In Part 1, I focused on why independence matters: community-first care, faster innovation, and the ability to build trust through local relationships. Now I want to focus on the practical side. If independence is going to remain a viable path, it has to be sustainable for clients and sustainable for teams.
Lean Operations Help Keep Care Within Reach
Corporate structures often rely on multiple layers of management. To be clear, strong leadership at the hospital level matters, and boots-on-the-ground managers and leaders can absolutely improve communication, increase efficiency, and help a team perform at a higher level. The difference is what happens when layers stack beyond what the local hospital truly needs.
In an independent setting, you can drastically reduce middle management and keep decision-making closer to the people doing the work, which creates real financial flexibility. That flexibility can be used to pay support staff better, invest in tools that improve workflow, and still avoid pushing every rising cost directly onto the client. And we need to talk about that last point plainly: the current trajectory of rising Veterinary costs is not sustainable if we want broad access to care. Independence gives practice owners a lever to stay lean, stay efficient, and keep care within reach, without sacrificing quality.
Competing with Big Groups Requires Strategy, Not Surrender
Large hospital groups have real advantages. Economies of scale can reduce cost of goods, and they can pour resources into marketing and recruiting at a level most independent hospitals cannot match. But that is not the only way to control COGS or attract and retain great people. Group purchasing organizations and independent buying groups are growing and becoming more accessible, and when used intentionally they can narrow the gap on the supply side without requiring a practice to give up autonomy.
On the talent side, independents can win with what many teams are actually searching for: a strong culture that feels personal, leadership that is present, and a clear vision for what the practice stands for. Pair that with real growth opportunities inside the hospital, whether that is skill development, expanded responsibility, leadership training, or a pathway toward partnership, and you create a value proposition that can compete powerfully with corporate resources.
Ownership is Not for Everyone, But It Should Be on the Menu
Even though one of my passions in Veterinary medicine is empowering practice ownership, it is unrealistic to believe every veterinarian is cut out to own a practice. Whether it is fear of the business side, student debt, lack of mentorship, or simply personal preference, ownership will never be the right path for every new graduate, and that is okay. The goal is not a profession where everyone owns, it is a profession where ownership is visible, attainable, and supported for the veterinarians who feel called to build.
The longevity and the art of Veterinary medicine depends on local owners and operators who can keep DVM and VMD thinking at the center of decision-making. It can feel like a small shift, but when more veterinarians take the independent plunge, those clinician-led thought processes scale with them. That is better for pets, better for communities, and better for the future of the profession.
A Closing Challenge to the Next Generation
If you are an early-career veterinarian, I want you to at least consider independence, whether that means pursuing ownership someday or choosing to build your career inside an independent hospital now. Independence is not about recreating an old-school mom and pop model where your entire life revolves around the building. It can be about designing a sustainable business that fits the community, supports the team, and keeps clinician-led decision-making at the center of care.
Look for practices that are community-first, willing to innovate, and intentional about culture and growth. Consider partnership paths that let you learn without carrying the full weight on day one. Ask to understand the business, not just the medicine. When more veterinarians choose that path, even a small percentage more, it strengthens access to care, strengthens teams, and preserves the heart of Veterinary medicine where it belongs: local, personal, and rooted in service.