Menu
Menu
Are veterinary colleges preparing students to meet the needs of the veterinary profession? Our panel will address competency-based education, the Spectrum of Care Educational Model, and team-based veterinary healthcare. We will also explore ways veterinary workplaces can support and onboard recent graduates, as well as insights from an early career veterinarian.
Dr. Fritzler graduated from Washington State University with her DVM degree in 1991. In 2008, she became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM). Beth served for over ten years on the board of directors for the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. She is currently a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council for the Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a board member for Seavuria, an organization providing scholarships and STEM education in Kenya. Beth has a special interest in practice finance, budgeting, and ethics and has spoken on these topics at local, state, and national practice management conferences.
In 1999, she and her husband purchased Lien Animal Clinic in Seattle, Washington. For the next 20 years, she served as the Hospital Administrator and CFO while continuing to practice medicine part-time. During that time the practice grew from 2 ½ doctors to 9 doctors, built a new facility, and greatly expanded the staff and services offered. In 2018, the practice was sold to a corporate consolidator. In 2016, Dr. Fritzler and her husband partnered with an associate from Lien to start Cascade Heights Veterinary Center. In seven years, the practice has grown from a startup to a 4 DVM practice.
Beth and her husband have three children, all of whom have worked in the practices with them at some point. Their oldest son graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU in 2019 and practices at Cascade. In her spare time, Beth enjoys reading, gardening, spending time with her horses, and traveling with her family.
Garth’s recent accomplishments include using Design Thinking to design and execute (a) AAHA’s Strategic Plan, resulting in a renewed focus on its core business and significant membership growth and (b) a complete digital transformation of the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s business model – helping the organization grow from ~30,000 to over 100,000 members.
Ultimately, for Garth, every day presents a new opportunity to: discover new connections, people and empathy-based ways of thinking; design new ideas that push the envelope of continuous improvement; and build and prove value for the customers and staff for whom he works.
Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.
He received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from The Ohio State University in 1981 and 1985, respectively, and began his professional career working in a mixed animal practice with primary emphasis on dairy herd health.
Dr. Maccabe was commissioned as a public health officer in the U.S. Air Force in 1988, where he managed preventive medicine activities and directed programs in occupational health, communicable disease control, and health promotion. After 24 years of combined service on active duty and in the Air Force Reserve, he retired as a Colonel in 2017.
Dr. Maccabe completed his Master of Public Health degree at Harvard University in 1995 and his Juris Doctor degree (Magna Cum Laude) at the University of Arizona in 2002. He served as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s liaison to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, coordinating policies and programs between the CDC and the FDA.
He has been elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice and holds memberships in many professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association and the District of Columbia Veterinary Medical Association. He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and is a licensed patent attorney.
Dr. Jackie Treat graduated from Washington State University in 2020. She practices small animal medicine at Perrinville Animal Hospital in Edmonds, WA and is passionate about feline wellbeing and outdoor recreation. Since graduating, Dr.Treat completed the WSVMA Power of 10 leadership program and is preparing to launch her LLC, Cattitude, offering mobile behavior consulting for felines. Dr.Treat is also the Co-Founder and Coordinator of Vets Outdoors, a veterinary backpacking retreat on the olympic coast which promotes personal development and professional networking. Dr. Jackie Treat and her husband recently welcomed their first child, Forrest into the world and have been enjoying introducing him to his cat brother and dog sister as well as to the great outdoors.