Meet Sarah Hilliard

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Hilliard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, what do you attribute your success to?
Veterinary medicine is a difficult profession. Working with non-verbal species and the guardians who love them under high stress and emotional circumstances takes its toll on the caregiver, and many of us were not taught the necessary skills to manage the stress and trauma that accompanies being a veterinarian, which often leads to burnout, compassion fatigue, and serious mental illness. After experiencing my own severe burnout and a serious mental health crisis early in my career, I left clinical practice for seven years, never thinking I would return to the hospital. When my two friends conceptualized PetVet365, I started thinking that perhaps things could be different for me, and for my patients. A lot of soul searching and therapy went into my decision to return to practice, and PetVet365 allowed me to do two things that have really changed my experience: 1) Advocate for and maintain transparency around my mental health and the boundaries I need to set to maintain it; and 2) A Fear Free environment for my patients, which trickles up to their guardians, to my staff, and back to me. Together, we help each other minimize fear, anxiety and stress in the practice, and set clear boundaries to ensure we are supporting both our patients’ physical AND emotional well-being. When the patients are cared for in this way, the guardians feel at ease; when guardians feel at ease, our team feels supported and appreciated.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As one of only FIVE Fear Free Certified Practices within 100 miles of Denver, we are excited and proud to provide an environment that helps alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in our patients. We’ve eliminated the waiting room, one of the most stress-inducing parts of a veterinary visit, and every patient and guardian is given their own private dog or cat suite, complete with a TV, couch, rug, toys, species-specific pheromones, and tasty treats. We’ve “de-medicalized” our exam rooms intentionally to help everyone feel at ease. We take additional time with each visit, and offer the best in class care, including advanced diagnostic tests and surgical procedures. We believe that EVERY pet deserves a diagnosis on day one, and we strive to make that happen with every appointment.

None of this was easy; there is A LOT that goes into Fear Free Certification, from hospital design to continuing education requirements of all doctors and staff members. It takes time to educate guardians on our philosophy, and why we don’t push our patients beyond their consent when they feel scared and panicked. We want pets and their guardians to know that vet visits don’t have to be traumatic or scary; that we are here to take the time, listen, and come up with a strategy that supports the physical AND emotional needs of their pet.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Half of our time would be in the city and half of our time would be spent in the mountains.

As a resident of Westminster, I’d show them the new Westminster Downtown area, where my hospital is located. We’d stop at Sweet Bloom coffee, and stop to see the art in the Fuse Box. Lunch would be at Vatos Tacos, and perhaps we’d catch a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Downtown Denver always has a ton to offer, and some of my favorite spots to take visitors include Meow Wolf, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Larimar Square (Corridor 44!), and Temaki Den (Five Points) would all be on the list.

If it were summer, we’d travel to Vail to do some hiking and camping; if it were winter, we’d spend the weekend in Winter Park on the slopes, making sure to hit up the mulled wine for apres ski after a long day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One person jumps to mind immediately – Dr. Andrea Johnson, one of the founders of PetVet365 and a dear friend of mine. I met Andrea 15 years ago, when we were both working for Banfield Pet Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Andrea has always been courageous, compassionate, and unwilling to settle for the status quo. She and our friend, Dr. Katie Smith, dreamed up PetVet365 using two simple concepts: 1) A place we’d want to take OUR pets; and 2) A place we’d want to work. As they starting listing all of the things that were important to good medicine and good culture, they started creating a practice model that felt sustainable and geared toward the future of both veterinary medicine and pet ownership. I didn’t think I’d ever venture back into clinical practice, and never in a MILLION years thought I’d own a practice; without Andrea’s encouragement, support, and belief in a better way, I wouldn’t have rediscovered the joy of being a practicing veterinarian, nor the sense of achievement in being a practice owner.

Website: www.petvet365.com/westminster

Instagram: petvet365.westy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjhilliard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetVet365DenverWestminster

Image Credits
Photographs by Heidi McNulty (https://heidimcnulty.com/)