Photo by Erin Nelson.
Dr. Jay Price, DVM, founder and CEO of Southern Veterinary Partners, at the company’s corporate office in Homewood.
Southern Veterinary Partners, headquartered on Lakeshore Drive, was recently recognized by Newsweek magazine in their annual list of America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces. The veterinary practice placed No. 22 on the list overall and ranked No. 1 in healthcare.
The list recognizes companies that have created a workplace where employees feel respected, inspired and appreciated and are at the center of the business model. Southern Veterinary Partners was the only animal health company to place on the Newsweek list for 2023.
The practice was founded in 2014 by Dr. Jay Price, a native of Phenix City, Alabama who first found his love of animal care while spending summers on his grandparents’ farm helping to tend and care for its many animals.
Price began practicing in the Birmingham area after he completed veterinary school at Auburn University and acquired Oak View Animal Hospital from the original owner. He decided to move to the company’s official corporate home in Homewood, and has built Southern Veterinary Partners from three practices in 2014 to 390 today. Currently, Southern Veterinary Partners has 393 veterinary hospitals across 25 states and more than 9,000 employees, and is on track to open the 400th hospital by the end of the year.
“As a veterinary practice owner, I realized many of my peers had little desire, training, or expertise to handle back-of-house business management,” Price said. “At the end of the day, Veterinarians want to do what they love - practice veterinary medicine.”
As an alternative, Price, along with two other veterinarians, created a consolidated partnership model that allows practice owners to sell or partner with Southern Veterinary Partners, who handles the business aspects of veterinary medicine centrally, and empowers veterinarians to focus on the medical practice, Price said.
“SVP hospitals retain their names, culture, medical autonomy, veterinarians, staff, and commitment to their local communities,” he said. “That’s how we are intentionally different from the other veterinary groups, and we’re really proud of that.”
Price said the company has grown so successfully that it has made the INC. 5000 fastest-growing companies list for the last five years in a row.
“This is not an easy feat and these accomplishments are a direct result of a great team who give their all each and every day,” he said.
What makes Southern Veterinary Partners different is that the practice is vet-first and team-led.
“We focus on doing what’s best for the people in our organization so that they can in turn provide the best care for the pets and clients they serve,” Price said. “That comes in the form of industry-leading benefits, continuing education programs that are constantly evolving, turning feedback into action to better respond to the needs of our team, and making sure every single person who calls Southern Veterinary Partners home is engaged and supported.”
Price said being named the No. 1 Most Loved Workplace in healthcare is an honor, because it means they are doing right by their teammates.
“They’re the ones who contributed to the nomination,” he said. “So to know that they are so passionate about the culture we’ve built together here is really amazing. We’ve always known that there’s something special about Southern Veterinary Partners, and to have this national recognition, it is an opportunity for everyone to get a glimpse.”
Price and his family live in Homewood where his two sons attend school in the Homewood School District.
For more information on the business, visit southernvetpartnersllc.com.
