New Facility / UNDER THIS ROOF


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“If you elevate and then build your new hospital, it will flourish because of all those evolutionary things you’ve already done.” —Brian Holub, DVM


It’s not a field of dreams Countryside Veterinary Hospital of


Chemsford, Mass., AAHA’s 2010 Practice of the Year, has undergone three major expansion projects during its 25-year his- tory. The most recent, in 2007, involved adding 5,000 square feet while completely renovating the existing 10,000-square foot structure.


Owner Brian Holub, DVM, and his then 55-member team overhauled everything from internal processes, such as phone answering and how clients were greeted and discharged, to workflow and space utilization, to how best to integrate new technology throughout their operations. Holub even went so far as to create


a working prototype exam room to see if the integration would work effectively. It did not. “We learned a lot from that trial,” he


says. “It was a failure, but, in reality, it was a big success because we figured out how to do it the right way and integrated what we learned into our new design.” Every staff member participated in the planning process and had the opportu- nity to share his or her suggestions. “Our people came up with great ideas,


and we included as many as we could in the design,” says Holub. “For example,


Trends magazine, September 2011


AAHA standards say you cannot have any food or beverage in your laboratory or treatment area. That meant we had to go all the way upstairs to the employee lounge when we wanted something to eat or drink.


“Our staff came up with the idea of placing a refreshment center in the hall- way between outpatient, surgery and X-ray. We got approval from AAHA, and our staff now [have] that convenience close to where they are working.” Holub says that building a new space does not ensure your practice will be taken to the next level. “It’s not the ‘Field of Dreams; if you


build it, they will come,’” he says. “It’s quite the opposite. Some feel if you build a new hospital, you will elevate your game. It’s the other way around. If you elevate and then build your new hospital, it will flourish because of all those evolu- tionary things you’ve already done. “It’s really a great staff that makes


for a great practice,” Holub concludes. “You put an excellent staff in an excellent building, and those stars can shine even brighter.” 


Jack Sommars is an award-winning Denver-based writer.


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