In this episode of Diagnostic Tails: Animal Imaging's Uncovered, Dr. Amy Armentrout, Dr. Lon Hays, and veterinary technician Mia Loredo pull back the curtain on what truly makes Animal Imaging different: culture as a clinical strategy.

Through real stories, humor, and hard-earned insight, the team explains how a people-first workplace directly supports better diagnostics, stronger clinical decision-making, and improved patient outcomes. From technician-led case ownership and cross-training across modalities to tackling high-risk imaging cases others turn away, this conversation highlights how trust, education, and psychological safety elevate veterinary medicine.

They also address the emotional weight of referral-level imaging, the realities of high-stakes anesthesia, and why fun, boundaries, and shared values are not “extras” but essential tools for longevity in veterinary medicine. The result is a candid, thoughtful look at how intentional culture fuels excellence in advanced veterinary imaging.

00:00 – 01:15

Welcome

01:15 – 03:00

Purpose, mission, and why employees come first at Animal Imaging

03:00 – 05:00

Technician autonomy, case ownership, and shared leadership on the floor

05:00 – 07:30

Trust, teamwork, and running multiple imaging modalities under pressure

07:30 – 09:45

Cross-training, education, and building a resilient, highly skilled team

09:45 – 12:30

Low turnover, hiring for values, and why culture is treated as a business model

12:30 – 15:30

Referral-level medicine: complex anesthesia, unstable patients, and high-risk imaging

15:30 – 17:45

Taking on cases others won’t—and why answers matter more than comfort

17:45 – 20:30

Social media, humor, and giving the team creative ownership beyond the clinic

20:30 – 23:45

Mental health in veterinary medicine and the role of levity and boundaries

23:45 – 26:30

Advice for leaders: education, trust, and avoiding micromanagement

26:30 – 29:30

Retention, growth paths, and supporting team members as they advance

29:30 – 32:55

Tail-end tips: revisiting core values, communication styles, and leading with care

Culture drives clinical outcomes

• When technicians are trusted, educated, and supported, decision-making improves—and so does patient care.

Technician autonomy matters

• Allowing techs to lead cases, manage modalities, and make real-time decisions builds confidence and excellence.

Hire for values, train for skills

• Technical skills can be taught; integrity, curiosity, and teamwork cannot.

Advanced imaging requires trust

• High-risk anesthesia and unstable patients demand strong communication and shared responsibility.

Education fuels retention

• Investing in CE and implementing what staff bring back keeps teams engaged and growing.

Fun is not frivolous

• Appropriate humor and connection are essential coping tools in a field that regularly delivers hard news.

Leadership is about letting go

• Micromanagement erodes culture; trust and accountability sustain it.

Animal Imaging Veterinary Radiology Specialists

https://animalimaging.net/

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