Pulse - September 2021 - 23

Jake Waas pretty much came of age
at Covina Animal Hospital. " It was
my after school, weekend type thing
for a while. I did mostly kennel
work in those days. My mom was
a veterinarian and my dad was a
client. They met and eventually got
married and had me. In 1995 they
bought the practice. "
When he was a college student, he
said, " my parents gave me a call and said:
'We're trying to plan our exit strategy.
What do you think about coming and
working at the hospital?' That intrigued
me because I always wanted to own my
own business.
" So after I graduated in 2014, I started
working in the practice. I did technician
work for quite some time. I also worked in
reception and in all the different positions.
I think that gave me a really good background
of the day-to-day and how things
work at the ground level. I slowly started
working more in management and in 2018
my parents fully retired. "
Leslie Boudreau began her career in
veterinary medicine as a 15-year-old
high school student who worked as
a kennel attendant. She was hired at
age 16.
" The practice did not have anybody
in management. So there was a vacuum
or void of things that a manager would
do. So I saw things that needed to happen
and I did them. When the doctors
saw that there was a need for supervision
of staff - and I was taking on that role -
that got me promoted into a management
position. I was just taking on tasks that
nobody was doing. "
Leslie went to tech school to become
an RVT, not because she was interested in
working in medicine but because of her
interactions with clients. " I needed to validate
the medical experience I had, " she
said. " People would say, 'Well, just let me
talk to the doctor.' I didn't work much as
an RVT in that practice. I became the person
who supervised the front desk and was
the overall manager. "
Jake was certified as a practice manager
by VHMA in January, about the time he
hired a practice manager, Shandell Maxwell,
to help him manage the business.
" She loves the day-to-day side, the people
development and working closely with
our clients and our team. I enjoy wearing
the owner hat, strategic planning and
working behind the scenes. " His role
now is that of hospital administrator. His
mother, Dr. Annette Ortmayer, remains
the practice owner.
Jake said that he wants to build a culture
of sustainability and balance at the practice
that will allow doctors and employees
to pace themselves and build good work
habits. " I have seen the toll and the stress it
takes to be a veterinarian. I saw it first hand
with my mom. I think it's really important
to build a strong culture where people
enjoy and love coming to work - one
where we support one another in a learning
organization. "
The practice now has six veterinarians
and 30 staff members.
She got the title of practice manager
about two years before she left to be
home with her three young children. She
returned to a veterinary hospital eight years
later in 2008 as practice manager at the
Animal Hospital of Huntington Beach.
Her role today " really is that of the hospital
administrator, if you looked at the
job description. But because I'm a certified
veterinary practice manager, I feel like
I'm a practice manager. That's my certification.
I've kept the title of practice manager
because I feel like most of the clients
understand what a manager does vs. what
an administrator does. "
The practice manager is kind of the go-to
person in a hospital, she said, " the person
who knows the things that staff has questions
about. That's what propels you forward. "
Leslie said that her hospital " has grown
exponentially since I've been there. It's
now eight veterinarians and 50 staff. When
I started it was four veterinarians and 26
staff. So we've doubled in size. " P
PULSE
SEPTEMBER 2021
23
Pulse - September 2021

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