Veterinary care so good, some humans wish they could visit: Acupuncture, hyperbaric chambers and pool
Meet the dog that inspired the development of this state-of-the-art facility. Presented by Chase Payment Solutions®.
In short
LAURA AND MICHAEL: The couple who owns Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation, a 6,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art rehab facility for animals.
VETERINARY REHABILITATION: A specialized segment of veterinary science that uses multiple modalities, from acupuncture to physical therapy, to enhance pets’ wellness and alleviate symptoms of debilitating chronic conditions.
HYPERBARIC CHAMBERS: Just one of the clinic’s healing modalities (that humans have a hard time finding).
CHAUNCY: The pit bull who inspired the business owners to go big.
HOW WE HELP: The couple uses the Chase Wireless Terminal to accept payments easily in the exam room.
When Walter met Laura
At a fundraising event for an animal rescue group, veterinarian Laura Surovi and her husband Michael Sivo met a dog, Walter.
The 50-pound pit bull, to whom event proceeds would go, was in bad shape. He struggled with his legs and lived in chronic pain.
Guests were given the opportunity to get a picture taken with Walter. As the couple posed with the pup, Laura applied acupressure to Walter’s neck.
Click. And the couple joined other guests to mingle.
Walter had other plans. With difficulty, he moved through the crowd toward Laura specifically, looking up at her as if to say: “Again?”
An acquaintance told the couple: “Looks like you’re taking him home.”
Which they did.
Navigating the “rehab rabbit hole”
It wasn’t easy to find the right rehabilitation for Walter, whom the couple renamed Chauncy upon adopting him.
The nearest rehab facility was an hour away. Once there, Laura fought to open doors with the dog in her arms. She ran though rain in uncovered parking lots and struggled in crowded reception areas.
Rehab facilities just weren’t built for disabled animals or their owners.
As a veterinarian with expertise in holistic care, Laura was uniquely positioned to solve this: She opened her mobile rehabilitation practice in 2020, making home visits while continuing to work at a general veterinary clinic.
Beyond the prescription pad
Veterinary rehabilitation, one of the fastest-growing areas in veterinary medicine, takes a multimodal approach to increase functional mobility, decrease pain and improve the quality of life for both animals and companions.
“Ultimately, clients are looking beyond the prescription pad. In general practice, that’s mostly what you can do—prescribe medicine.”
Laura treated mostly dogs and sometimes cats who, for instance, suffered from arthritis or injury, or needed post-operative care. She offered general conditioning for sporting dogs. The practice boomed as patients found her.
Michael, who had previously owned real estate businesses over his life, saw opportunity: Laura’s services filled a woefully unmet need and he thought the business could go bigger.
In fact, he thought it could go 6,000 square feet bigger.
Demand exceeded expectations
When Michael found a vacant piece of land in Cleveland, the couple sat down to plan.
“I wanted to create a place where no one had to go through the struggles I did with Chauncy,” said Laura. “We insisted on a covered drive, automatic doors, rubber floors so no one slipped and a huge reception area.”
They completed construction in about a year. With 24-foot ceilings, the space includes four exam rooms, a gym, a pool with underwater treadmills and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, with a growing staff of three doctors.
Demand exceeded expectations, drawing clients from multiple counties and states around Cleveland and from Canada.
The couple’s local banker provides support
The couple says much of their success stems from executing against a solid business plan and surrounding themselves with people they can trust in financial decision making.
Michael had banked with Chase for his other businesses over 30 years.
“It just always felt easy with Chase,” said Michael, explaining why they brought the new venture to Chase. "I get on the phone and I know if I have an issue, they are going to help me out.”
The couple built a close relationship with their business banker Jill.
"We take great comfort in knowing that we have a local banker who not only cares about our business,” said Michael, “but who is readily accessible when we have questions or challenges. It feels like having a good friend looking out for our best interests."
Merchant services, Michael added, is “insanely important” to businesses in a world that runs on credit cards and they chose Chase Payment Solutions.
In her mobile business, Laura had used a Chase mobile card reader. It connected with her smartphone and allowed her to easily take payments from patients at her on-the-go clinic.
In the new facility, the team uses two terminals.
"The wireless, mobile terminals allow us to conveniently check out our clients in exam rooms in a comfortable and safe environment for pets," said Laura.
“We’ve found that being able to check out in the exam room is a service people have really come to value,” said Michael. “They don’t have to make another stop at a front desk to pay. Clients find it very easy to do business with us and they appreciate the concierge-like service.”
As their business banker, Jill stays close, frequently providing financial tips so Michael and Laura do more with their money.
For instance, she suggested Laura and Michael take better advantage of their operating account’s reserve funds with end-of-day money market sweeps. That puts their reserve cash to work, earning at a greater return than if it sat idle in a non-interest-bearing account.
Finding fulfillment
Recently, Laura and Michael met with the city to get approval for adding another 2,000 square feet. That will accommodate five exam rooms, a space for gait analysis and a media room for the production of educational content.
The couple is thrilled to have launched a booming business. Still, their purpose is centered on patient success.
“There’s tremendous satisfaction in celebrating the success of the business,” Laura said, “but the real fulfillment comes from helping our pets and knowing how much appreciation their owners have for the services we provide.”
Only one question remains: At what point will the clinic accept human patients?
Advice for business owners
- Take big bets: “So many great ideas never come to life because people don’t have the support or the courage to jump on those ideas,” said Michael. “You have to be a risk taker. You have to take the biggest bet and bet on yourself.”
- Fill a marketplace need: The clinic provides a suite of services no other clinic does under one roof. Customers find it on their own, no help needed from advertising.
- Start with goals: Laura always asks customers what success looks like. Whether they want their sporting dogs to win their next competition or just take a morning walk, patient and doctor have a shared mission.
- Explore every option: Pick great vendors, whether your software or your bank and explore their full offering. The couple worked with their Chase business banker recently to explore an employee 401K plan. “Even after all these years, we’re still going deeper with Chase,” said Michael.
To sign up for Chase Payment Solutions®, reach out to a Payments Advisor at 1-877-843-5690 or connect with us here.
