VetEvolve Celebrates 2025 Award Winners at Annual Leadership Summit, Honoring Excellence in Care, Growth, and Community Impact 

Dulles, VA — March 20, 2026 — VetEvolve today announced the winners of its 2025 Leadership Awards, presented at the company’s Annual Leadership Summit — where veterinarians and practice managers from across its network come together to share insights, strengthen capabilities, and advance care. 

As part of the Summit, VetEvolve recognized a select group of practices and leaders whose performance in 2025 exemplified exceptional care, strong team leadership, and meaningful impact within their communities. 

“These awards reflect what VetEvolve is built to do — support strong teams and individuals with the structure, tools, and partnership needed to grow the right way,” said Catherine Howell, CEO of VetEvolve. “When that comes together, practices operate better, teams are stronger, and care improves. That’s what better together looks like in practice.” 

2025 VetEvolve Leadership Award Winners 

Community Impact Award 

Essex Middle River Veterinary Center
Lauren Nail, Katie Baron, Dr. Joe Zulty 

Recognizing a practice that goes above and beyond to serve and support its local community. 

Celebrating its 75th year, Essex Middle River Veterinary Center demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to giving back. From partnerships with Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) and participation in adoption events, to local school outreach, support of K9 units, and international veterinary missions through GeoVets, the team consistently lived its commitment to service. 

Best Client Experience Award 

Mixed Pet Veterinary Hospital
Jamie Wollen, Dr. Ken Schoolmeester 

Recognizing a practice that consistently delivers exceptional service and builds strong, trust-based client relationships. 

Mixed Pet Veterinary Hospital has built its foundation around delivering an exceptional client experience with every interaction. This commitment is reflected in their results, with 97% of online reviews at 5 stars and a Net Promoter Score of 96.02, among the highest across any service industry. 

Team Retention Excellence Award 

Wheaton Animal Hospital
Carrie Rudman, Dr. Gary Schwartz 

Recognizing a practice that has demonstrated exceptional success in retaining and supporting its team. 

Since joining VetEvolve in December 2024, Wheaton Animal Hospital has led the network in retention, achieving just 6% turnover across the entire team. Their results reflect a strong culture, supportive leadership, and a clear commitment to team wellbeing. 

Most Improved Practice Award 

Bell County Animal Clinic
Tabitha Webb, Dr. Mark Watson 

Recognizing a practice that has made significant progress in performance, operations, and team engagement. 

Following its partnership with VetEvolve in early 2025, Bell County Animal Clinic embraced meaningful change across all aspects of the practice. Through strong leadership and team alignment, the practice achieved over 300% growth in bottom-line performance year over year, while strengthening operations and culture. 

Practice Manager of the Year 

Ellicott City Emergency Animal Hospital
Matt McDonald, Dr. Taylor Frey 

Recognizing a Practice Manager who demonstrates exceptional leadership across team development, operations, and patient care. 

Under Matt McDonald’s leadership, the practice grew 60% year over year, serving nearly 2,000 additional patients. Beyond his own practice, Matt has become a trusted leader across the VetEvolve network — mentoring peers, contributing to broader initiatives, and consistently stepping forward to support others. 

Practice of the Year 

Bay Beach Veterinary Emergency Hospital
Dr. Jamie Coulson, Christina Bassett 

Honoring the practice that demonstrates outstanding overall performance, teamwork, and commitment to care. 

Bay Beach Veterinary Emergency Hospital exemplifies the impact of strong leadership and alignment. Under the partnership of Dr. Coulson and Practice Manager Christina Bassett, the practice transformed its operations, culture, and client experience — delivering 28% growth and a 42% increase in bottom-line performance in 2025. 

Recognizing What Drives Better Care 

Each of this year’s award winners reflects VetEvolve’s belief that growth, when done intentionally, strengthens care. By investing in people, improving operations, and expanding access to care, these teams are building stronger practices that benefit patients, clients, and their communities. 

“What stands out most is how these teams are growing — not just in performance, but in capability, culture, and impact,” said Cara Whitley, Chief Marketing Officer at VetEvolve. “They are setting the standard for what modern veterinary practices can achieve.” 

Media Contact: VetEvolve Marketing, vemarketing@vetevolve.com

About VetEvolve 

VetEvolve is a community of veterinary practices focused on supporting owners, teams, and communities through partnership-driven growth. Since its founding in 2014, the company has grown to 52 practices across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. 

Grounded in a belief in growth with intention and care without compromise, VetEvolve combines local practice autonomy with the support of a collaborative network and scalable platform — helping practices strengthen care, improve client experience, and build long-term value.