Part of his excitement stems from a desire to improve the profession. He and Dr. Philip Bergman, DACVIM, PhD, chief medical officer, envision clinical trials and other research taking place at BrightHeart hospitals. In fact, BrightHeart has joined the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation as a corporate charter member partner, and CEO Howard Rubin and founder Robert Miner say they want BrightHeart to become the "Mayo Clinics of veterinary healthcare."

"It's going to be thrilling to work with clinics on a collegial rather than competitive basis," Dr. Green says. He sees a day when BrightHeart's clinics compile information on treatments to benefit the scientific community.

BrightHeart last month acquired its second hospital: Farmington Valley Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Avon, Conn. And the organization has letters of intent to purchase three more practices in the coming year.