| Complaint: | Complaint 20-43 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Michelle McDonough |
| Premises: | Crossroads Veterinary Hospital |
| Related: | 20-63 |
We don't have a complaint for this. What we do have are findings of fact that say that Kimberly Davis, the practice manager at Crossroads Veterinary Hospital, accused McDonough of dipping into the drug supply at the clinic. Davis had only worked at the clinic for a month but said that she found problems with the drug logs and that things just didn't add up; she also said that she felt McDonough was acting strangely in her opinion. She apparently discussed all this with McDonough; she placed McDonough on suspension and then McDonough allegedly resigned. She called the Board and reported McDonough, then sent all the information to the DEA and the cops; the cops showed up and questioned McDonough but it appears that they didn't proceed with an investigation.
McDonough's response goes into detail regarding the alleged anomalies. She notes that she had been using the same procedures as always for the drugs in question and states that even in the context of the complaint she's unsure exactly what Davis thinks she did. She also says that she has been working as a veterinary technician for 15 years and never encountered such a problem before. It appears that when Davis questioned McDonough she attempted to explain how procedures worked at the clinic but that Davis would not allow her to see the originals for records she was being questioned about. She also points out that several people in the clinic have keys to access the controlled substances and maintain the drug logs. In fact, she says that she had said that their processes needed to be improved several times but that nobody would listen to her. She concludes by stating that she was offended that a newly-hired practice manager would make such accusations to her without the medical director also being present, and that she felt it better to resign than to go along with the suspension. McDonough also includes two letters from other CVTs as character references.
The Board voted to table this while they opened an investigation into the responsible veterinarian, Phalen Smith, at Crossroads Veterinary Hospital. In the end the complaint against McDonough was dismissed. You can read about what happened to Phalen in 20-63.
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Unknown |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Nay |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| 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.