Dr. Emily Miller is not your typical doctor. She treats ear and skin infections, illnesses and diseases, but you won’t find her at any local hospital.
The owner of Scotts Valley Veterinary Clinic (SVVC), Miller and her team are celebrating 65 years of being in business and serving patients and clients of the canine and feline persuasion. While there are some clinics that specialize in treating large animals (think horses and pigs) or exotic ones (birds and reptiles), Miller is clinically focused on those with four paws, whiskers and tails.
Established in 1960 by Dr. Beverly Hill and subsequently purchased by Dr. Charles Miller, the clinic has grown in size since its inception, and now boasts 20 staff and five doctors.
Raised on a farm, Emily Miller (known as Dr. Em) started as a nurse at the clinic when she was 15 and graduated in 2013 from UC Davis with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). Miller’s dad, Charles, also attended Davis and owned the clinic for 30 years. The two worked side-by-side as doctors until she took over the practice in 2018.
“I had always wanted to go into photography or marine biology as a career, but I started working here with my dad as a summer job when I was 15, and I just loved it. I loved the generations of families that were returning and the educational component of our work. We offer longer appointment times than any other clinic—we feel like if we spend more time with our clients, we can provide better preventative care and improved education. Our doctors are not production based; we’re caring for our patients in the best possible way. We follow up personally by phone and do our best to connect directly with our clients,” said Miller, who added that veterinarians get into the business for the pets, but they’re really in it for the people. “It’s all about choices. Some are hard and some are easy, but as long as we can be there for them during the hard choices, that’s the goal.”
Carol Bryant has been the office manager for the clinic since 1992.
“The way we treat our clients with individual attention makes all the difference,” Bryant said. “We educate our clients and take the time to really talk with them. We’ll walk through processes with them and have always made phone calls to connect with our clients. All of our doctors call back with blood panel results within 24 hours. We have a wonderful business, we treat our clients like family and I think that’s been the biggest part of our success.”
The clinic averages 25-35 patients per day, and compassion fatigue comes with the territory.
“Everyone’s here for the animals. It’s not a very lucrative business, and there are some hard decisions that our clients need to make. Medicine isn’t always black and white, and we’re here to give the best possible information to help our clients navigate those difficult decisions,” Miller said. “We have a very present and devoted clientele that do a wonderful job with preventative care. They’re very motivated to take advice to help their pets in the long run, and that allows us to work as a team in the care of their companions.”
Miller is aware that her work is in the service industry, not just in medicine. Listening and holding space for families in troubling times helps to solidify those relationships, and leads to the return of generations of local residents.
In addition to surpassing 65 years in business, SVVC just received its AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accreditation. AAHA accreditation signifies that a veterinary practice has met and continues to maintain the high standards set by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). These standards cover a broad range of areas, including patient care, safety and team training.
Only about 15% of veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada achieve this accreditation, placing SVVC in a league of its own.
The clinic has withstood the triumph of private ownership; conventional wisdom says that in the next 10 years, private clinics won’t exist due to the costs and challenges of staying open.
“We’re proud to still be here, and that speaks to the devotion and training of our staff members here,” Miller said. “Every staff member here is so devoted to doing what they do, and no one employee is more important than any other. We’re truly a team. As much as the doctors work hard and work together, our staff deserve a special shout-out because they’re amazing.”
To learn more about SVVC and their practice, visit scottsvalleyvet.com.
