Should Relief Veterinarians Be Paid on Production?

Dr. Andrew Ciccolini is the co-founder of a new veterinary relief platform – Serenity Vet. He is former Chief Medical Director at the National Mill Dog Rescue, a large non-profit located in Colorado, and Director of Non-Profit Initiatives at Galaxy Vets. His background includes serving in the U.S. Army, where he worked his way up from Associate Veterinarian to VP of Operations. In addition to his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, he has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

Dr. Jessica Lovegrove is a relief veterinarian currently based out of Tennessee. She is a 2019 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She practiced for eight months in Texas before the pandemic erupted and pushed her into relief medicine. Dr. Lovegrove is an avid believer that anyone can do relief medicine and believes strongly that relief veterinarians have a lot to offer the profession. She also wants to help and encourage newer relief veterinarians who are either struggling to make the leap or are searching for the answers to questions she asked when she started.

Grace is the founder of Vet Money Geek, a financial coaching service for independent practices and veterinary professionals. She helps practice owners and teams understand their financial health, triage money pain points, and build a roadmap for sustainable success. Vet Money Geek works with tools already in place, from PIMS to accounting systems, to organize data, create budgets, and analyze income statements for operational improvements. Grace makes wealth-building concepts less intimidating and builds up financial literacy so you know what you didn’t know before. With over two decades of experience as a technician and practice manager, she brings a real-world, relatable perspective grounded in hospital operations and veterinary business.

Dr. Ivan “Zak” Zakharenkov is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and advocate for the well-being of veterinary professionals. After graduating from the Atlantic Veterinary College, he worked as a relief veterinarian in various settings across Canada, from emergency to general practice. Twelve years in veterinary medicine inspired Ivan to create Smart Flow, a workflow optimization system, and Veterinary Integration Solutions, a consultancy serving veterinary consolidators. In 2021, he founded Galaxy Vets, an employee-owned veterinary healthcare system that prioritizes burnout prevention. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Cumbria in international healthcare management. Ivan co-hosts the Veterinary Innovation Podcast and the Bark Side.

Ryan Leech is a veterinary industry consultant, speaker and a podcast host with over six years of experience leading First 100 Consulting. At this boutique consulting firm, Ryan specializes in providing critical market insights and strategic guidance to veterinary businesses, helping them thrive in a competitive market. In addition to his consulting work, Ryan held significant roles in business development and strategic partnerships at various organizations, including Digitail, Galaxy Vets, and Veterinary Integration Solutions. Ryan also hosts The Bird Bath, a weekly news podcast. Through this show, he highlights the latest trends and developments in pet health, offering listeners valuable insights into hot topics, breaking news, and industry analysis.