar with the latest industry standards, and if they are taking proactive steps to meet and exceed them.

At a minimum, every compounding pharmacy must be compliant with the quality standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the 200-year-old scientific organization that provides the most comprehensive source of legally recognized medication quality and purity standards in the world. Your pharmacy must also be licensed to dispense or ship to your state and compliant with state and federal regulations.

Here is a list of questions you should ask your potential compounding pharmacy partner about what really happens behind the scenes.

Professionals need peace of mind that the pharmacy starts with the best quality ingredients. To maintain the highest quality medications, does your compounding pharmacy:

Purchase their raw ingredients from reputable manufacturers registered with the FDA.

Purchase ingredients that meet USP quality standards. For an ingredient to be labeled USP grade means that the results of analytical testing have met or exceeded the strict standards set by USP for that ingredient.

Require the manufacturers to provide a valid Certificate of Analysis

Schedule routine audits of manufacturers to assess their facilities and processes.

Perform their own testing on raw ingredients prior to using them for compounding.

To find out more about who is compounding your patients’ medications, consider asking:

Are compounding technicians nationally certified?

Do pharmacists and compounding technicians complete a hands-on training program prior to compounding?

Is each pharmacist and compounding technician required to pass an analytical test on each dosage form (such capsules, chews, tablets, oral suspensions, or transdermals) before they compound them to be dispensed for a patient?

Are they assessed on their knowledge of policy, processes, and procedures at least annually?

To determine that the compounding facility and its equipment meet safety and quality standards, ask about accreditation. Accreditation is the process by which a compounding pharmacy's quality is measured and determines that a pharmacy exceeds minimum standards in their quality and operations. This demonstrates their commitment to compliance, safety, and continuous improvement.

The gold standard of accreditation for compounding pharmacies is known as Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) accreditation. Top compounding pharmacies voluntarily choose to undergo this expensive and involved process.

PCAB accreditation shows that a pharmacy is dedicated to meeting the highest standards of quality and safety. Consider asking:

Is your compounding pharmacy PCAB accredited?

Does a pharmacist check every batch of medication at each phase of the compounding process every time?

How often are compounded medications analyzed by a third party to ensure that they accurately match the labeled strength before dispensing it to a patient?

Have new medications and dosage forms undergone research, development, and analysis? Be mindful of compounding pharmacies that offer significantly greater varieties of medications than similar pharmacies. Compounded medications that are less potent may not absorb as well as the approved commercial product, and medications that should never be compounded for transdermal use, such as antibiotics or medications may harm the skin or gastrointestinal tract.

How is a compounded medication’s beyond-use date (BUD) established? Does the pharmacy perform advanced testing to extend BUDs (e.g. stability studies)?

If the medication is a sterile compound (eye drops or injectable medication), does the pharmacy require a confirmed sterility report before dispensing the medication?

Is the laboratory environment continuously monitored and rigorously cleaned and sanitized to maintain safety and integrity?

Is the equipment and the facility up to date and third-party certified?

How do you start looking for a compounding pharmacy?

The best way to start is to look for PCAB-accredited pharmacies listed on the Accreditation Commission for Health Care website, choose “PCAB Compounding Pharmacy” under “Select Your Program,” and give them a call. A great compounding pharmacist will be quick to answer your questions, explain their process, and make sure you feel confident about the medication they prepare for your patient.

When FDA-approved medications are not an option in certain circumstances, you need a compounding pharmacy partner to help deliver the best possible outcome for your patient. Reasonable prices, fast and reliable delivery, and excellent customer service are always important, but ultimately you need the medication that you can trust.

The best compounding pharmacies hold themselves to a higher standard. They make sure each medication is safe and effective for your patients.

is a veterinarian at Chewy who has practiced small animal medicine for over 20 years and is a graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys preventative medicine, wellness care, dermatology, internal medicine, and palliative care. Her favorite veterinary experiences include working with Sheltie Rescue and Golden Retriever Rescue. In her personal time, Price enjoys outdoor activities and supporting the fine arts.

, is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy where he earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2014. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Quality Assurance for Chewy Pharmacy and has spent his career focused on compounding. His primary specialties are veterinary compounding, quality assurance, and pharmacy compliance. Muto enjoys hiking, cooking, and exploring new cities.

Here is what veterinary professionals should be discussing with a compounding pharmacy partner 

Is your compounding pharmacy pursuing best practices? 

Megan Chadwick, CVT, has extensive hands-on animal care expertise and throughout her career, excelled in supporting veterinarians across diverse hospital functions, particularly in patient care and educating clients. Her commitment also extends to the next generation of veterinary professionals as a veterinary technician instructor at Penn Foster and overseeing the Veterinary Academy within the Penn Foster Group. Veterinary education plays a crucial role in advancing the field, offering a multitude of pathways for individuals passionate about animal health and welfare.

Learn more about Megan Chadwick and her advice on education in this Q&A style interview:

Megan Chadwick, CVT, academic director of The Veterinary Academy for Penn Foster Group.

Can you please introduce yourself and what you currently do in veterinary medicine?

My name is Megan Chadwick. I am a certified veterinary technician and I'm also the Academic Director of the veterinary technician program and all the animal–related programs here at Penn Foster.

What got you interested in the educational side of the veterinary profession?

