Many thanks to all of you who have stopped in to let me know your concern about the hours I have been working since the beginning of April.  The thoughts, garden plants, chocolates, fruit and flower bouquets, baked goodies, homemade soup, prayers, and finger shaking have all done me a world of good - and all that massed resolve about how I better NOT let myself get sick has apparently had some pretty good energetic effects, too!  We've had the unusual situation of having a number of exceptionally qualified veterinarians apply for jobs with us.  As a matter of fact, in the past month, after conducting lots of interviews, the staff and I concluded that our two top picks were both so qualified, we really wished the economy was better so that we could hire both of them!

The final decision came down to a vote for experience - both with veterinary medicine in general, and with integrative medicine in particular.  Our choice as our new Associate Veterinarian?  Dr. Liv Kismartoni.  She has the distinction of having been involved in veterinary medicine for many years. She enjoys both medicine and soft-tissue surgery and is excited about the opportunity to build a working relationship with Knollwood clients. 

Dr. Kismartoni is already certified in veterinary acupuncture, and she is bilingual (English and Polish).  You can read more about her on our staff page. She'll be joining us on June 17th, and will begin seeing patients in mid-July.  Then, after working with me for another two months and getting to know more of you, she will take over all patient visits on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays each week. 

In mid-September, I will step down from seeing patients every weekday plus Saturdays, but will continue to see patients on Mondays through Wednesdays.  On Thursdays, I will concentrate on consultations, staff training, and practice management. 

And another interesting convergence of wishing and hoping and mass resolve?  When I was first looking at having to perhaps work a long time without finding another veterinarian, I immediately contacted our former Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Mary Papacek.  She had contacted me some months ago, when she was recovering from her last surgery, to let me know that she was thinking of working as a relief veterinarian, when she got her health back.  I told her that I thought that this would be a great choice for her, and that I would be first in line to hire her for the times when I needed to take a break or was away lecturing.  When I called Dr. Papacek in late March, I booked her for a long weekend a month, through the end of the year, plus for all my lecture commitments through year's end.  And now that we have Dr. Kismartoni?  Well, it turns out that she and Dr. Papacek know each other!  Dr. Papacek was one of her former employers, and when I called Dr. P. to check references, she told me that she thought that Dr. Kismartoni would be perfect for our practice!  Dr. Papacek will use her relief time with us to share her special dental skills with Dr. Kismartoni, and her advanced computer skills with Chani, who is training to eventually become our Practice Manager.

And what will I do with my spare weekend time, beginning this fall?  Well, once I re-acquaint myself with what leisure time IS, (having "lost" two summers in a row by working all the days and hours), I hope to pick up the continuing education opportunities that I had to drop.  I will resume my herbal medicine studies on-line with the Chi School, and I will also be assisting in teaching for the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society's 2010-2011 course that begins this fall.  Both are exciting opportunities that I am very much looking forward to.  Veterinary medicine is a field that is always growing and changing, and ongoing education is required to keep up with it!

What else is new at Knollwood?  Well, if you've visited the clinic lately, you may know that Jack and Hebert have a new girl bossing them around.  Yes, after gentle nudging these past few months from local representatives of both of our wonderful Cairn rescue groups - Col. Potter's Cairn Terrier Rescue and Cairns U.S.A. - I finally met a little female Cairn who I thought would be a good match for "the boys."  Bettina is a three year old who was rescued from a backyard breeding mill after having had three litters of puppies and then developing a severe uterine infection.  Cairn U.S.A. nursed her back to health, spayed her, and I met her last month.  While no Cairn will ever be able to replace Lizzie (nor should any be expected to), Bettina fills a big empty spot at home and at the hospital.

And...for those of you who have been asking if she will take over Lizzie's column:  Bettina has thought it over carefully and has decided that like many her age, she is a bit intimidated by the skills of senior authors like Lizzie, and is not quite up to the rigors of a monthly column.  She was very intrigued by our hospital Facebook page and thinks that her literary skills would work well there - in fact, she posted her first commentary about what she thought she could contribute by writing for Knollwood on May 2. 

And while you'll have to join our hospital Facebook site to read more from Bettina, we are repeating that first post below:

"Lizzie was a serious senior journalist", she says. "I'm only three, and who's to say if I'm as smart as Lizzie, but I will try real hard to read the journals she read and to think about what you need to know and write it down HERE - maybe I will even get a Facebook notepage of my own if I write real good." 

To those among the other Mitchell pets who have sniggered into their paws about her literary aspirations and called her a dumb blonde, she says, "HEY! I am blonde, yes, but I'm not Marilyn Monroe blonde! I'm Lady Gaga blonde, which means that I am smart and savvy and very talented, too!  Remember, Lady Gaga made a real good point of veterinary interest in that "Telephone" video about why dogs should not eat diner food."  Bettina adds, "But I DO have to tell you, I think she was wrong about how prison guards dress. I made Mom ask one of our clients who really is a prison guard, and our client said that she DEFINITELY does not dress like that for work!!!"