Whether you are most interested in General Practice or Emergency Medicine, we have a structured mentorship program designed to ease the transition from student to doctor.
As a veterinarian-led company, the UVC team understands the importance of providing real mentorship to new graduate veterinarians to ensure a bright future for our newest colleagues and our profession. You could say we really, really care about this!
A structured framework that is easily tailored to the individual new graduate veterinarian’s needs and desires.
A 12-month long phased program that is focused on developing new graduates as whole human beings and not just as veterinarians.
A robust dedicated mentor network that provides support and addresses different aspects of your early veterinary experience.
When it comes to mentors, we believe the more the merrier.
The Whole Vet has been designed to provide you with a customized mentorship experience that addresses all aspects of your journey. As such, you will enjoy multiple mentors, each with their own perspective to meet you right where you are.
They don’t teach you how to be a great mentor in vet school.
Our veterinary mentors are invested in and committed
to ensuring a positive and rewarding experience for our newest veterinary colleagues. They are constantly honing their mentorship skills and training to provide the best leadership to you.
A dedicated, experienced veterinary mentor within your practice will be your primary mentor and will guide you along your year-long experience.
A veterinary mentor in one of our sister hospitals who will check in at least once a month and will serve as a neutral figure of support and encouragement.
A recently graduated peer mentor who will connect monthly to offer insights into the first-year experience.
A dedicated veterinarian who leads the UVC mentorship program and is available to support you.
When it comes to mentors, we believe the more the merrier.
The Whole Vet has been designed to provide you with a customized mentorship experience that addresses all aspects of your journey. As such, you will enjoy multiple mentors, each with their own perspective to meet you right where you are.
They don’t teach you how to be a great mentor in vet school.
Our veterinary mentors are invested in and committed to ensuring a positive and rewarding experience for our newest veterinary colleagues. They are constantly honing their mentorship skills and training to provide the best leadership to you.
Our Program Managers of Veterinarian Development are dedicated to supporting veterinarians throughout every stage of their career journey—from students exploring the profession through externships, to new graduates receiving mentorship as they find their footing, to associates growing as skilled practitioners, and ultimately becoming leaders in their field. They provide robust continuing education opportunities, fostering lifelong learning and professional growth. Driven by a passion for wellbeing, they prioritize creating programs that empower veterinarians to thrive personally and professionally, ensuring a fulfilling and sustainable career in veterinary medicine.
Vet School: Mississippi State
Internship: Ocean State Veterinary Specialists rotating small animal internship
Supports: Northeast, Central, and Specialty/Emergency Hospitals
For fun: running, hiking, reading, cooking, cuddling with my dogs
“We don’t graduate from vet school with all the answers – we have a lot of knowledge, but we don’t always understand how to apply it. To me, mentorship helps fill this gap. Mentors provide both professional and personal guidance and can help new graduates build confidence by supporting them in all facets of life. Mentorship can be both challenging and rewarding – it’s definitely a two-way street! By fostering more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable veterinary environments, we can create spaces where every team member feels supported, empowered, and able to thrive.”
Vet School: University of Florida gator vet
Internship: Florida Veterinary Referral Center rotating small animal internship & Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) specialty internship
Supports: West, South Atlantic, and Specialty/Emergency Hospitals
For fun: photographing wildlife in nature and exploring trails, reading, crafting, spending time with my pets, friends, and family
“Mentorship and collaborative support apply at all stages of your veterinary career, whether you’re giving or receiving it. It is a key component of developing a fulfilling and sustainable life that balances personal and professional growth. We are committed to fostering a culture of unity and empowerment within the veterinary community by providing learning opportunities for every team member at any stage of their journey. Whether you’re navigating challenges unique to our profession or celebrating the positive impact you make in the lives of pets and their families, we want to be here for you through all of it.”
“What gets me out of bed every morning is trying to help make this career even just a tiny bit more sustainable and fulfilling. I love this profession so much, but I know it can come with some real challenges. Some of which I faced myself and felt I had to struggle alone to overcome as an early career DVM. When I built this program, I wanted to make sure that it helped support our new graduate DVM’s to proactively face these challenges head-on, so that they can thrive and find long-term joy in both their personal and professional lives.”
