Dr. Natalie Lucca (second from right) and her team: Alisia (CSR, left), Raelynn (technician, holding Russian tortoise patient), and Aaron (practice manager, right).
On a Friday afternoon in September, I made my way to Rochester to pay a visit to Dr. Natalie Lucca and her staff at Homeward Bound Animal Clinic, which opened its doors in April 2024.
Dr. Kyle Adkins (second from left) with his team.
At the end of a gravel road, in Crow Wing County’s Pine City, sits Country Doc Veterinary Clinic. You can’t miss the turn off of Paul Bunyan’s Scenic Byway, with towering pine trees and a welcoming sign that reads:
Director of Operations Tania Blake, second from left, and Dr. William Frahm-Gilles, far right, with members of the Access Veterinary Care team in June 2025.
Established in 2018, Access Veterinary Care has carved out a unique space in veterinary care in the Twin Cities. Access’s business model is helping bridge a gap in services and finding ways to make veterinary care more accessible. I recently visited the clinic, located in Crystal, MN, and spoke with owner Dr. William Frahm-Gilles and Director of Operations Tania Blake about how Access’ collaborative, community-minded model with a focus on education, transparency, and accessibility is making a difference for clients, patients, and partner clinics in the Twin Cities.
A Neighborhood Practice is Born
Dr. George Krienke was prepared to go back to Wisconsin to get a job in veterinary medicine closer to home, but by the time he graduated from veterinary school his wife had already climbed the ladder at her job which led him to buy a practice in Minnesota. A decision that years later has impacted an entire neighborhood, multiple family generations and shaped Rice Pet Clinic into what it is today.
Work-life balance is something all veterinarians strive for, but we all know it is easier said than done to find. Especially when you add in the stress of raising a family. A recent MVMA clinic visit to Black Dog Animal Hospital in Red Wing, MN, provided a great reminder of the benefits that come with prioritizing kindness not only to the people and pets that walk through the door, but also for the staff that work inside.
“We really do support each other as a team. We have a lot of young moms that work with us,” Black Dog owner and MVMA member Dr. Jennifer Scott said. “We try to support each other with work schedules, kids being sick and just show kindness. Being a veterinarian is part of who you are so it’s hard to have firm boundaries. When we were building the clinic, it wasn’t uncommon for kids to be here. My kids have grown up through the construction process.”
The staff at Buffalo Equine gathered around for a picture on a recent MVMA clinic visit and remarked that it was the first time the majority of them were together in one spot in weeks. Such is life for the busy clinic that has been a staple in Buffalo, Minn. And the surrounding community.
The clinic has MVMA ties all the way back to 1962 when Dr. Stanley Held (MVMA President, 1972-73) purchased the practice and operated it out of his house for years before opening what is now home to Buffalo Companion Animal Clinic. Buffalo Equine split in 2001 and at the end of 2012 opened the much-needed equine building and hospital we visited.
While the clinic name may catch your attention first, a deeper look through the doors of the Homey Gnome Veterinary Clinic shows there is more that makes them a standout environment for staff, clients and the pets they care for.
Remember when the pandemic started? So does Homey Gnome. They were getting ready to open their brand-new clinic after Dr. Noemi Plantz signed the lease on February 26, 2020.
About Us
© Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
101 Bridgepoint Way, Suite 100, So. St. Paul, MN 55075
Phone (651) 645-7533
[email protected]
Fax (651) 645-7539
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