Our Mission

Patient-Centered, Fear Free Workflow
Each surgical and patient care staff member who encounters your pet has been Fear Free Certified. The surgical team pays careful attention to how the patients present on surgery day to ensure we design a welcoming and safe experience for our patients. Some patients are relaxed and happy when they arrive on surgery day, while others will look over their shoulders for one last peek of their owners before disappearing behind hospital doors.

After our anesthesia director examines your pet, he will approve an individualized daily anesthetic plan, ensuring the patient is comfortable and pain-free throughout the stay. The patient care team will choose the hospital suite most conducive to your pet’s personality and post-surgical needs. Some patients prefer the company of other patients around them, while others prefer more privacy. Some patients are fans of the opposite breed, and others…’ not so much.’ Some patients like a glass front cage, while others want a small fort to hide under. Because our patients do not talk, we rely on the keen observation skills of our staff to speak for their patients and provide for their every need, even before they know it is needed.

Anesthesia Director
Each patient has an individualized anesthesia plan reviewed and approved by our anesthesia director. Not every hospital has this separate service, yet it is as critical to the care and comfort of patients in veterinary medicine as it is in humans. The anesthesia director is responsible for much more than just “putting the patient to sleep.” This doctor must also supervise the work of the anesthesia technicians to ensure vitals are adequately monitored during procedures, and that post-operative pain is managed. The anesthesia director is trained to utilize advanced methods in anesthesia, such as ultrasound-guided nerve blocks and multi-modal anesthesia, to help make patients as comfortable as possible during and after procedures.

Inside Exam Room or Outside Exam Room. You Choose
From intake to discharge, we look at the workflow from our patient’s perspective. In 2016, before COVID was part of our vernacular, we designed an outdoor exam room, knowing that some patients are more comfortable and less anxious when not confined to the four walls of an exam room. We have also observed that clients feel we are more accessible and approachable without the barrier of the traditional exam table between us.

After our patients go home, we must also rely on the pet family to follow the recovery plan and flag any issues when/if they arise. Clients who feel comfortable calling us trust that we have the best interest of their patients at heart and share openly and freely. That bond began from the first conversations where the surgeons got to know you and your patient in the setting that made you and your pet most comfortable, whether inside or out.

Please note that clients who choose to come inside are limited to two people per pet family. Outdoor exams can accommodate more. 

Highly Skilled, Certified Registered Veterinary Technicians at every point in the workflow.
Every technician who works in our surgical hospital is licensed. That means the technicians have attended school to be professionally trained as veterinary technicians and have passed a licensing exam by the state. From surgery intake through patient care. An NC-licensed veterinary technician will prepare your patient for surgery, run anesthesia in the OR, transfer your pet into patient care, administer post-surgery medications, and take complete responsibility for your patient’s care until the ER overnight. Doctors and their teams monitor your patient through the night. Each registered technician has taken additional training to be RECOVER Certified in both basic and advanced CPR and has been certified Fear Free certified.

24-Hour Care
Your patients are not alone during the evening.  Veterinary Emergency Care, located in the same building, is responsible for the overnight treatment and monitoring of our surgical patients. There is an emergency doctor on-site at all times during the evening. Our staff comes in at 7:00 am to round with the ER team and discusses the status of every surgical patient enabling us to update the surgeons to determine appropriate discharge times.

Patient Care Suites
Every suite is customized to help your patient feel both comfortable and secure. The hospital has thick foam mats, orthopedic beds, and various bedding choices. Some patients prefer heavier-weight blankets tucked around them by the patient care staff, while others prefer lighter bedding that can be independently moved around by the patients.

Although you are welcome to bring your food, many patients are not hungry after anesthesia. We will always offer an additional meal choice prepared in our back kitchen because sometimes something new and different might seem like just the right thing (at least until they get back into their home routines).

Customer Service Your Way
You still get humans when you call our office. Our client service team focuses on “one client at a time,” ensuring your expectations are managed at every step. We understand that it starts with making sure you feel heard and are transparent about what is expected of you and us. While we aren’t always able to give you the answer you want, you will always get a response. Clients are free to call anytime to get an update on the status of their pets. Our Customer Service reps will put you in contact with the triage technician.

Our digital workflow ensures you can electronically sign paperwork before your visit, and even deposits can be made in advance. However, we are all individuals, and some people, both young and old, prefer paper, and we are more than happy to comply with those requests. No judgment here. You do you.

Collaboration with the Patient: Our patient-centered, Fear Free workflow* puts the patient first in all things we do. From our outdoor exam rooms to post-surgical suites, we customize the visit to ensure each patient feels secure, safe, and comfortable.

Collaboration with the client: Each client represents a different life stage, lifestyle, budget, and family dynamic. We understand and respect that. Our job is to advocate for our patients while understanding that the solution must work for the family as well. We provide our clients with the proper information to make informed decisions before surgery while empowering them with the proper education to help in the recovery of their pets after leaving our practice.

Collaboration with the primary care veterinarian. We may be experts in our specialty, but the general practitioner is an expert in the lifetime care of your pet. We respect that history and include your primary veterinarian as part of the care team. Your referring veterinarian receives a summary of our clinical findings and proposed treatment plan. Our surgeons are available for further discussions with them if requested by the doctor.

Collaboration within Quartet Veterinary Hospital- Surgery: Each department works seamlessly together to ensure your pets receive the highest standard of care at each touch point within the workflow. As a boutique surgical practice, we focus on one patient at a time, ensuring that individualized surgical and follow-up treatment plans are executed with the highest standard of care. Consistent communication and a commitment to do whatever is needed; this is built on a belief that we have checkpoints and processes.