Please meet Maggie. She was adopted at nine years of age and within two weeks her owner started treating her for advanced diabetes. Cataract problems caused by the diabetes were also detected and her new owner scheduled her for lens replacement surgery. That was only a few weeks ago and you can see that Maggie is doing well. What a great mom! Maggie is already quite attached. 

Sahara is a very gentle Labrador Retriever that was found abandoned in New Mexico with her new litter of puppies. She is being fostered by Retriever Rescue of Colorado who quickly noticed she had some serious eye issues and was in pain. After a visit to the ophthalmologists at VRCC, it was found she had glaucoma in both eyes. The Retriever Rescue of Colorado and the doctors at VRCC coordinated on her treatment. Dr. Nuhsbaum was able to save one eye, maintaining Sahara's vision and relieving her of pain. She is doing very well and they are looking for a home for sweet Sahara. 

Janna Poll, MBA, SPHR, CMPE, the Hospital Administrator for VRCC is taking on additional responsibilities to represent practices across the nation. She joins the AAHA Board as the practice manager director. Janna came to VRCC over six years ago, preceded by twelve years in human healthcare. She received her B.S. in retail management from Brigham Young University and completed her M.B.A. with an emphasis in healthcare administration at the University of Colorado. Previous to her current position, she was the Administrator of the Cardiac Care Center at The Children’s Hospital in Denver. She holds professional certifications and membership with Medical Group Management Association and the Society of Human Resource Managers, is Treasurer and Board member of the Veterinary Specialty Practice Alliance (specialtyvets.com), and a member of CVMA. 

We at VRCC are very proud to announce that Dr. Sam Romano is the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society (DAVMS) President Elect. Dr. Romano is looking forward to serving a veterinary community that has been so supportive and given so much to him.

Dr. Romano is one of VRCC's founding members. He was in small animal general practice from 1983 to 1991 in Denver before joining VRCC in 1992. Dr. Romano earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1983 and his MBA in 2000. He's also completed the Veterinary Management Institute (VMI) program at Purdue University. Dr. Romano is a longtime member of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS). He was previously the DAVMS representative to the Colorado Veterinary Medication Association (CVMA).

VRCC extends our congratulations to Dr. Romano and are proud of his accomplishments. We're indebted to all our staff, from doctor to technician to CSR, who are so willing to give their free time to a variety of professional organizations, charities, and activities to better the local community, their profession, and the world. From flying around the world to volunteer to serving on committees, we're humbled by their willingness to give. 

"This award, given at the CACVT Spring Conference, goes to an outstanding veterinarian who recognizes and utilizes technicians. The criteria for nomination is based on (1) promotion of the technician field through proper utilization, (2) encouragement of technicians through CE / memberships and (3) acknowledgement of technicians' work through incentive/bonus programs.

I work at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado (VRCC) in Englewood. Here at VRCC, I get the pleasure of working with many amazing veterinarian's on a daily basis. We have a great staff, over 115 people, consisting of Board certified DVM's, Veterinary technicians, assistants, hospital administrators and Customer service representatives.

My nomination is for Dr. Cristina (Tina) Sharkey. I have had the pleasure of working with her since November 2005. Her husband Dr. Steve Sharkey is also a veterinarian and they have 4 dogs and 4 cats together.

Tina is a graduate of CSU, a Colorado native and a member of DAVMS and CVMA. Everyday she comes into work with a smile! She loves the work she does and you can whole heartedly tell that she appreciates everyone she works with. It has been a difficult year for Tina, as she recently lost her mother in a long battle with cancer. During that time she would do her best to balance her personal and professional life, never taking away focus from either one.

She has a special way with people. She can empathize with them, sharing her kindness through words or a simple smile. Clients remember her generosity and acknowledge her by sending thank you cards or making cookies for the staff.

Tina recently helped two of our technicians complete advanced mastery skills for their VECCS application. She is a constant reminder that the technicians are a crucial part of the team, providing a positive learning environment for the staff. Tina instills trust in us with critical patients, anxious clients and wild phone calls. No matter how busy she is, she will make time to answer your question and be sure you understand what is going on.

She is also an advocate for technicians by providing respect, support and trust... It is obvious that she wants us all to succeed and grow as individuals. At the end of a shift, Tina will go out of her way to say "Thanks for all your help today, we did a great job!!" Just that simple gesture is worth more than you think..."

Submitted by Kristine Rotundo, CVT