Mondays with Mark

In April, Dean Mark Stetter launched the monthly video series “Mondays with Mark.” Each month, he connects with the SVM community via a video message to share brief recent highlights from the school. The videos provide a glimpse into a variety of aspects from across the school, including the VMTH, in hopes that the short video segments will augment the existing internal communications and help the school community feel better informed about the incredible programs and work happening within our world. In the inaugural episode, Dean Stetter gave an update on the VMTH’s house officer program. For the May episode, he showcased the VMTH’s new ER/ICU, with a tour from Small Animal Clinic Director Dr. Kate Hopper. We look forward to more VMTH mentions in the video series. Stay tuned to your email every month for the latest episode of “Mondays with Mark.”

VMTH Opens New ER/ICU

The VMTH opened its new small animal Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit on May 3. The new ER/ICU occupies the old space and incorporates adjacent space, for a total of approximately 1,600 square feet, nearly double the 900 square feet of the old ER/ICU. While the level of emergency care has improved over the decades, the physical space of the ER/ICU has remained the same since the building opened in 1970. With the expanded space, the new facility will optimize patient care and increase student training opportunities. As we all know, the new space is much needed. Admittances to the ER have more than doubled since immediately before the pandemic. Historically, the ER caseload has increased tenfold since 2013, seeing an average of more than 900 cases per month in 2022, with some months seeing more than 1,200 patients.

Faculty Update:

• After 25 years of service, Dr. Larry Cowgill is stepping down as director of the UC Veterinary Medical Center – San Diego. In 1998, at the urging of State legislators to establish a presence in Southern California, the school opened the UCVMC-SD to provide specialty services and increased veterinary research and training in Southern California. Dr. Cowgill, a pioneer in veterinary nephrology, hemodialysis, and extracorporeal therapies, graciously accepted the role of the center’s inaugural director. Simultaneously, he served as professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, and provided oversight and service for clinical nephrology programs and companion animal hemodialysis units at the VMTH and UCVMC-SD. Under Dr. Cowgill's guidance, UCVMC-SD has forged connections with the Southern California veterinary community, offering specialized services in cardiology, nephrology/urology/hemodialysis, and clinical pharmacy. Thousands of animals have received life-saving treatments that would otherwise have been inaccessible. Through Dr. Cowgill's leadership, the school has become an important provider of veterinary care in Southern California. We thank him for his service and wish him the best in his new role as the first president of the new American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology, which he was integral to founding.

• Congratulations to Dr. Outerbridge on winning the prestigious Kral Award from the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology at its recent Annual Business Meeting. In nominating Dr. Outerbridge for the Kral Award, her colleagues described her as a highly regarded instructor whose profound knowledge of dermatology, as well as her enthusiasm for her career, are evident in her daily activities. Previously, the Kral Award was won by UC Davis’ Dr. Stephen White in 2020 and Dr. Peter Ihrke in 2013.

Staff Update:

• Welcome Jennifer Kresha as the new Client Services Financial Supervisor. Jennifer has always had a passion for helping others. She started her path in veterinary medicine in 2005 when she attended Western Career College in the Veterinary Technician Program. While working full-time as a bookkeeper for a construction company, she started interning at her first small animal practice in Dixon and was soon presented with an opportunity to become a full-time team member. After working as a veterinary assistant for two years, the opportunity opened for the practice bookkeeper position. Working part time as a bookkeeper and a lead veterinary assistant opened up an element of how the practice functioned, and she was soon given the title of client services manager, which then led to the position of office manager. Although the duties of the office manager were vast, she continued to split her shifts of office manager and a lead veterinary assistant so she could continue to care for patients and train newer veterinary assistants and technicians coming into the field. On her off-time Jennifer enjoys spending time with family and chasing around her Frenchie puppy Tuna, who’s usually chasing around her toddler Madi.

