Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lee, DVM.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jennifer. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was raised in Southeastern Oklahoma in a rural community. At a very early age I knew I wanted to become a Veterinarian. I graduated from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. I immediately moved to Texas and began my professional career as an associate doctor in Wylie Texas. After 4 years I moved to a practice in East Texas. Early in my career I was a mixed animal practitioner which meant I did a little bit of everything from dogs, cats, horses, cattle, other small farm animals, whitetail deer, and even a few exotics. In late 2011 and early 2012 I began to think about practice ownership and found the practice for sale in Krum. The Krum community was small but close to larger cities. It provided an opportunity for growth and expansion. The practice was in a leased space and hd opened in 2005 so it was still a newer business with room for growth. The clinic was small and only had a staff of 2 people. I took a leap of faith moved my family to Krum and purchased the practice March 1, 2012.
It was a tough start to take a practice and make major changes and additions. The community was welcoming and we immediately loved living here. The clinic needed a lot of TLC and I made some big waves the first year by replacing and adding new employees, adding boarding and grooming services, newer equipment, and expanding medical and surgical protocols. The first year I worked long hours and at times questioned my decisions as the clientele was not used to my philosophy and practice style. I kept my chin down and worked hard as I knew my ethics, quality of medicine, and protocols were what was best for this practice and its patients. Slowly but surely it began to pay off and we really started to grow and stay busy.
Over the last 5 years, I have grown this practice more than 50% and now I am proud to say I have 7 full time and 3 part time employees. We have expanded so much that I began to work on another dream which was to build a new free-standing hospital. We are super excited about this next phase and we are on track to be in this new hospital by the end of 2017. I have a wonderful staff, fabulous clients, and a great community that has helped me reach this goal. It isn’t easy to go against the grain but when it is what you believe is the best for the patients you have to stand up. Our new hospital will provide additional space and room for continued expansion. It will hopefully allow me to also consider adding additional doctors over time.
Today we are still a rapidly growing hospital that focuses on 5 star patient care and client service. We offer very progressive medicine and surgery. We are a full-service hospital offering medicine, surgery, boarding and grooming. We pride ourselves on individual and personal attention and care. I treat each patient as if they were mine and help owners make the best choices by educating them on veterinary medicine.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Change is hard and I was a different doctor than the previous owner. We had some similarities but our practice style and general philosophies were very different. I was foreign to the existing employees and clients and my ways even though may have been better were not accepted in the beginning. It was tough at times to stick to my ethics, morals, and beliefs when it resulted in less business. I had to make a choice in hopes that with time and education of the clients and training of the staff they would also learn to believe and understand my why.
I also had to make a name for myself in the community. I was an outsider not growing up in this small town. I had to push my foot in the door and let them know I wanted to help the community and schools. Even today it is a bigger struggle to be a female professional and business owner. I had to earn the respect of many and had to prove myself over and over. It was important for me as a business owner to support the community and help as much as I could.
Slowly but surely, I began to see change and positive feedback. It still is a struggle but overall each day has been a forward step and I know see my hard work paying off. I am still reaching my goals and setting new ones and look forward to the future. I have come a long way from that little Oklahoma farm girl and I’m proud of where I am today.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Krum Veterinary Hospital story. Tell us more about the business.
Krum Veterinary Hospital is full service facility offering medical and surgical care along with boarding and grooming. We have state of the art hospital with the latest in technology and advances in veterinary medicine. We specialize in individualized patient care. No cookie cutter treatments or protocols. We educate clients on what is available and help them make the best choices for their pets.
We have a strong interest in Veterinary dentistry, internal medicine, and rehabilitation and pain management. We offer newer technology such as digital radiography, laser therapy, dental surgery, orthopedic surgery, orthopedic rehabilitation, advanced diagnostic workups, ultrasound, and nutritional consultations. We have a very experienced support staff with skilled veterinary technicians, exceptional client services representatives, and caring kennel attendants.
Our patients and clients are like family. I am most proud of our personal touch. We follow up with patients and clients to be sure that they are comfortable and are getting the results and reaching the goals desired. We also want to make sure we are doing things right and have answered all their questions and concerns. We strive to build long term relationships by being partners with pet owners. We help them make the best choices to increase the chances for long healthy lives for their pets.
Many people turn to us when they cannot get the desired results or explanations from other hospitals and Doctors. We are known for excellent medicine and explaining options. We are here before, during, and after the pet’s visit to help in any way we can. I think most of our clients understand the quality and value that we bring to Veterinary medicine.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I haven’t really thought about luck playing a big role in my life. I am lucky to have had a childhood and parents who taught me about hard work and honesty. They also gave me the freedom to dream big and didn’t hold me back from chasing those dreams. In this way I guess I was fortunate because some kids do not have this start or support.
I do feel blessed and feel that hard work and determination has gotten me a long way in life. Certainly, I am lucky to do what I love and be a successful Veterinarian. Not everyone can say they have become what they dreamed of as a kid. I have wanted to be a Veterinarian since I was about 4-5 years old. I never really dreamed of being anything else and focused my entire life on succeeding.
I think that many times we rely on luck and honestly your success or failure is a direct result of your individual efforts. No one else can really create your future you have play an active part in your destiny. You get out of life what you are willing to put in.
I do feel that luck played a part in me finding Krum. Until I stumbled onto this practice I never even knew Krum existed. I am fortunate to be a part of this great community. We are blessed to be able to work, live, and raise our son here. I am very thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given.
Contact Info:
- Address: Jennifer Ennis Lee, DVM
900 E. McCart St., Ste 300
Krum, Tx 76249 - Website: www.krumvet.com
- Phone: 940-482-7151
- Email: drlee@krumvet.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrumVeterinaryHospital/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrumVeterinaryH?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/krum-veterinary-hospital-krum
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC048OcvWcx6M_jBqYwQpZ6Q?view_as=subscriber
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