When Alix Rairden joined NVA’s Scarbrough Animal Hospital as a certified veterinary technician in 2012, she brought with her a deep clinical foundation and a drive to do more. Within three years, she was leading the hospital as its Hospital Manager. In 2024, she brought that same energy to NVA's Best Friends Animal Hospital in Florida and hasn’t slowed down since.

Her story is a reminder that growth in veterinary medicine doesn't follow one path and that the best leaders often spend just as much time lifting others as they do climbing.

1. You've been in leadership since 2015 and have helped onboard at least five Hospital Managers along the way. What does mentorship mean to you?

“Every one of my mentees is different, of course, they are different people but they also have different personalities, different skill sets and different backgrounds. I love learning from them through our connections. It fulfills me to be a person they can count on to help answer a question by the book, but also give them a splash of real-life answers when they may be feeling overwhelmed with everything.”

2. You became the Suncoast Practice Development Partner and Division Wellness Champion in 2024. What drew you to those roles, and what does wellness mean to you in the context of vet med?

“Becoming more familiar with the ideas around wellness care and annual plans has been incredible! I have always worked at locations that offer wellness but it wasn’t until I joined Best Friends that I realized what it feels like to make it our priority. Having our wellness plans guarantees that we are aligned with the recommendations of every life stage of our patients, ensuring they live their best lives.”

3. How has NVA supported your growth?

“NVA has been instrumental in my emotional intelligence and mental well-being journey. I was able to join a Health of Healers session in 2021 and then Women Empowering Women in 2022. Both were truly an incredible opportunity to learn about reflection and leadership development. The teachings from both retreats are still helping me daily.”

4. Looking ahead, what are you hoping to achieve personally and professionally?

“My goals are to be an inspiration to others and to show that we should never stop learning no matter where we are in our journey. Don’t get comfortable and push myself to say yes to challenges and projects when I can. Professionally, I have a passion for stress-free visits, treatments and hospitalizations for our patients and would love to find a way to help sites accomplish less stress for their patients too!”

More about Alix Rairden:

Alix Rairden is the Hospital Manager at Best Friends Animal Hospital in Ft. Myers, Florida. She began her career in veterinary medicine as a certified veterinary technician in 2007. She landed at NVA’s Scarbrough Animal Hospital in 2012, was promoted to Hospital Manager in 2015, and joined NVA’s Best Friends Animal Hospital in 2024.