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2022 Annual Report

Highlights from 2022

As we entered 2022, the staff and board of Mission Animal Hospital spent some time reviewing the foundation of what makes Mission unique and to ensure we are responsive to our community. As a result, we are proud to share our updated Guiding Values that more accurately reflect who we are today than the original written over six years ago.

Mission's new Guiding Values

  1. We believe that all people have the right to a relationship with a pet. 

  2. We maintain that pet owners know their pet best. 

  3. We prioritize patient care through exceptional, individualized medicine.

  4. We uphold that equity and inclusivity promote excellence. 

  5. We partner with our community because we are stronger together. 

  6. We innovate for maximum impact to make tomorrow better than today.

 

Veterinary medicine and the world around us are constantly changing. At Mission Animal Hospital, we are always examining what we can do to improve access to veterinary care in order serve our community in the best possibly way. In response, 2022 was a year in which Mission expanded our programming in two key areas: diversity initiatives and client services.

At Mission, we feel passionate about addressing the issues of diversity in veterinary medicine. The veterinary profession is one of the least diverse professional groups in the country. As part of our efforts to improve diversity in the field, we entered into a unique partnership this year with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) to create our Junior Vets Program in 2022. A young person can’t aspire to or be excited about being a veterinary professional if they are never exposed to the field. Mission's Junior Vets Program brings Cristo Rey high school students from diverse backgrounds into hour hospital to gain hands-on work experience in the field of veterinary medicine. Through the course of the school year, each student spends 1-2 days per week working directly alongside our medical teams, inspiring them to consider a future career in veterinary medicine. This is just a first step of many to address the lack of diversity within the profession.

We are committed and will continue this partnership year over year, generously supported and made possible by our donor base. 

 

Pets mean the world to us and when they are sick or injured, fear and anxiety can strike with a vengeance impacting all of us in unpredictable ways. In 2022, Mission Animal Hospital launched our Social Work Program in response to the journey we see our clients take through our Urgent Care when pets are sick or injured. This began as a successful master’s degree internship program throughout 2022 and into 2023 and is progressing into a full-time licensed social worker position in 2023. Our Social Work Program is instrumental in so many ways, from helping clients navigate difficult decisions that need to be made swiftly to offering local resources for clients needing help outside our walls. Veterinary social work is an emerging field in the veterinary profession and Mission is among the first hospitals in the country to offer this service. We are so fortunate that our donors appreciate the value in this position. Now, we can’t imagine not having a social worker on staff!

Our commitment, as a community organization, will always be to grow with our community and to improve access to veterinary care. 2023 promises to be an even more exciting year for Mission and we can’t wait to share with you how we will continue to grow. 

With gratitude, 

Dr. Susan Miller

 

Reflctions

23,281

Pet Visits

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84%

of patients qualified for donor-subsidized care

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7,817

Families Served

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10,201

Unique pets cared for

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Numbers

By the Numbers

In 2022 Mission Animal Hospital donors helped cover nearly $2 million in care for pets in low-income families.

$1,001,279

In Donations

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886

Volunteer Hours

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2,591

Contributors

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740

Families kept together because of accessible care

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What affordable care means:
From our client survey

23% of families in our Mission Program experience housing insecurity.

7% of our Mission Program families have experienced homelessness in the last twelve months.

59% of our Mission Program families faced food insecurity.

39% of our Mission Program families faced pet food insecurity.

99.6% of our clients think of their pets as family.

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Care

Steff's dogs are her family
Now she's part of the Mission family

Steff has been a regular client at Mission Animal Hospital since 2016. Partial to giant- breed dogs, she found Mission at a time when her Great Dane Mastiff, Optimus, broke his leg.

Cancer brings her furry family to Mission

Many of us can relate when Steff says "My dogs are my family!" She grew up always
having dogs around, and it was never a question that they will always be a part of
her life. Her first dog was Loki, a 75lb Lab mix, then came Merle, and Pow, and
Banner. To Steff, "it's so hard to put into words how constant they've been in my life
and how they support me in so many ways.


