In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we recently connected with Michelle Gonzales, VCA’s certified veterinary practice manager and senior regional director of operations for Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The discussion highlighted her background and involvement in the VCA LatinX-Stronger Together Associate Resource Group (ARG) and her role in implementing the Lionbridge program. VCA is committed to creating a work environment of acceptance and understanding, celebrating our individual characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and gender. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths and what makes working at VCA so exciting.
Michelle’s background and involvement in the VCA LatinX –Stronger Together Associate Resource Group (ARG).
I have over 30 years in the veterinary industry. As of October 11, 2024, this date marks 29 years with VCA due to retaining my years when we joined the VCA family in 2015. I began my career as a kennel attendant in a boarding facility and I’m now a senior regional operations director supporting two amazing regional operations directors with multiple hospitals in three states. I’m an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), serving as co-lead on the VCA Latinx-Stronger Together Associate Resource Group since inception at VCA. I have also served on the DEI Commission for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). I earned my Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification in 2010 and I’m an active member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA). I served on the Board of Directors for 12 years and am a past president for the VHMA. Currently, I’m attending the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU).
Why did the Lionbridge program start and how are we incorporating it at VCA?
VCA partnered with Lionbridge to provide interpretation services for non-English speaking and American Sign Language (ASL) clients at no cost. In real time, VCA’s hospitals can enlist a Lionbridge interpreter to facilitate a clear exchange of information between pet owners and the healthcare team. The service can be used either in person (directly in the hospital) or when interacting over the phone. Lionbridge was officially implemented in December 2023. Through this program, hospital teams can access materials such as posters, information cards, and resource guides through our Client Experience hub. Our teams now have direct access to Lionbridge interpretation over the phone or video communication for American Sign Language.
What has the impact been so far?
Our Client Communications team, which includes our Call Center, has been a consistent user of Lionbridge averaging 100 transactions per month. In total, across our hospital teams and Client Communication teams, we have completed over 2,100 transactions to date and an average of 200 per month. Top languages used through the program include, Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Thai.
You can learn more about Michelle Gonzales by tuning into her recent episode on the VCA Voice Podcast hosted by Dr. Marie Kerl.
