Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
Bringing Together -
Local Businesses & Your Neighbors in SWFL
Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
EP# 154 - Unveiling the Heartbeat of Veterinary Passion with Dr. Kimberly Greene
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be the beating heart of a veterinary hospital? Join us as we sit down with Dr. Kimberly Greene, the inspiring force behind Sandy Paws Veterinary Hospital in Estero, Florida. Dr. Greene shares her compelling journey from biochemistry student to veterinary maven, all while peeling back the curtain on the day-to-day operations of a thriving small animal practice. From routine check-ups to urgent care, Dr. Greene and her team are devoted to ensuring the health and happiness of our four-legged family members, with a focus that’s firmly on cats and dogs—sorry, reptiles and farm animals, you’ll have to sit this one out!
With Dr. Greene at the helm, Sandy Paws is more than just a clinic; it's where compassion meets expertise. Throughout our conversation, the depths of her experience in both corporate practice management and pharmaceuticals come to light, painting a portrait of a veterinarian who’s seen every side of the industry. Her story is one of resilience, passion, and the pursuit of a dream—a journey punctuated by personal challenges that ultimately led to the creation of the beloved Sandy Paws. Tune in to hear how Dr. Greene’s tale unfolds and find inspiration in her unwavering commitment to both animal welfare and the local community she serves.
Sandy Paws Veterinary
Dr Kimberly Greene
19527 Highland Oaks Dr, Suite 204
Estero, FL 33928
(239) 799-1011
info@sandypawsvets.com
WEBSITE
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.
Speaker 2:Welcome Good Neighbors to episode number 154 of the Good Neighbor Podcast to Estero. Today we have Good Neighbor Dr Kimberly Greene from Sandy Paws Veterinary Hospital Doctor welcome.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Always good to get to know people here in our community locally and understand what they do. So I know you're a veterinarian in the hospital but, can you share with our listeners a little bit more about what you do?
Speaker 3:I am the owner and veterinarian of Sandy Paws Veterinary Hospital. We opened February 1st in Estero Florida in the Highland Oak shops near Miramar Outlets. We're a general practice. We don't have any overnight care, er, but we are. You know the standard things routine veterinary care, vaccines to heartworm testing, to if you're sick, like urgent care, vomiting, diarrhea. We do have dentistry in the building. We do have surgery for, you know, spays, neuters, mass removals, the standard things. You know, it's all general practice preventative care, wellness, senior visits, puppies, kittens. You know the gamut.
Speaker 2:All kinds of things.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we are a small animal, though we are cats and dogs only. I don't practice on any reptiles and I don't do large animal.
Speaker 2:Right, you have to say that nowadays because many people have those right, yeah, so let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in veterinarian care?
Speaker 3:I have been a practitioner, for I graduated vet school in 2001 from Mississippi State, and so my bachelor's degree is in biochemistry. And so I went to undergrad at University of Tampa and then I went to veterinary school at Mississippi State, and so, basically, you know, many, many moons ago, you know, like everyone else, I loved animals. I felt like originally it was going to be something in the science field based around biology, and then it just led me down the path of veterinary medicine.
Speaker 2:Very nice. So we've all had some type of challenge or maybe obstacle along our journey that you know we can look back at now and say you know, not necessarily glad I went through it, but you know I'm in a better place because I went through it, whether personally or professionally, and absolutely positively. Starting your own business is one of them. So is there something that you went through that we could look back at?
Speaker 3:Oh, that's hard to say because I've had lots of steps. I mean, again, I've been practicing since and I've had all different fields of practice. I worked in small animal practice when I first got out of vet school. I then also have worked for multiple corporate practices. I have also been the managing DVM for two different corporate practices. I after basically I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that. We've moved several times.
