A must-read
Today’s pet parents want to be active participants in decisions about their pets’ health, not passive recipients of one-time services. Chewy Health’s Mita Malhotra asserts that practices that prioritize long-term partnership over episodic service often see stronger patient health outcomes, deeper trust and greater lifetime loyalty from clients.
Nearly 82 percent of pet parents report experiencing challenges in understanding aspects of their pets’ health. Clear explanations, ongoing communication and follow-up, whether through digital updates or check-ins, help close that gap.
Business owners can make a big difference in quality of care by ensuring clinicians have the autonomy to practice personalized, patient-first medicine. Relationship-centered care cannot thrive in rigid, protocol-based operating models.
If relationship-centered care is the goal, practice design must put teams at the center so they can focus on care. This starts with autonomy, empowering clinicians to practice individualized medicine, paired with technology that reduces administrative burden.
Source: Forbes, March 31, 2026. Link. When operations, culture and environment align around people, relationship-centered care becomes the standard (embedded), not the exception (episodic), says Malhotra.
The future of veterinary care will not be defined solely by clinical excellence. It will be defined by how effectively practices integrate trust, empathy and partnership into the care model.” – Mita Malhotra, president Chewy Health
INSIGHTS: Malhotra’s article is revealing, especially in light of the April 8th announcement of Chewy’s acquisition of Modern Animal, Inc. <Link>.
Image: Link.
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