Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Blake, Director Of Operations.
Hi Tania Blake, Director of Operations, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Access Veterinary Care is a small, privately-owned clinic located in Crystal, MN. We opened in 2018 as a fully walk-in urgent care veterinary clinic with the mission of increasing access to care. We intended to fill the gap between primary and emergency services while creating a space that welcomed everyone, regardless of their orientation, religion, race, economic status, or knowledge of pet care.
We started out small but quickly grew through word of mouth. The community has just been incredibly welcoming and supportive of us. We got to the point where people were lining up outside our doors hours before we opened, and we unfortunately couldn’t accommodate everyone. While COVID brought many challenges, it also prompted us to transition to an online same-day check-in system, similar to how many human urgent care clinics have a “save my spot in line” option. Clients now register online same-day from the comfort of their home, and receive a notification when we’re getting closer to their turn. Overall, this change has been far less stressful for pets, clients, and staff.
As we expanded, we also quickly realized there were a lot of community needs that we could help with. Since 2018, we’ve introduced several new services based on client feedback, including a Preventative Care Clinic day for those looking for quick vaccines or routine testing. We began offering spay/neuters, dentals, and more select procedures such as soft palate resections for our brachycephalic friends in need. We’ve also partnered with a traveling orthopedic surgeon and ultrasonographer to try and provide those kinds of services at more accessible prices. Additionally, we started offering externships to 4th year veterinary students, giving the next generation of veterinarians the opportunity to experience an accessible approach firsthand.
Pricing transparency and open budget conversations are also really important to us. Many of our prices are available online, and we’ve even included ballpark estimates for many of our surgeries. This gives clients the ability to shop around more easily. Every urgent care check-in includes a budget question as well, and our front desk team takes the time to go over costs and payment options with clients. Over the years, we’ve expanded those options in response to client feedback. We now accept several 3rd party payment programs, local and national grants, crowdfunding sources, and payment methods such as Cash App and PayPal. This really allows clients to choose the option that works best for them. We also list these resources on our website so people can explore their choices before they even arrive (myaccessvetcare.com/afr).
To us, accessibility also means practicing a spectrum of care. We’re so happy that this has become a larger conversation within veterinary medicine over the years. We do our best to tailor treatment plans to both the pet and the family, recognizing that financial limitations, time constraints, caregiving responsibilities, at-home care capabilities, and emotional capacity can all influence what is realistically possible. Our goal is to meet people where they are and provide the best care we can for the family as a whole.
Looking to the future, Access Veterinary Care will be merging with My Pit Bull is Family, a local nonprofit organization. We’ve been working together in some capacity since 2018, and they’ve been an incredible partner, helping with everything from securing funding for families in need to connecting clients with social services and other community resources. It has always felt like a really natural and rewarding partnership. Access will still be the friendly neighborhood urgent care clinic, but we’re hopeful that this partnership will allow us to further increase access to care, expand services, build out more financial options, and serve our community in even more meaningful ways.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
COVID certainly caused a lot of challenges for everyone. Especially as a walk-in clinic at the time – it was a lot of trial and error to make that work. There were a lot of days when we were short-staffed, and I’m sure many people would agree that those years were emotionally exhausting for everyone. There were also a lot of regulations on the services we could provide and how. I think one of the most difficult moments was having to do end-of-life procedures when owners could not be present. It was incredibly hard on the clients and staff. Fortunately, we had an outside space that we were able to turn into a place for end-of-life services, where owners could be present with their pets.
In general, veterinary medicine (especially in an urgent or emergent setting) is challenging. Staff witness heartbreaking situations on a regular basis and are expected to remain emotionally present for families who are experiencing some of the worst moments of their lives. As someone in a leadership position with a non-clinical background, I wish more people could see just how deeply veterinary professionals care about their patients and how emotionally invested they are in helping them.
I’ve seen team members come to work immediately after losing their own beloved pets, and spend the work day comforting families and guiding them through humane euthanasia or other devastating diagnoses. Their compassion doesn’t end when they clock out, and the emotional weight they carry is often invisible to those around them.
As you know, we’re big fans of Access Veterinary Care. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I think I included much of this in the initial question, but our clinic hours are as follows:
Mondays: Preventative Care Clinic. 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesdays – Saturdays: Urgent Care Clinic: Registration opens online at 8am. Clinic hours are 8:30 am – 6:30pm
Tuesdays – Saturdays: Surgery: We offer scheduled procedures for stable concerns (dentals, mass removals, etc.) and we take emergency surgeries from urgent care or from other referring clinics (same clinic hours as above).
While we’re primarily known as an urgent care clinic, surgery has become a significant part of what we do, and our definition of urgent care often extends into more emergent cases.
As previously noted, we also have many of our prices online, and we have a list of financial options online. We also recognize that we won’t be the right fit for every family or every situation. When that’s the case, we’re happy to connect clients with other resources like at-home euthanasia providers, appointment-based clinics, low-cost spay/neuter programs, free vaccine clinics, and other community services. Even if we can’t provide the care directly, we want to help families find the support they need.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Dr. William Frahm-Gilles is the clinic owner and has played an incredible role in not only developing Access Veterinary Care as it is, but also in supporting the community at large. He’s a passionate advocate for increasing access to care and is now teaching the next generation of veterinarians on how to take a spectrum of care approach.
Shannon Glenn, Executive Director of My Pit Bull is Family, has been a staunch supporter of Access since we opened. She has helped numerous clients in so many ways, whether through information on social resources or direct financial support. We’re excited to work with her even more closely in the future.
We also have to thank our incredible staff who are the true heroes of our story. Access would not be what it is without the passionate and caring people we have on our team. Every success we’ve had as a clinic has been built on the kindness, resilience, and teamwork of the people behind the scenes. We couldn’t be more grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myaccessvetcare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myaccessvetcare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyAccessVetCare/
