Dr. Rochelle Low joins us to discuss resilience and recovery from patient safety events. On this episode of the Cone of Shame Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Dr. Rochelle Low explore what patient safety events are and how they impact veterinary professionals. They discuss the critical role of psychological safety, strong leadership, and a culture of trust in helping teams learn, adapt, and heal when things go wrong. Dr. Low shares insights from her recent JAVMA study, breaking down the emotional and professional toll of medical errors, the importance of peer and leadership support, and how veterinary teams can create a safer, more open environment for learning from mistakes. This episode is packed with practical takeaways for veterinarians, technicians, and hospital leaders alike. Let’s get into it!

Links:

Article: Personal resilience, good leadership, and a psychologically safe culture play a mitigating role on the impact of patient safety events

Dr. Rochelle Low on Instagram

Dr. Know-It-All Card Game

Dr. Andy Roark Charming the Angry Client Team Training Course

Dr. Andy Roark Swag: drandyroark.com/shop

All Links: linktr.ee/DrAndyRoark

Guest Bio:

Dr. Rochelle Low, DVM, MaS, MHL, is the Global VP of Quality and Patient Safety for Mars Veterinary Health. Originally from Victoria, Canada, she earned her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and completed a residency in Emergency and Critical Care at Angel Memorial in Boston. She later pursued a Master’s of Applied Science in Quality and Patient Safety at Johns Hopkins and a Master’s of Healthcare Leadership at Brown University.

Dr. Low spent 14 years as a medical leader for VCA Inc., focusing on quality, patient safety, and patient care, where she recognized the critical impact of hospital culture and nursing empowerment on patient outcomes. Currently, she is dedicated to building a culture of safety across MVH hospitals by implementing a global patient safety event reporting system and collaborating with Johns Hopkins to integrate team training and safety programs like TeamStepps.

She now lives on a small farm in Bend, Oregon, where she enjoys hiking, surfing, and skiing with her four pitties, two horses, two alpacas, four sheep, five mini-donkeys, and plenty of chickens.

Veterinary anesthesia expert Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) joins The Cone of Shame Podcast with Dr. Andy Roark to break down the role of butorphanol (Torb) in veterinary practice today. They dive into its sedative vs. analgesic properties, when it shines, and when it falls short, especially in pain management. Tasha explains opioid receptor interactions, how to think critically about using butorphanol in different cases, and why it might still deserve a spot on your clinic’s shelf. Plus, they discuss Tasha’s new book, "Pain Management for Vet Techs and Nurses," and the upcoming Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds Symposium. If you’ve ever wondered, "Do I still need Torb?" This episode is for you! Let’s get into it.

LINKS

Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds

Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses

Dr. Know-It-All Card Game

Dr. Andy Roark Charming the Angry Client Team Training Course

Dr. Andy Roark Swag: drandyroark.com/shop

All Links: linktr.ee/DrAndyRoark

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) has been dedicated to the field of veterinary anesthesia and surgery since earning her CVT in 2005. She became a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP) in 2013 and earned her Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Anesthesia & Analgesia in 2015, solidifying her expertise in pain management and perioperative care.

Tasha is a respected speaker on anesthesia and pain management, presenting at veterinary conferences around the world. She has authored numerous articles and blogs, sharing her knowledge to improve patient comfort and safety. In 2013, she founded Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds, a thriving online community with over 65,000 members committed to advancing anesthesia and pain management practices.

When she’s not in the clinic or on stage, Tasha enjoys tackling home renovation projects on her 1920s fixer-upper, inspired by an ever-growing collection of YouTube tutorials. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, one exceptionally well-behaved cat, and one... less cooperative feline.

Dr. Donnell Hansen joins The Cone of Shame Podcast with Dr. Andy Roark to discuss oral tumors in dog. Together they discuss how to recognize them, when to biopsy, and how to talk to pet owners about what comes next. Dr. Hansen breaks down the diagnostic process, explains when a fine needle aspirate won’t cut it, and shares best practices for pain management and treatment options. She also dives into the importance of setting client expectations and how to approach these cases with both confidence and compassion. Let’s get into this episode.

LINKS



Four Legged Tooth Fairy:

https://fourleggedtoothfairy.com/

Dr. Know-It-All Card Game:

https://drandyroark.com/product/dr-know-it-all-card-game/

Dr. Andy Roark Charming the Angry Client Team Training Course:

http://drandyroark.com/shop

Dr. Andy Roark Swag: drandyroark.com/shop

http://drandyroark.com/shop

All Links: linktr.ee/DrAndyRoark

Dr. Donnell Hansen, a Minnesota native, and a small group of friends joined together to form the Moxie Center (which was the first hospital to be now known as BluePearl) in Minnesota’s twin cities of Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Although her daily life is spent in specialty care, in 2011, her and her husband, also a veterinarian, opened Rice Creek Animal Hospital which provides a little balance and perspective about life in family practice. In 2019, Donnell developed Four Legged Tooth Fairy, an interactive small group conference center for the veterinary community to enhance their patient health, practice health, and mental health through veterinary dentistry. Dr. Hansen’s special interest in maxillofacial surgery, however the truth is, she loves the whole darn gig… especially when she gets to share the fun of veterinary dentistry with others!