Edinburgh Animal Hospital is growing. A fixture on Hillcrest Parkway for nearly 17 years, the veterinary practice has had a mission to provide warm, caring, personalized hometown care for pet owners in Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake community. Practice Owner Dr. Geoff Campbell is excited about the recent move in the spring of 2022 to his larger brand-new building just down the street.

"Our little office by Home Depot and behind the Wawa served us well for many years," he explains, "but as our client base grew, I knew that we would need a larger space in order to provide the best service and most convenient care for our clients and their pets."  

Now located on Hillcrest Parkway near Walmart, the state-of-the-art practice is nearly double the size of the previous clinic, expanding from 4000 square feet to nearly 8000 square feet, adding four additional exam rooms for a total of eight and increasing the number of staff doctors from five to seven.  

Dr. Becky Oberlander, who started with the practice when the new building opened, loves treating cats. Dr. Lisa Hundley, with a special interest in internal medicine, started with Edinburgh in November after practicing in Hampton Roads for over 20 years.  

For Dr. Campbell, the new building and practice expansion is rooted in providing the best possible care to clients and their pets. "Because of the size of our new space, we've been able to add more employees to effectively serve our patients," he notes. "We're up to 30 employees, including three licensed vet techs and several vet assistants, and we're adding more as we speak. The more doctors and staff we have, the more cases we can handle. There's such a huge demand for veterinary care right now. In a time when many vet hospitals have had to stop taking new clients, we've been able to continue to see new clients while still having plenty of time for our existing clients."

The loss of many veterinary emergency facilities has not gone unnoticed by Dr. Campbell. With his expanded space and staff, he strives to address the need for urgent care for his existing patients.

"I recognize the challenges pet owners face with emergency care due to the loss of facilities and ability to see patients in our area. I want our clients to know that we're doing our best to help them with that," he says. "We adjust our daily schedule to have time open for urgent care appointments and things that come up during the day. Not all appointments may be same-day, but we certainly do all we can to accommodate our existing clients as quickly as we're able so they don't have to struggle to find emergency care."

Despite the increased size of the building and staff, Edinburgh Animal Hospital still maintains the small hometown feel that it has always had. "Even though we have a larger building, I wanted it to feel like home," Dr. Campbell says. "Many of my clients have been with me since we opened. They're like family, and this building is for them and their pets. I didn't want a modern office space that felt cold and impersonal. I wanted our building to feel like a neighborhood home that's comfortable for both pets and clients."

Indeed, from interior to exterior finishes of warm stone and faux-hardwood ceramic tile, plus comfortable seating and a coffee bar, clients can feel right at home while they wait for their pets to be seen. But humans weren't the only clients in mind in the design of the new space. The "fur babies" have their fair share of amenities, too!

For cats, there is a separate waiting area and play area, as well as separate exam rooms and treatment areas to help reduce the stress of their visit. "The separate treatment area allows us to take blood samples, trim nails, and administer other treatments so that the cats don't have to go into the main treatment area where all the dogs are. The scents and noises of the dogs often increase the stress levels in cats," Dr. Campbell explains.

Canine friends also have their special areas, with premium expanded kennel runs, and a large Astroturf space out back with a big tub of toys for dogs to run and play with.

Dr. Campbell is also pleased to offer technology conveniences to clients. "We have an online pharmacy that price-matches other online retailers like Chewy or PetMeds®, so costs will be the same if not less," he shares. "There's also a phone app that allows pet owners to access pet records, request refills, ask questions, send in photos of pet concerns, and set appointments. Clients can even text questions to the office and usually get an answer by day's end. We're trying to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology to make life easier for clients."

Making life easier for clients extends beyond technology. Dr. Campbell also tries to make things easier for clients' budgets. Despite the expanded staff and larger building, true to his hometown roots, he tries to keep veterinary care affordable. "As costs rise with everything we do, from payroll to supplies, from medication to equipment, it's tough, but we still try to keep veterinary care as reasonable as possible for our clients," he insists. "And for clients interested in pet insurance, we work with TruPanion™. We have a direct online connection with them, so if the pet owner has the insurance in place, we can get the payment directly from them at the time of service."

Dr. Geoff Campbell assures clients old and new that the building and location have changed, but the practice and its mission statement have not: "Our mission is and has always been to provide state-of-the-art vet care with a hometown feel in a facility that is comfortable and accommodating to our clients."

With Edinburgh Animal Hospital's loyal and growing clientele, it's safe to say mission accomplished.