Galloway Village vet clinic changes hands

Crista Hogan, owner of Galloway Village Veterinary Hospital, has sold the clinic to Dr. Jaime Rudd, a Springfield relief veterinarian.

The sale of both the practice and the clinic location, 4126 S. Lone Pine Ave. in Galloway Village, closed March 4 for an undisclosed price, said Hogan, who took ownership of the clinic after her husband, owner Dr. Tedd Hamaker, died Aug. 30 of cancer.

The building cost approximately $900,000 to construct when Hamaker moved the practice to Galloway Village in 2008, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Hogan, who also is director of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, cited Missouri law as to why she sold the practice. Chapter 5 of Division 2270 of the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration within the Code of State Regulations dictates that upon the death of a licensed owner of a veterinary practice, an unlicensed spouse or the executor, administrator, trustee or personal representative of the licensee’s estate has up to a year to convey or liquidate the practice.

Hogan said Rudd, who was hired at the clinic in early February, has been helpful in the transition.

“I could very easily be taken advantage of,” Hogan said. “She’s bent over backwards to keep operations running smoothly so we could provide the best continuity of care for the clients and the patients.”

Rudd grew up in Monett and, after earning her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University in 2005 and working briefly in California, she moved to Springfield in 2007.
She started working as a relief veterinarian, a position she describes as similar to a substitute teacher. She has provided services for Bradford Park Veterinary Hospital, Home Town Veterinary Hospital, Springfield Veterinary Center and Animal Care Center, among others.

“Owning my own practice is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Rudd said. “I feel like Galloway Village is a state-of-the-art hospital and has an excellent staff and clientele.”

Hogan said the clinic will keep its name and all of the current staff will stay on board.

“My only regret is my husband didn’t have the opportunity to know her,” Hogan said. “I feel like they’re very much in sync in their approach and outlook.”

Hamaker’s motto was “practice excellence,” an ideal Rudd said she feels is inspirational.

“It’s something I feel very humbled and honored to step into and continue in what he started,” Rudd said. “I take it as a very large compliment that Crista feels that we practice similarly.”

Rudd said she isn’t planning on many changes, but she aims to improve client education on preventative medicines, something she said the clinic already did well.

She also plans to hire a kennel technician, a receptionist and another veterinarian. Currently, she is the only certified vet working at Galloway Village.

“(It would) split the workload and allow us to accommodate more clients,” Rudd said, noting the clinic currently books 15 to 20 appointments a day.[[In-content Ad]]