“The structured program helped us to make sure that we started off on the right foot. It gave our new graduate and mentor a road map for the first year of practice. It allowed us to be prepared for our new team members by recognizing the potential challenges they may face. It made sure that the mentor didn’t forget that she was a recent graduate, and it gave the mentee permission to be a recent graduate without feeling guilty. It served at times as a conversation starter and it made sure that we didn’t lose focus on how important the initial year of practice really is in developing healthy habits and skills. It was a reminder to both of us of the level of our commitment to the long-term success of the team members and the practice. The structure really made the experience rewarding for me as the mentor, and I hope for the mentee as well. Creating a plan that included partnering with a surgeon until the mentee was ready to fly on her own, and giving her lengthier appointments and readily available help, coupled with the autonomy to adjust these with us as needed, must have been a comfort to her.”
“Mentoring new grads is one of the most rewarding and important parts of my job. The fresh enthusiasm and knowledge they bring to practice are awesome! The UVC mentorship program has helped provide structure to our existing program. Two parts that have been particularly helpful include the mentorship handbook and the weekly new grad rounds. The mentorship handbook has helped include more communication and self-care aspects in our existing medical mentorship program. This is a very important piece for new grads especially, as becoming a veterinarian is about more than just case management! The new/recent grad rounds are among my favorite parts of my week. Each week, a different experienced DVM from within the UVC family shares tidbits, tips, and tricks on a variety of topics. They are all super applicable to daily practice, and I learn something new every week!
“I also very much appreciate the behind-the-scenes support as a mentor. No one person can know the right way to coach in every situation, and it has been extremely valuable to have insight from other experienced mentors.”
“I think part of the reason I was able to flourish in my first year of practice was knowing I had constant support when I needed it. I was able to have confidence knowing that I could bounce ideas off of a trusted, experienced veterinarian, and if I ran into challenges I could find guidance. I appreciated the added support of weekly rounds with Dr. Garlow and modules with MentorVet to keep me learning and improving. I am so grateful that I had layers of help in a compassionate and skilled clinic while I was learning so much and continue to do so.”
“A structured mentorship program offers new graduates a dedicated, safe space to give and receive feedback and focus on their personal goals. It also supports experiential learning as new graduates put their skills into practice. As a mentor, I enjoy working alongside these amazing young professionals and learn as much from them as they do from me.”
“Mentoring new grads is one of the most rewarding and important parts of my job. The fresh enthusiasm and knowledge they bring to practice are awesome! The UVC mentorship program has helped provide structure to our existing program. Two parts that have been particularly helpful include the mentorship handbook and the weekly new grad rounds. The mentorship handbook has helped include more communication and self-care aspects in our existing medical mentorship program. This is a very important piece for new grads especially, as becoming a veterinarian is about more than just case management! The new/recent grad rounds are among my favorite parts of my week. Each week, a different experienced DVM from within the UVC family shares tidbits, tips, and tricks on a variety of topics. They are all super applicable to daily practice, and I learn something new every week!
“I also very much appreciate the behind-the-scenes support as a mentor. No one person can know the right way to coach in every situation, and it has been extremely valuable to have insight from other experienced mentors.”
“A major highlight for me when it comes to the mentorship program during my first year of practice but also as a mentor is the amazing community of support. As a mentee, I had my fair share of emotionally taxing clinical cases within my first year, and having scheduled check-ins throughout the program provided me with a space to talk through and learn how to process those challenges we face during veterinary medicine. What I also loved was the amount of support I would always receive during those moments and how other members of our UVC community would reach out to me just to check in and see how I was doing. I now continue to rely on that community foundation as a mentor when seeking additional advice on how to better myself when providing support to my mentee.”
Together we are building a community of hospitals united by clinical excellence.
This offer entitles any first-time pet parent to our hospital (“New Client”) a FREE EXAM for one pet. Offer contingent on purchasing other services / products, will not be applied if the dollar invoice for the visit is $0. Offer can only be redeemed one time at our location. Once a pet parent has redeemed the coupon one time, they cannot redeem the offer again. Offer excludes urgent care exams and emergency exams. Fees apply for any additional services, and/or medications as provided during the visit. Coupon must be presented at time of visit. Not valid with previous purchases. Limit one coupon per New Client. Pet parents must be 18 years or older. No cash value. Void where prohibited by law. Expires 5/31/25.
Rich Roskell boasts an impressive track record as a seasoned executive in the animal health industry, coupled with over two decades of overarching experience in healthcare. Throughout his career, Rich has spearheaded pivotal business development initiatives and led teams at well-known companies such as VCA Antech and Trupanion. With UVC during its inception, Richard played a pivotal role in charting its course for success by formulating a strategic blueprint that united founding members, private equity partners, and his wealth of expertise in steering enterprise-level animal health organizations. His passion lies in empowering veterinary professionals to devise innovative solutions, thereby enhancing patient outcomes and elevating the overall customer experience.