Education was something that I kind of stumbled upon, I never really had that in my career goals. I'm pretty introverted, so I never really saw myself on the educational side, like standing in front of a class or a crowd of people. After I graduated vet tech school, I worked in general practice for a number of years, [and] I loved it. But I also saw how underutilized vet techs were at that time, and that really pushed me to go back to school, because I wanted to do more, and I wanted to be able to provide an environment for other veterinary technicians to do more.

So, I went back to pursue a bachelor's in business. At the time, I was thinking I could further my education, become maybe a practice manager. So that way, I could have a team where I was able to increase the utilization at that hospital for veterinary technicians. But while I was in school getting my bachelor's, I actually got a job here at Penn Foster, and I really haven't turned back since. I've been here for 10 years. I love the education space. I love the mission of Penn Foster and what we do here. It's really a perfect mix of what I wanted to do with giving back to the profession and increasing awareness of vet tech utilization.

Can you discuss the various career paths available to veterinary professionals?

I could probably talk about this all day. I mean, there's so many paths, I think when people think about working in the veterinary field, they automatically think about working in general practice, which, is awesome, it's a great place to start, it has a lot of opportunity for growth.

At Penn Foster, we have a NAFTA approved Veterinary Assistant Program and that's really great for people who want to work in the field. For people who don't want to work in the field, maybe they're not ready to take that leap towards a college program or maybe that's just not the career path they want. They want to be a veterinary assistant, it's amazing. It's also really great for maybe somebody right out of high school; maybe they're still exploring their career options and they haven't really been exposed to the veterinary profession. We have a lot of students that are fulfilled with being a vet assistant. All the roles in the veterinary team bring value, and we need veterinary assistants to make the team work. There's not really any right or wrong ways to go. It really depends on the person in your career goals.

Our vet tech program is an associate's degree. I prepare students to work in a lot of different areas. As far as career paths, there’s a lot of options out there. Maybe in emergency medicine, working at a specialty hospital. But there's things that are not as common, like working with large animals, with horses or cows and other ruminants and poultry. There's exotic animal medicine or laboratory animal medicine, working with those smaller cutters, like rodents and rabbits.

Our associate's degree program is mainly focused on teaching students skills with small animal dogs and cats, but there's a good amount of information on that covers all animals. We have 2 externships in the program. There's one at the end of our second semester, and that one is working with small animals, basic vet tech skills, but there's a second externship at the end, and that’s the more advanced small animal skills, and you're also doing a handful of skills with large animals and laboratory animals.

As far as veterinary medicine, I find that a lot of us are lifelong learners. I think it's the nature of the field of veterinary medicine is always changing and proving. Being a credentialed veterinary technician is a very rewarding role. We have a veterinary practice management program as a certificate degree. And we also have a bachelor’s of applied science in veterinary technology and that's a completion degree. So those are 2 really great options for people that want to continue to grow in the career fields.

What are some tips for individuals looking to enter the veterinary profession?

Remember that everybody starts somewhere, I hear a lot of students or new people doubt themselves, that they don't have any experience in the fields or working with animals, I think you have to remember, we all started that way. We all started somewhere.

Dedicate yourself to learning…that's what's going to make you successful. And take advantage of every opportunity that you have. That's really going to help your success. Everybody's path looks a little different.

How can programs like Penn Foster Group be beneficial for individuals looking to enter vet med or up-skill their expertise?

I think there's a lot of benefits; the programs are flexible. I think a lot of people nowadays, especially with the economy, they're balancing working full time, maybe have a family, have a lot of other priorities going on. So it makes it difficult to find time to prioritize your education. With us being online, it gives opportunity to people that maybe wouldn't have it.

The academic director of the Veterinary Academy for Penn Foster Group shares her thoughts on veterinary education

Q&A with Megan Chadwick, CVT

Shelters United, a group purchasing organizations that allows animal welfare groups to purchase care products and supplies at discounted rates, announced it is developing a Veterinarian of Record Program. The first-of-its-kind program will work to increase access to care for shelter pets as well as boost relationships between animal rescues and veterinary professionals.

“Healthy veterinarian of record relationships enable animal shelters and rescues to fulfill their missions while maintaining good welfare for the animals in their care,” explained Terry Spencer, DVM, MEd, program director and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Florida, in an organizational release.

“Anecdotally, we frequently hear shelters and rescues complain that their local veterinarians do not understand their needs. We also commonly hear veterinarians complain that shelter and rescue leadership does not understand their concerns about how these relationships function. This study was the first formal attempt to explore these interactions so we could better understand what is leading to these frustrations between the partners,” she continued. 

According to the release, shelters rely heavily on a veterinarian of record (VOR) to provide care for pets in shelters waiting to be adopted as well as purchase prescription medications. At this point in time, there is no current VOR model to help the rescue organizations and veterinary professionals work together in a way that is productive and sustainable. 

“The Veterinarian of Record Toolkit will make an impact to the many rescues and shelters that struggle to find veterinary services for the pets in their care,” said Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities.

“The veterinary shortage experienced by shelters and rescues is partly due to many veterinary practitioners lacking familiarity working in shelter medicine. We’re proud to support this collaboration between Shelters United and the University of Florida to foster these mutually beneficial relationships. Moving forward, veterinarians will be better equipped to take on the rewarding work of animal welfare.”

The completion of the program will include a Veterinarian of Record Toolkit, an online education course and a state-by-state- resource directory. The toolkit was also put together with funding from PetSmart Charities.

First-of-its-kind veterinarian of record program will improve access to care. News release. Shelters United. May 2, 2024. Accessed May 2, 2024.

The Veterinarian of Record Program will also improve relationships between veterinarians and animal rescues 