Here to heal
Raise your hand if you opened a business in the middle of all the 2020 pandemic chaos! (Raising hand emoji) Phew was that intense, but we did it. Opening a business on its own is rough enough, but let's just say all the anxiety and stress was extremely heightened once March of 2020 started. Now that 2020 is behind us, we want to move forward in a positive mindset.
We just wanted to reintroduce ourselves and give you some insight on who we are. I am Jessica Lassin (Veterinary ER/ICU Technician) the wife of Dr. Adam Lassin. Let me first start by saying I am not a blog writer. When we started Roots, we had so many ideas of what we wanted for our blog. We wanted it to be a collaboration from different writers with information related to what we do and who we are. We underestimated so many aspects of opening the practice that it's been harder to get blogs out than we expected. But we are growing and determined to get the info out.
The reality of opening started riiiiight when things got crazy in 2020. Our original open date was end of March but for obvious reason we were unable to start seeing patients until May 1st 2020, and let’s just say we hit the ground running. Unfortunately we have not been able to open the doors to our clients so all of our appointments have been curbside. I mean what in the world does curbside even look like for a veterinary practice? It was a rocky and interesting start but luckily we have made it work. We really appreciate our clients being patient while we sifted through those challenges. We understand that handing over your pet is already difficult enough in a normal veterinary setting, let alone curbside. I promise they are in good hands with our staff, and if you follow us on Instagram you can see how much they are loved. Our building is nowhere close to being finished but we are making progress and we hope to be able to invite our clients in the building at some point in 2021. Hopefully…….Maybe..…
The evolution of designing has been fun but in the end we wanted a natural, organic and calming feel to the practice. For now here is a sneak peek of parts of the clinic.
If you are just now stumbling upon us and know nothing about Roots let me explain what sets us apart from other veterinary clinics. We are an Integrative Veterinary practice where the owner Dr. Lassin along side our staff practice a mixture of Eastern and Western medicine. We strongly believe that the two compliment each other in a way that allows for healing as well as a healthy lifestyle we all want for our pets. The idea of our clinic is not just a hospital but a true veterinary wellness center. In conjunction with the western style medicine most of you might be used to, we offer education about titers, diet, herbal therapy, acupuncture and so much more. Dr. Lassin is certified in Acupuncture as well as we have two TCVM- Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine certified technicians. Chi Institute Most of our staff is fear free certified and take this very seriously. Slowing down long enough to make sure a pet feels safe is a huge priority for us. Diet is also a big portion of what we do. For this reason we have partnered with Just Food For Dogs. Just Food For Dogs We have a full pantry in our clinic, which also hopefully will be open to the public to shop in person in 2021. (They deserve an entire blog post on their own)
When you come to see us for a simple ear infection you might quite possibly leave with information on diet, vaccines, lifestyle and whatever else Dr. Lassin feels might be causing that ear infection. You may think to yourself what does any of this have to do with my dogs ear infection? But just trust us on this one. Needless to say that the time taken to really get to know you and your pet is never enough time for Dr. Lassin. We strive to give as much detailed information that we feel you and your pet deserve. When you work in an industry that is truly your calling in life, the patients deserve every ounce of information, possibilities and options. With that being said the individualized style of medicine mixed with the reality of running a business is very hard to balance. Adam and I wholeheartedly want Roots to be what we feel is really needed in the veterinary industry; Integrative and personalized medicine to each patient.
If you know anything about the Veterinary industry you know that helping animals can be rewarding and emotionally exhausting. Suicide In the Veterinary field Throw in a pandemic with such high demand for integrative medicine in a rapidly growing city makes for an intense amount of emotional fatigue. I wanted to highlight our amazing staff because like Adam and I they too had no idea what was about to hit us. Our staff has worked their butts off and handled it with grace. Working for a brand new vet practice and appointments being booked out for months has not been easy. It feels as if we are never going to catch a break. While yes for any business being booked is what you want, but truly is a double edged sword. We continue to hear from our colleagues how busy and exhausted everyone is. The pandemic has definitely done a number on everyone in the industry. BUT, like I said, our staff has continued to come in with a smile on their face, not complained, held their head high and have delivered the same passion Adam and I want for our clients. They are the real MVP’s and face of who we are. Also deserving of their own blog posts ;)
From Left to right: Brooke, Kaitlyn, Dr. Lassin, Jessica Lassin, LJ and Mequela.
To close this out because I truly could go on forever about how tough last year was on top of how amazing our team has been for us. We are here, we are open, we are busy, and we are loving this little practice that is growing at rapid speed. We hope 2021 brings more doctors and support staff members who believe in what we do so we can service everyone who has been waiting.
Photography by Ashley Medrano