Dr. Michael Tuder was born and raised in Jersey City, and after becoming a veterinarian, he returned to the area to begin practicing. A warm and caring veterinarian, Dr. Tuder has been practicing in Hudson County since 1982. He is always interested in advances in veterinary medicine; he trained and became a Fellow of Veterinary Laser Surgery. Dr. Tuder is an honorary Professor of Surgery at PHU National University, School of Veterinary Medicine in the Dominican Republic. He introduced the use of Laser surgery to the veterinary community there. Dr. Tuder is also accredited by the US Department of Agriculture for International Animal Transport and is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and the NJ Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA).
Dr. Tuder is married with two grown children and a grandson. In his retirement, he is enjoying the extra time to play golf, travel, and, of course, spend time with his family and moyen poodle, Winnie.
Matt Lender was literally born into the veterinary profession; both his sister and late father are/were renowned veterinarians. Growing up around a successful veterinary practice, Matt went on to become a lifelong student of business, finance, and the law.
Matt earned his BA from McDaniel College with a double major in Economics and Business Administration. He went on to earn both an MBA and JD from Quinnipiac University School of Business and Quinnipiac University School of Law, respectively. Matt also earned a Master of Law (LLM) in Taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law. He is a licensed CPA in Maryland and Connecticut.
Coming back full circle to his beginnings in animal health, Matt effectively leveraged his business and legal training and his expertise as a financial services executive to build upon his father’s legacy, Orange Veterinary Hospital. Together with Dr. Scott Crawford, they grew that one hospital to 16 practices in a very short amount of time. From there Matt, Scott and Dr. Michael Tuder became the founding members of United Veterinary Care.
Dr. Crawford has over 20 years of experience in the animal health space and an impressive track record of supporting the veterinary profession and veterinary practices across the United States.
Dr. Crawford graduated with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts. A true entrepreneur, Scott became a veterinary practice owner less than a year after graduation.
Always the champion for independent veterinary hospitals, he co-founded Veterinary Purchasing Group (VPG). With VPG, he built an animal hospital client base of over 3,000 independent hospitals in less than five years with over $300 million of industry purchasing power, helping local veterinary hospitals compete better in a rapidly changing landscape.
More recently, Scott and his partner, Matt Lender, amassed a group of 16 veterinary hospitals, which they leveraged to form United Veterinary Care (UVC). Together, he and Matt, along with Dr. Michael Tuder, became the founding members of UVC.
Steve Collins joins UVC as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). In his role, Steve will work closely with shared service and hospital leadership to upgrade our digital capabilities and make secure all aspects of UVC technology. He will develop an Enterprise Architecture to optimize UVC PIMS systems, improve quality of service, reduce IT costs, improve cybersecurity, and set us up for continued growth.
Steve has over 25 years of leading institutions on developing distinctive IT capabilities across multiple industries. He brings a consultative approach from his consulting time as well as a practical and thoughtful investment approach from his time working with Private Equity companies. Steve’s calling card is working closely with the frontline to develop a compelling vision, developing the plan, and bringing the right clinical, operations and support teams together to execute the vision.
Prior to joining UVC, Steve led the digital transformation and establishing a shared service organization, for 4 years, as CIO at Great Expressions Dental Centers. He led the migration to a single PMS system across 300 locations, launched Teledentistry, introduced AI to improve diagnostic capability, and dramatically improved the data and advanced analytics capabilities. Prior to Great Expressions, he served as Chief Information Officer for Driven Brands and led technology and operational improvement at Burroughs, Marlin Equity Partners, PricewaterhouseCoopers, General Motors, Grainger, and Deloitte Consulting. Before Steve embarked on his professional career Steve served in the United States Marine Corps as a Signals Intelligence Analyst.
Steve and his wife Kim live in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan and his son David is in college. Steve enjoys the outdoors and working on various trucks the family owns.
Janice joined UVC with 20+ years of experience in multi-site Human Resources with oversight of all things HR, Payroll and Talent Acquisition. Janice has spent most of her career in retail and healthcare, in which the last decade has been devoted to the veterinary field. Most recently she served in various HR leadership roles at Mars Veterinary Health including Antech Diagnostics, VCA, and Pet Partners. She has an immense passion for enhancing the lives and careers of veterinary professionals and aspires to ensure that UVC is the destination employer.
