Petplan pet insurance hosted its annual Veterinary Excellence Awards dinner on February 2 at the Four Seasons Orlando Resort, naming six veterinary professionals—and one exemplary pet parent—2018’s winners.
The event, held in tandem with the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), capped off a day that included a continuing-education speaker series called the Business of Medicine Conference, which was also hosted by Petplan.
This year’s winners impressed the judging panel with the quality and variety of their services, commitment to their teams, passionate pursuit of continuing education and dedication to improving the lives of animals in their local communities.
The winners announced at this year’s gala were:
Practice of the Year
Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Fort Collins, Colorado
Veterinarian of the Year
Dr. Thomas Newland, Adobe Animal Hospital, Scottsdale, Arizona (pictured above with presenter Dr. Ernie Ward – right)
Practice Manager of the Year
Amanda Inman, Pet Care Clinic of Kokomo, Inc., Kokomo, Indiana (pictured here with presenter Tracy Dowdy – right)
Veterinary Technician of the Year
Jamie Rauscher, Animal Hospital of Towne Lake, Woodstock, Georgia
Receptionist of the Year
Rebecca May, Town N’ Country Animal Hospital, Burlington, North Carolina (pictured here with presenter Robin Brogdon – left)
Pet Parent of the Year
Danny Shelton, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman and animal health advocate
Nominees in each category were submitted by both professional peers and clients, and then each completed a rigorous application process to accept their candidacy and advance to the semifinalist and finalist rounds. The judging panel included North America’s most talented veterinary professionals, several of whom are award winners from past years.
“I’d like to extend a warm congratulations to each of this year’s winners,” Petplan co-founder and co-CEO Natasha Ashton said. “It is an honor for all of us to witness and celebrate the work they do, whether it is saving a life in the middle of the night, soothing an emotional pet parent, supporting their team’s success or driving education and innovation in veterinary medicine. These are the people on the front lines doing the hands-on work to help our beloved pets live longer, healthier lives. Not only do they each deserve an award, but they all deserve a heartfelt ‘thank-you’ as well.”
Now in its seventh year, Petplan’s Veterinary Excellence Awards celebrate the important work of America’s veterinary professionals, who go above and beyond providing pets with exceptional care and clients with outstanding customer service. Each year, Petplan gives each Veterinary Excellence Awards winner a $1,000 prize, plus a $1,000 donation to their animal charity of choice. This year, Petplan doubled the donations, for a total of $12,000 distributed to worthy nonprofits.
To learn more about the 2018 winners or to nominate a pet health hero for the 2019 Awards, visit Petplan.com/vet-awards.
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