Welcome to Chez Encina!

The Unique Structure of Encina Veterinary Hospital

When describing my workplace to friends, the easiest metaphor I have found to liken our hospital structure is to that of a restaurant. Encina boasts four teams, Client Services, Doctor’s Assistants, Patient Care, and Doctors. Read on for a break down of each team’s description and duties.

Client Services: These are the faces you see when walking through our over-sized wooden front door. Also known as receptionists, it is the duty of the client services team to field phone calls, and also to check clients in when they arrive and charge them out upon their departure. They also give hospital tours, so if you are interested in venturing beyond the exam rooms please feel free to ask for a tour. Barb E. is the leader of this cheery pack. In my restaurant metaphor, they are the hostesses of Chez Encina.

Doctor’s Assistants: Each daytime doctor has their own personal assistant, and emergency doctors have rotating assistants. It is the responsibility of the assistants to put clients in the exam room, and to expedite all aspects of the visit (filling prescriptions, scheduling appointments, preparing vaccines, filling out paperwork, etc.). Doctor’s assistants also help to answer phones. When you call Encina and you are transferred by client services to another person, it is typically a doctor’s assistant that fields the more involved questions. Kathy is the team leader for this diverse group of ladies. Basically, the doctor’s assistants can be likened to the waitress position in a restaurant.

Patient Care: The most varied of the teams, patient care handles all aspects of carrying out medical procedures and treatments on pets, under doctor supervision. This team encompasses kennel staff (that handle boarders and hospital duties such as stocking and sterilizing), surgical technicians, inpatient technicians (who care for hospitalized patients) and outpatient technicians (they perform services for pets that are only here for a short time). The team is so large, that both Amanda and Rebecca are needed to lead the pack. They are the line cooks of our Encina restaurant.

Doctors: The chefs at Chez Encina oversee all medical cases, see patients, perform surgeries, and are in a leadership role in nearly every aspect of what we do.