How Medical Excellence Elevates Our Patients & Our Teams
March 11, 2025
Excellence in veterinary medicine doesn’t happen by chance — it’s built through continuous learning, collaboration, and a commitment to the highest standards of care. At Ethos, Medical Excellence ensures that our hospitals have the latest medical knowledge and best practices, driving innovation and improving patient outcomes across our network.
“Medical Excellence is all about advancing patient care by developing, maintaining, and sharing national medical resources and processes to uphold best practices,” said Kristen Frank, DVM, DACVIM, director of Medical Excellence. It aligns the people, processes, and systems of a veterinary team to achieve medical goals. It supports a culture of best practices, ensures the highest levels of evidence-based medical care, and improves patient outcomes.
Dr. Frank joined Ethos in 2018 after earning her DVM from the University of Florida, completing her residency in small animal internal medicine, and working nearly a decade in New York City. As Medical Excellence director, she ensures that the more than 140 hospitals in our network have access to the latest medical information. She cultivates and communicates best practices, promoting consistency and safety across the network. By sharing key medical resources, she empowers our hospitals to deliver the highest-quality care.
Collaboration is central to the Medical Excellence program’s effectiveness. “All of our programs require connecting across multiple departments and hospitals, making the work especially rewarding,” Dr. Frank said. She focuses on building a culture of safety, quality, and accountability while supporting hospital teams and strengthening relationships across clinical teams. “My role is also about driving improvements in patient care and medical outcomes, ensuring our teams have the tools and guidance they need to provide top-tier veterinary care,” she continued.
Working across all departments, Dr. Frank partners with doctors and other staff to ensure network-wide access to information. Through her work with our Specialty Advisory Board, she connects experts throughout Ethos, leveraging their collective experience to achieve this goal. “Medical Excellence is about collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement,” she said.
One notable Medical Excellence initiative is the formation of the New Product Committee, where doctors across our hospitals evaluate medications objectively and provide clear guidance to the Ethos network. “I value how we’ve integrated science into decision-making, ensuring that our recommendations promote evidence-based medicine while remaining practical for everyday clinical use,” Dr. Frank said. “The insightful discussions and the time and expertise everyone contributes make this work incredibly meaningful.”
When tackling large and complex projects, Dr. Frank likes to break them down into key pieces, starting with those that have the most impact. To incorporate a variety of insights, she brings in experts from different areas to share their experiences. She also gathers feedback from doctors and nurses on the hospital floor to make sure what they’re building is practical and useful. “This way, we create solutions that are thoughtful, backed by science, and truly make a difference in patient care,” she said.
Beyond structured programs and best practices, a strong culture of collaboration is also built through personal connections and everyday interactions. Dr. Frank understands the value of promoting a positive team culture and makes it a point to build genuine connections with her colleagues. “I make an effort to follow up on shared interests, goals, and family life because small, meaningful interactions help create a sense of team,” she said. “When people feel seen and valued, collaboration becomes stronger, and the workplace culture naturally becomes more supportive and positive.”
By fostering structured collaboration and a supportive workplace culture, Dr. Frank ensures that the Medical Excellence program will continue to grow, driving improvements in patient care and medical outcomes.
To learn more about Medical Excellence and other Ethos programs, visit www.ethosvet.com/world-class-medicine
At home, Dr. Frank is a wife and mother to a 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. A Girl Scout volunteer, she enjoys exercising, reading fantasy and historical fiction books, watching Bravo, and gardening. Recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she advocates for more research and treatment options to support others in this community. “Living with a chronic health condition brings daily challenges, but it also offers a deeper understanding of what patients and their caregivers experience,” she said. “This perspective strengthens my empathy and reinforces the importance of advocating for both human and animal health.”