Speaker 3:We went from Apollo Beach, from where I'm from, to then we went to the Keys and in the Keys I was managing a veterinary practice there and decided that in basically around 2013, 2014,. That I kind of just after managing veterinary practices for so many years, being relief vet for so many years, working for others for so many years, I kind of wanted to switch gears. So I went into the pharmaceutical industry and I worked for Sowetis as a pharmaceutical, which is called a professional service veterinarian. But I moved to Minnesota from the Peoples and so we were there for five years as a professional service veterinarian for Zoetis, which is the largest animal health company, and I covered six states and had eleven hundred hospitals and some personal issues at home, which is here back in Florida. So we had to move back home at home, which is here back in Florida.
Speaker 3:So we had to move back home and I think that's how that led me here just because of, like, some family issues that occurred in 2018 that we did have to come back home in a hurry and my job was not transferable, and so I went back into veterinary medicine as a practitioner on the floor, running a larger practice in Naples, and then decided, okay, well, I've done this multiple times for others, but the last thing I could do before I retire is own my own, because I've kind of done everything. I've worked for others, I've worked for corporate, I've ran hospitals, I work for pharmaceuticals. There's not much left, and so that's why I'm owning now and just opened mys. There's not much left, and so that's why I'm owning now and just opened my own. This is my last hurrah before I'm done, so you've seen this business from a lot of different ways, a lot of different ways.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so, speaking of the industry, are there any maybe myths or misconceptions that we could clear up for our listeners?
Speaker 3:Misconceptions about veterinarians.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, the care in general.
Speaker 3:I mean I think the care in general over the last, if I looked back for from 20 years ago to the now, the care is so hugely different. The care 20 years ago till now is just no different than human medicine. It has evolved. You know 360 degrees. Pets are more. You know pets now are inside, pets go to groomers, pets wear clothes. You know they walk around outside in strollers. They're more considered a family member anymore and so the level of care and the level of what people want is different now. And I think the traditional look of veterinary medicine is different. It's evolved. It's not just I take my pet in once a year for vaccines and that's all I do. I think now people are much more in tune with their pets when they're sick and what the actual true care of owning whether it's a cat, a dog, it doesn't really matter is different now and the expectation of what they want in veterinary care is different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, people have become a lot more aware of their pets and their health issues you know, before it was kind of like, oh, they'll just deal with it. But now there's pet insurance. There's, you know, like you said, they're part of the family, so they're treated like part of the family.
Speaker 3:So the expectation for us is higher, right Like they want more communication, they want more time, they want all of the things right Lots of people want more than just give me some shots and send me on my way.
Speaker 3:They want explanation, they want understanding, they want higher level of care because they see that in human medicine right, they want to be on top of it. And so that you know, veterinarians has to stay in that focus of like providing the best care, providing fair and consistent care across the board and always offering these are my recommendations and then it's up to the owner to decide. But if you think truly that you know an animal needs blood work or x-rays or whatever it may be, that to go ahead and offer those things, because the clients now almost expect it or want like that kind of information and level of care now.
Speaker 2:Now. But outside of that, are you seeing any type of procedures or anything that are maybe, I would say, trending or becoming more prevalent than they used to be?
Speaker 3:I would say like certain types of like, for instance, in larger dogs. 10 years ago, 15 years ago, the conversation was like oh you're, you know, if you have a large breed dog and I'm talking large breed, I'm talking Danes, you know, like these big, big, big, giant breed dogs. You know there was lots of conversation about GDBs, or gastric dilatation and volvulus, but it was more of a conversation of being not proactive, of just be aware that you may have this occur to your big dog. And now the conversation is more that's probably the one thing that's involved. A lot is the conversation now is more geared to should you do a prophylactic gastropexy to protect them or even in, like the brachiocephalic dogs which everybody has anymore Frenchies, bulldogs, you know the conversation a lot, lot of the times now is more about brachiocephalic breeds and should you be doing airway surgery on them and doing some changes for their anatomical benefit.
Speaker 3:That wasn't a thing 10 years ago. Like you know, that was very rare. You're only doing it because they were, you know, having issues, not because you're prophylactically trying to prevent issues.
