What Eva Evans says it takes to build a dream veterinary clinic

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A pair of veterinary podcasts is putting clinic design and startup strategy back in the spotlight, with Nashville veterinarian Eva Evans outlining what it takes to build a practice from the ground up, and Patterson Veterinary convening industry experts on new-build planning and hospital design. In a November 10, 2025, episode of Vet Life Reimagined, Evans, DVM, MBA, described building a practice around a clear vision, choosing neighborhoods based on growth and demographics, and designing from the realities of animal care rather than borrowing assumptions from human healthcare. Evans is a multi-practice veterinarian in Nashville tied to City Pets Animal Care and Alitura Veterinary Care. (buzzsprout.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the takeaway is practical: clinic design isn't just aesthetic, it's operational. Evans emphasized site selection, workflow, and details like HVAC placement from the animal and team perspective, while broader industry guidance from AAHA, Fear Free, and Patterson points in the same direction: reduce waiting-room stress, move patients into exam rooms quickly when possible, separate species where feasible, and design spaces that support staff efficiency and infection control. That matters in a market where startups and remodels are expensive, hard to reverse, and closely tied to team wellbeing, client experience, and medical quality. (buzzsprout.com)

What to watch: Expect more attention on fear-free layouts, flexible exam-room flow, and data-driven site selection as practices weigh new builds, relocations, and remodels in 2026. (aaha.org)