"When Optimus broke his leg, Steff ended up receiving the worst news a pet parent
can get. It was osteosarcoma. She was so impressed with the compassion and
empathy that she received during Optiums's treatment she kept coming back with all of her dogs to receive care at Mission.

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A second cancer diagnosis

In 2020, Steff and her family had a moment of déjà vu when Loki broke his leg. She immediately broke Loki to Mission's Urgent Care. Her care team immediately suspected osteosarcoma - the same cancer that Optimus had had. They elected to amputate the leg, knowing that this would buy them a few extra months with their boy. She continued bringing Loki in every six weeks for follow ups to monitor his prognosis.

 

Ultimately they had an extra two years with Loki. "I'm pretty sure it was all the love and attention that kept him going. He absolutely ADORED coming to Mission!"

Coming full circle

It was shortly after Loki's cancer returned in spring 2022 that Steff saw that Mission was hiring. "I had an opportunity to work with the place that has made such an impact and difference in my life, I couldn't pass it up!"
 

Steff started as a full time Customer Service Representative in February 2023. "After spending so much time here and seeing first hand how much it means to families that they can get care for their pets here, I felt drawn to the mission of Mission and am proud to be a part of the organization that has done so much for me and my family over the years.

Mission client and staff member Steff and her dog Loki.

Story

A Story of Support

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Mission donor and volunteer Susan Rohde helps raise money for pets in need at the annual Mission Paw-looza!

Susan Rohde will be the first to tell you that the cats, dogs, and horses that she welcomed into her heart throughout her life have enriched her life in more ways than she can count. She is currently cat-mom to three rescue cats, Scooter, Lily, and Serena and says that they are the most important thing in her life next to her family. "They are central to getting me through the hard times, as well as celebrating the good times."

Susan counts her self as lucky in that she's always had the privilege to be able to provide veterinary care to the pets in her life. 

"I simply cannot imagine a worse situation than loving a pet who needs critical veterinary care and not being able to locate the money to save your pet's life, or having to say goodbye to a pet you deeply love because you can't afford routine care." 

"At the core, this is fundamentally a matter of equity, and I'm honored to help" Susan agrees, that a person's ability to have a relationship with a pet, and the love and companionship that go with it, should not be dictated by their financial circumstances. 

Susan is not only a contributor to Mission Animal Hospital, but also volunteers her expertise in information technology.


"There are many, many wonderful nonprofits in the world focused on helping animals in various ways. I applaud them all and support several. That said, I feel it’s critical to not just place pets in good situations, it’s also critical to make sure they have ongoing care at a price all pet parents can afford. Mission Animal Hospital is stepping forward to make that happen. I am happy to give of my time, expertise and money to move that mission forward and encourage others to do so as well."

Financials

Presented below are Mission Animal Hospital's 2021 financial breakdowns, according to an independent audit. The organization's 2022 financials will undergo an independent audit and will be available later this year. ​

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Financials

2022 Board of Directors

Alexis Barber

Taylor Bennett

David Boyce

Jordan Britt

PJ Halverson

Todd Lifson

Susan Miller, DVM

Tom Paulson

Kate Pexa

Dr. Oliver Phan

Beth Rausch, DVM

William Sternberg

David Stillman

Dan Washam

Staff Leadership

Susan Miller, DVM, Executive Director

Kelsey Bertamus, DVM, Hospital Director

Christine Durand, Development Director

Kellie Lager, Human Resources Director

Leadeship
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Mission Animal Hospital

10100 Viking Drive Suite 150

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Phone: 952-938-1237

Email: info@missionah.org

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Mission Animal Hospital is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit recognized by the IRS. 

Tax ID number: 47-2606680

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The materials offered on this website are intended for educational purposes only. Mission Animal Hospital does not provide any veterinary medical services or guidance via the Internet. Please consult your pet’s veterinarian regarding the care of your animals.

© 2023 Mission Animal Hospital

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