What Makes NorthStar VETS Special

As I passed my 12th anniversary at NorthStar VETS, I reflected on how much things have changed, but also what makes NorthStar VETS special. When I started, there were approximately 30 full time employees in a 4,000 sq ft building in Millstone. Now, there are more than 180 full time employees in 2 locations, with the main location at 33,000 sq ft. Here are some additional key points about NorthStar VETS that you may not have realized:

• NorthStar VETS is one of the only specialty referral practices in New Jersey that is privately owned. About a third of the veterinary hospitals in the United States are now corporately owned.
• NorthStar VETS focuses only on specialty and emergency medicine, which means there is no general practice. That allows the team to better partner with your family veterinarian.
• NorthStar VETS is non-teaching, meaning there are no formal residents, interns or students. This means patients always see an experienced specialist who has completed a residency. Almost all of the emergency doctors have completed internships, and those who haven’t come with many years of experience.
• All NorthStar VETS doctors do cage-side rounds twice a day. Every inpatient is discussed with all the doctors so each patient has the opportunity to get the expertise of multiple services. For example, a dog that comes in for tumor removal with kidney disease will get the recommendations of the Surgeon, Oncologist and Internal Medicine specialists.



• NorthStar VETS provides an incredible level of quality care. The specialists here represent nearly every field possible. Not only is there top of the line equipment (MRI, CT, fluoroscopy, ventilators, anesthesia monitoring, etc.), but there is staff who know how to use those tools to optimize care.
• You will not meet a single person at NorthStar VETS who does not care about the well being of every patient. The team is incredibly collaborative and works well together. It’s not uncommon for a Surgeon, Neurologist, Oncologist and Internist to discuss a difficult case and formulate a plan together. The technicians provide a fear free approach to animal care. And the client service representatives are wonderful at easing the concerns of anxious clients and being the first line of communication.

Learn more about the Oncology service at NorthStar VETS

Jennifer Kim, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Dr. Kim grew up in New York and received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania. After two years at the National Cancer Institute performing cancer genetic research, she attended veterinary school at Tufts University. Dr. Kim completed a rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan, New York, and an oncology internship at Cornell University. She began at NorthStar VETS as an emergency clinician in 2005 and returned in 2010 to treat oncology patients after completing her residency in medical oncology at Michigan State University School of Veterinary Medicine. In her free time, Dr. Kim is an avid foodie and knitter.