| Complaint: | Complaint 20-123 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Sarah Berthiaume |
| Premises: | Topaz Veterinary Clinic |
The complainant tells us she called Topaz Veterinary Clinic regarding her cat's labored breathing. She says the receptionist scheduled her for a little over a week later. It turns out her cat died the day before the appointment. She says that she didn't know the labored breathing would constitute a medical emergency and blames the clinic for not geting her in sooner or referring her to an emergency facility. She also includes an email thread with the veterinarians at the clinic. She says that she trusted them because her dog also went there but now knows not to trust them; they say they're taking additional measures including staff training to ensure this never happens again.
Berthaiume's response begins with a one-paragraph letter saying that they have few records because they never saw the cat. There's a longer response that follows. She tells us the complainant never called during that week while she was waiting to get the cat into the veterinarian. She also says that they don't know who complainant spoke to; apparently once an appointment is canceled the information is deleted from their system so they just have no idea. She also has no notes regarding the conversation because those would also have been deleted. She then says that she doesn't know if the complainant didn't make the emergency nature clear enough or if the complainant just failed to call back when things got worse. We then learn that one of the receptionists had been fired for "performance problems" that were not related to this call; apparently this receptionist just hadn't been working out, and now that the individual is gone, nobody can ask and find out if she's the one.
The Investigative Committee said that it was an "unfortunate set of circumstances." They say that what happened was contrary to the protocols at the premises but that the cat could still have died even if the cat saw a veterinarian sooner. They lament that this is "a challenge in owning a business" as "receptionists often times do not have medical skills and/or knowledge, therefore are difficult to train to ensure a call is handled appropriately." No violations were found.
One fun thing about this case is that all three veterinary investigators on this Committee are themselves veterinary practice owners (and in one case also happens to be married to another). Amrit Rai is the owner/operator at Sugarloaf Animal Clinic. Brian Sidaway was apparently running an outcall surgery service (Incise Veterinary Surgery) at this time and later became CEO of Desert Ark Veterinary Care. Cameron Dow inherited some or all of Prescott Animal Hospital from his father, Steven Dow (also a veterinary bigwig in Arizona); Dow's wife Amie is a partner with veterinary board member Nikki Frost in Urgent Pet Prescott LLC. Are their businesses experiencing the same "challenge" in finding competent employees to answer the phone?
| Source: | November 11, 2020 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Sarah Berthiaume | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | December 12, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Absent |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Absent |
| Sarah Heinrich | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.