Back in January, 2016 was trending. People were posting their 2016 pictures, and reflecting on 10 years. As usual, I’m behind in doing the trendy thing, but I’m finally getting around to it! (It’s not unusual for me to be behind on trendy things. I got rid of my boot cut jeans just in time for them to come back in to style!) June 1st 2026 marks 10 years since I started as a veterinarian at Highland Pet Hospital. In light of my upcoming 10 year anniversary, I’m going to rewind the clock and reflect on the last 10 years.
2016 was the year that the new building, our current building, opened. Many long term clients probably remember the old building. It was a house converted to a veterinary clinic. Lovingly we refer to that building, and that era, as “Old Highland". The new building and I started operations on the same day. I had graduated veterinary school in 2015, and had been working at a clinic closer to Champaign. I liked my first job, it was a good job for a new graduate. I learned a lot during that year. That clinic was also an old home converted to a veterinary clinic, so in some ways I got to enjoy the “vet-clinic-in-a-home" aesthetic too!
The first year in the new building was wild. We opened the new building before the old building was demolished, so there was no parking lot. The current parking lot sits on top of the old building’s location. Clients and staff parked out on the street, and we had greeters who sat under a tent (we called it the cabana) to escort our patients from the street, past the old building, and into the new building. If you remember the days before the old building was demolished, raise your hand in the comments! While I never worked in “Old Highland" I did an externship during veterinary school, and my husband (Dr. Josh) had been working at Highland for 1 year. I feel blessed to have those connections to “Old Highland." Despite growing beyond the old building, we’ve striven to keep the values that have always been part of Highland’s history: Healing, Health, and Hope. Dr. Ekdale was an exemplary mentor to both Josh and to me. His community involvement, love for people, attention to detail, and love for the veterinary field remain pillars of Highland Pet Hospital and the Animal Emergency Clinic. The role that Dr. Ekdale has played over the years in providing healing, health, and hope and his massive impact on all of us (including those who never had the opportunity to work with him) should not be overlooked!
During my early years people would often remind me of their credentials. “we started coming here when Dr. Smith still owned it" or “we’ve been seeing Dr. Ekdale for years". Considering Dr. Ekdale bought the practice the year I was born, they had the right to remind me of their established timeframe as clients of Highland Pet Hospital. Their longevity far exceeded mine! I was, after all, quite young! During one memorable occasion a client I had been talking to on the phone met me in person and literally laughed at me because I was so young. Ten years and three kids later, people no longer question my age!
In 2019 the Animal Emergency Clinic of McClean County moved from its former location to share a facility with Highland Pet Hospital. It was a team effort! Representatives from both practices came together to make the transition as easy as possible for the staff, other veterinary clinics, and for our patients. 2019 was also the year I welcomed my first son! Zach will be 7 years old this year! The transition to being a working mom is not to be downplayed! At the time Highland still saw Saturday appointments. The Highland team and the Animal Emergency Team would each be open and seeing their own appointments simultaneously. Occasionally Dr. Josh and I would be scheduled at the same time, and our son, Zach, would come to work with us! He had a little bouncer he would sit in in the office area where all of the staff was able to keep an eye on him.
Then came 2020. Oh 2020. What a time. In March of 2020 Josh and I were both working a Saturday shift, our 9 month old baby was at work with us, and we were wondering how the news about this global pandemic was going to impact us. Little did we know, it was the last Saturday Highland would see appointments, and we were about to learn just how great the impact would be! Initially we cancelled everything that was not an emergency. I cut my hours WAY back to stay home with my baby, and Josh worked exclusively emergency. That couldn’t last long! So, we came up with ways to social distance. We worked on “teams" and had “zones" so we worked with the same people, trying not to cross contaminate. It’s hard to remember just how different life was! Curbside medicine changed veterinary medicine in ways we could never have imagined. We did our exams in rooms with patients, while their owner’s watched on ipads from their cars. If you ever watched your pet’s exam from an ipad in your car, thank you for still being with us today! We had parking lot attendants who made sure people and animals were safe and cared for in their cars, and kept all of the ipads plugged in and charged. People drove off with ipads on their car roofs, and our parking lot attendants wore duck shaped raincoats when it rained. Even in the challenges, there are good memories!
So, 2016 to 2026. 10 years. What have I learned? (what haven’t I learned...). I’ve learned a lot, but there is one thing that I do think changes how I approach each case. I’ve learned to remember that what may be routine for me is often brand new for a pet owner. Even if I’ve treated many ear infections, the owner is experiencing it for the first time with their one pet.
I’ve also learned the importance of grace. Grace is undeserved favor. A free gift of forgiveness. Veterinary medicine is stressful. Myself and my coworkers are tasked with quickly and efficiently providing compassion and high quality care to our patients. That is a hard obligation to fulfill. To give someone grace is to release the right to hold a grudge. I can’t say that I do this perfectly, but in the past 10 years I have learned that holding grudges, resentment and anger is a quick way to burnout. To being crushed under the weight of resentment. Grace is a way of releasing people from their debt, and from your obligation to keep track of that debt. Grace is sustainable, resentment is crushing.
2016 kicked off a journey, and I’m thankful for all of it! The good and the bad! Here’s to the next ten years! (and hopefully no more pandemics!)