The end goal for a successful veterinary practice owner is to one day sell their hospital for a lucrative price and start veterinary clinic brokers their next chapter. For some, that next phase is complete retirement. For others, it might mean stepping away from a managerial role to focus solely on medicine, carving out more free personal time or sharing the responsibilities with a partner.
When it comes to finding a veterinary business partner dedicated to supporting community hospitals, National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is an industry leader. Founded in 1996, NVA is home to an expansive community of freestanding veterinary hospitals that includes more than 14,000 veterinary professionals providing a full range of medical and surgical services.
Unlike a transaction between 2 individuals, NVA is backed by 25 years of domestic and international partnership experience. This know-how provides NVA with the unique ability to provide hospital owners with opportunities that best suit their needs. From cash offers to joint ventures and even future associate buy-ins, NVA helps practices develop a plan as unique as they are.
“We believe that veterinary medicine is best practiced when local veterinarians craft their own approach, so when a hospital joins NVA, we keep the culture, people, and name intact,” says NVA’s founder, Stan Creighton, DVM, DACVIM. “We created a community [that] people are proud to be part of—and we credit that for the growth we’re still experiencing today.”
Hospitals that partner with NVA gain the knowledge of NVA’s skilled support team and a network of successful practices. NVA resources include an information technology desk, client service center for appointment reminders, and social media and online review experts. They also offer support for tasks like accounting, legal, recruiting, marketing, and operations.
“Turns out, NVA were people of their word. They didn’t touch our culture at all. They improved our technology, helped us run our business, and let us practice medicine the way we always have,” said Dr. Jeffrey Krull, Managing Veterinarian at Flying Cloud Animal Hospital in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
“That’s what every doctor wants—to make those decisions ourselves. We don’t need an algorithm or program to tell us what to do.” Dr. Jeffrey Krull has been a member of the Flying Cloud Animal Hospital team since 2002 and after the practice became an NVA partner in 2008, he promoted into the role of Medical Director. In 2019, NVA helped Dr. Krull realize his lifelong goal of becoming a practice owner right at the hospital he already knew and loved.
“I’ve wanted to be a practice owner since I started vet school. When NVA first proposed it, I was excited from the beginning. I knew they would be a good group to partner with.”
If you are searching for a path to retirement, ready to take a step back and focus on medicine or interested in helping your associates realize their dreams of practice ownership, a partnership might be the right choice for you. If you are ready for the next chapter in your life, be sure to take the time to explore all the options available to you and ask yourself these 10 questions as you consider selling your practice.
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