Janice is native to the Northeast, residing in upstate New York with her husband and young adult children. She has a beloved German Shepherd, Stella, and recently added two beautiful ginger kittens, Hazel and Violet, to the family. Outside of work, Janice enjoys spending time in the beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, reading, traveling, cooking and decorating cakes.
Kristan brings 10 years of public accounting experience, and most recently, Kristan was a partner at PwC’s Deals practice. Kristan also worked for 3M for eight years, where her roles included corporate development, business development and strategy, global business director, debt capital markets and global treasury operations. Kristan specializes in the health services, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences industries. Kristan lives in Minnesota, with her husband Jed, and two children, Maddie and Flynn. Outside of work, Kristan spends as much time as possible outside hiking and skiing.
Paula Bamford has joined our UVC team in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer. Paula has more than 20 years in building operational strength in organizations like UVC. Paula comes from Petco, where she spent the last 6 years as their operations leader building and managing 280+ Pet Care hospitals. In her role with UVC, Paula will work closely with Dr. Hutchins to rapidly build our operations capabilities so we can grow faster and profitably.
Paula comes to us with a demonstrated reputation for implementing and enhancing operational procedures and efficiencies in both public and private companies. Paula is a dynamic and persuasive communicator who is respected for establishing and sustaining loyal professional relationships. She is known as an inspirational leader and motivator with impressive emphasis on quality, accountability, and performance excellence.
Prior to joining UVC, Paula most recently led the Veterinary Services expansion at Petco, as the SVP of Vet Services and Retail Operations. She oversaw both the de novo and M&A growth of 280 GP Veterinary hospitals, 1,200 weekly vaccination clinics, and retail operations of 440 Pet Care Centers on the west coast. During her time at the helm of Veterinary Services she built the infrastructure of corporate support center and field operations in partnership with her Medical Operations counterparts. Prior to spending the past 6+ years with Petco she spent her first 17 in the convenience and fuel industry with Sunoco and global brand 7-11 in field operations and communications roles.
Paula and her partner, Keith live in a suburb of San Diego, and enjoy all that the outdoors of SoCal has to offer.
Dr. Hutchins has 23 years of experience in the animal health field, over 10 of which she spent practicing as a veterinarian and board-certified internal medicine specialist.
Dr. Hutchins received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of North Carolina and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. She completed a rotating internship and small animal internal medicine residency at North Carolina State University and went on to become board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Hutchins served as Medical Director of a large, multi-specialty hospital for 3 years prior to transitioning into hospital operations. She maintains an adjunct faculty position at North Carolina State University and has 6 peer reviewed published scientific articles.
Prior to joining UVC, Dr. Hutchins served as Group Vice President at VCA’s Animal Hospital Division. In this role, she was responsible for promoting and coordinating streamlined operations to support and enhance the experience of teams in more than 100 general practice, hybrid, and specialty hospitals. She was previously the Chief Operating Officer for Pet Partners, a community of over 90 general practice and specialty hospitals across the U.S.
Dr. Hutchins joined the United Veterinary Care team in 2021, crediting a shared belief in empowering and supporting the incredibly resilient and talented people who make up the veterinary profession with drawing her to our organization.
Dr. Hutchins lives in North Carolina with her family, which always includes a rescued beagle! When she’s not working, she enjoys paddle boarding and sharing her love of the outdoors, music, and animals with her family.
Joseph M. Garcia has a broad range of healthcare experience. Over his career, Joseph has led teams at high growth provider-based healthcare companies.
Previously, Joseph was the Chief Executive Officer at Gastro Health. Over the course of six and a half years, Gastro Health grew from 60 physicians in one state, to nearly 400 physicians and 200 advanced practitioners in seven states. This growth allowed Gastro Health to recapitalize in 2021 and partner with OMERS Private Equity. Previously, was the CEO at Sage Dental. While at Sage, Joseph oversaw the rapid expansion of the group from twenty, to over sixty practices in Florida and Georgia. Prior to Sage, Joseph was the Chief Operating Officer at 21st Century Oncology, which he helped to grow into the largest provider of Radiation Oncology in the United States and Latin America. Prior to Joining 21st Century Oncology, Joseph was a Division Vice President at DaVita. At DaVita, Joseph honed his multi-site experience and recognized the power of culture. Prior to DaVita, Joseph was a Vice President of Operations at Sterling Healthcare, iHealth Technologies and Vivra Specialty Partners.
Joseph has a BSBA and M.B.A. from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.