Leesburg's Veterinary Clinics - Market Street Animal Clinic

Market Street Animal Clinic
Gary Dickens October 2010

	As a biologist and as one who encourages students to pursue biology as a career, I am always intrigued by those who wind up making it a livelihood. Take Leesburg's own Dr. Katie Kuchinsky, veterinarian at and owner of Market Street Animal Clinic at 210 East Market Street. Getting into an American veterinary school is actually a lot tougher than getting into an Amercian medical school. The slots are much more limited for applicants and many good future vets give up their dreams when they can't get in. Not our Dr. Katie! After completing her BS in Biology at the University of Richmond, she found her way to Ross University in St. Kitts, West Indies where she earned her DVM. She also did an internship at the University of Minnesota.
Dr."Katie" (she prefers the relaxed and informal) is much more than a talented small animal vet and surgeon. She is also a savvy businesswoman, who has paired with her husband Ryan Austad to create a very homey practice for Leesburg's dogs and cats. Their first strategic decision was to purchase one of Leesburg's Legacy Businesses. In the case of the Market Street Animal Clinic it has been serving us for over 30years!

After purchasing the practice in 2009 she began its transformation. You can see the influence of her time in the islands in the color palette she chose for the clinic. Gone were the monotone whites of the prior practicioner. The building is now painted a happy bright yellow, and inside a soothing green replaces ordinary eggshell. Smocks became lavender and blue, and if you notice in the picture above, a large, bright logo adorns Dr. Katie's scrub top. A calming, relaxed environment is savvy Marketing 101 for any business.
Dr. Katie is first and foremost a small animal vet, specializing in dogs and cats. I was privileged to photograph her in surgery and quickly realized, if you are going to specialize in small animals and their requisite surgeries, it's very helpful to have delicate hands and nimble fingers. Case in point, the little puppy whose time had come to, eh, get "fixed" had very small features. I was fascinated at how Dr. Katie deftly handled the surgery.
Beyond great technical skill and knowledge Dr. Katie has put together a strong team to help run the business. Husband Ryan (below), who manages the books/marketing and their pet services business, is clearly key to the behind-the-scene functions vital to every small business. Kelli Boswell, surgical assistant is pictured in the photos above. Not pitcured, but also important to the clinic's success are Jenny McIntyre, Kerry Iliff, Anastasia Locraft, Melanie Gentile, Maureen Spain, Laura Olson, Sarah Nordseth and Debbie Taylor. If you'd like to know more about Market Street Animal Clinic's services please visit their website at http://www.marketstreetanimalclinic.com.