Speaker 2:Yep, so interesting Medicine evolves just like everything else in technology.
Speaker 1:So I know owning your own practice is very demanding.
Speaker 2:So I know owning your own practice is very demanding, but outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
Speaker 3:Well, I live in southwest Florida and I came back here again because we you know I was from Apollo Beach so grew up living on the water and on the beach, and then we went to the keys even more beach not really beach, but more water more island, and so and then when we moved back, we moved again close to the beach. I mean, I love the beach, I love the water, I like being outside. I'm a true Floridian. I was born and raised here, so it's very rare that you meet any of us but, I love the outside Like I don't mind the heat.
Speaker 3:I'm from you know.
Speaker 2:I'm with you, bring it on.
Speaker 3:I just love like outside, like I think the beach is beautiful and I could be at the beach all the time. But I, you know, do I get? I get to go to the beach not as often as I would like, but um, and then I'm with my family. I have two kids and a husband, so, like outside of there I'm traveling, or with my husband. I do have a son that goes to prep school in Massachusetts for a competitive sport, so we travel a lot to watch him play.
Speaker 2:Wow, so you are truly busy yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm very busy.
Speaker 2:So what is one thing you wish our listeners knew about Sandy Paws that maybe they're not aware of?
Speaker 3:I think that the biggest thing that sets us out is my approach to veterinary care. There's a lot of veterinarians and there's a lot of hospitals. I mean it's a competitive market. But I think my approach is a little bit different one because I'm not a corporate practice. I mean, I'm a standalone private practitioner in a very small space, but we do a really good job at what we do. But I think it's really I spend a lot of time in the exam room.
Speaker 3:Most clinics are 15, 20 minute appointments it's as many as they can get in and then get out and I have run those practices and I understand that practice. But my, my appointments are 30 minutes to an hour Cause I spend a lot of time in the exam room. I spend a lot of time with the owners, with communication and like learning and trying to guide them and giving them tons of pamphlets and brochures and conversation about you know what we're going to do and move forward. And I I have longer visits because I want it to be a different experience. I don't want it to feel like you're rushed in and out. I tell people like, hey, when you're coming in here, be prepared Like you're. It's not going to be a quick in and out like make sure you have the time, um, because I'm going to spend a lot of time with you going over what my thoughts are and what my recommendations are for you and your pet moving forward, that's perfect.
Speaker 2:You're not just a number, you're providing true personal care, which is rare nowadays and like when you call here you're going to talk to, like my.
Speaker 3:you know I have a very small staff. You're going to get to know them. You know it's not a rotating door. You're going to get to know me, know them. You know it's not a rotating door. You're going to get to know me. I email all my clients personally. We check in every day after they come in just to see like how the visit went and what they thought. And, you know, go over some stuff. If you've done any type of diagnostics, you're going to get a call from me. You're going to get an email from me. So there's a lot of communication that goes into what I do.
Speaker 3:But it is a different look. It's also a different feel in here. I mean, you as listeners can't see it, but it is a different feel. You should come in and feel warm and welcome. It should feel like a living room. It kind of looks like a living room in the lobby. You should get a good experience. It should smell good, it should look good and you should have just a different experience. I want it to be more like a positive experience versus a negative one.
Speaker 2:That's what it's all about. So how would our listeners go about getting a hold of you if they had some questions?
Speaker 3:They could easily call. We're open 8 to 530 up front. You could call Sandy Paws and talk to their CSRs and they could put it through to me or leave me a note or a message to get back to somebody. If they want an appointment, they can easily call and get an appointment with me. We're here, Monday through Friday.
Speaker 2:Very good, any last words for our listeners?
Speaker 3:No, I mean welcome. It is different. You have lots of choices out there and it just really is. What are you looking for and what is your idea of partnership with your veterinarian?
Speaker 2:Very good Doctor. It's been a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for being such a good neighbor and I hope to see you out in the community soon.
Speaker 3:Okay, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPestero. com. That's GNPestero. com, or call 239-296-2621.