• Welcome Cole Jacobsen as the new Client Services Supervisor for the coordinator team. Cole has been with the VMTH in small animal patient care for nine years before moving to client services. He began his career in veterinary medicine as a receiving and discharge animal health technician before transitioning into the small animal student aide coordinator position. Cole has spent the last two years as a supervisor for small animal patient care. Cole is a Northern California native and a proud father to three cats. His hobbies include sports, music, fast cars, watching stand-up comedy, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

• Staff Assembly’s annual Citations for Excellence awards program provides recognition for individual staff and staff teams. Thanks to generous support from the Office of the Chancellor, Staff Assembly awarded more than $17,000 to staff members. Congratulations to Joseph Pacini, a curriculum coordinator in the SVM Dean's Office and former VMTH client services representative, on winning the Teaching Award. Additionally, Staff Assembly awarded more than $20,000 in scholarships to staff and their dependents. Among the recipients were Aaron Inserra, an animal health technician at UC Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego and Lauren Issvoran, the VMTH’s clinical student affairs coordinator.

Facility Update:

• The VMTH now has an enhanced security presence from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., with security guards from a private security company who are familiar with working on the UC Davis campus. They will be patrolling the entire VMTH complex (inside and out) and will routinely check in at more than a dozen locations throughout the night. Please remember to always wear your ID badge and be aware of your surroundings after dark. If you will be here after-hours, consider moving your car to a closer, well-lit parking place before it gets dark. Main campus resources are also available, such as Safe Ride (530-754-2677), to help provide rides on campus from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Please help us by keeping all doors throughout the complex closed and locked overnight, not propping doors open, and using keys, keypads, or ID badges to access buildings. Thank you for helping to keep the VMTH a safe working environment.

Please utilize the PerfectForm icon link available on every VMTH desktop (or through VIPER>VMTH>Forms>VPETT) to nominate your colleagues for recognition of an outstanding example of one of our five Cultural Pillars: Realize Our Vision, Value People, Pursue Excellence, One Team, Trusted Dialogue.

The Cultural Pillars Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the VPETT Recognition Award for the month of May.

May Recipients:

Kathleen McGinley, a client services representative in the Call Center, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People, Pursue Excellence, and One Team, which contributed to the key results of Patient Care and Employee Engagement.

“Kate came in on Sunday and covered a shift for a co-worker that had a family emergency. We appreciate her willingness to help the client services team when we are short-staffed. By helping out, she helped our clients and their pets when they come in through emergency. We appreciate your help more than you know, Kate!”

Eryca Sphar, an animal health technician in the Large Animal Critical Care Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People and One Team, which contributed to the key results of Patient Care and Employee Engagement.  

“Eryca provided amazing patient care and exceptional coaching to new staff during a foaling. Her colleagues described her as ‘cool, calm and collected’ during the event. She was well organized and directed everyone in the chaos of the moment to ensure a successful foaling. Her less experienced technicians were inspired by such competence and strong leadership in the moment. We are lucky to have her on our team!”

Thank you, Kathleen and Eryca, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.

Key Cultural Pillar

“One Team"



Many services came together recently to assist Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema and her team at the Sacramento Zoo to help Indah, the zoo’s 19-year-old Sumatran orangutan, care for her newborn male. Dr. Gjeltema and the zoo’s veterinary team members consulted with the VMTH’s Surgery, Internal Medicine, Clinical Pathology, Diagnostic Imaging, and Pharmacy Services in order to provide the best care for Indah and her infant. Indah came to the zoo in 2017 as a planned mate for the zoo’s male orangutan, Makan, as part of the Species Survival Plan. With only 79 Sumatran orangutans in human care in the United States, and populations of wild orangutans rapidly declining, every birth is a monumental success for the species.

Wellness Tip of the Month

Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support and wellness professional, offers a brief tip each month on managing stress during busy and demanding careers. Please see the full website of services that Florence offers, including a section on House Officer Wellness.

• I read an article in The Therapist magazine recently that used the metaphor of fences to explain boundaries. The author, Bianca Collazo, LMFT, wrote, “Healthy boundaries are the fences…unhealthy boundaries are like the absence of fences; anyone can enter and do as they please in your space.” I can’t stress the importance of boundaries enough as an important self-care tool, especially in the healthcare field. By nature, most of us in healthcare are giving, caring, and supportive people who sometimes put others before ourselves. I think of how others can walk into our space—physical and emotional—if we do not have boundaries (“fences”) and how it can lead to mistrust and resentment. Healthy boundaries, however, can help develop respect while decreasing burnout and compassion fatigue. To learn more, visit this website page on boundaries.