Meet Our Team

I lived in the Sanford, Florida area as a young child, and then moved to Michigan.  My first winter there I almost got lost in a snow drift.  I am a 2000 Michigan State Graduate, Go Spartans!  For the first two years I practiced in rural Michigan.  During this time I gained experience in all aspects of veterinary medicine.  The most unusual pet I worked on was a skunk, she did well.  I had a Holstein convince me I was not interested in being a cow doctor.  On a very cold 5:30am Michigan morning I had an emergency call for a down cow.  She had a problem that usually they are very sick from and will just lay there while you treat them.  I fixed the problem, went to get some antibiotics for her.  She stood up, looked at me, and then started chasing me around the stall.  The bull in the barn became upset and begun posturing outside the stall.  I realized as I was running around the stall that I still could not feel my feet they were so cold.  The cow did great, however ever since I have been a cat/dog vet ever since. 

I have taken a round about way to make it back to Florida.  Dr. Zagrocki describes me a nomad following family.  I am no longer a nomad I am staying for years to come.  However, I did choose to come back here to practice since my family is back here again.  Prior to purchasing All Care Animal Hospital, I managed a veterinary clinic for a corporation for 6 years.  I miss my clients, hopefully they will retire here and I will get to see them again.  Dr. Zagrocki grew All Care Animal Hospital into a great clinic with great clientele.  I will be continuing his traditions of good client service and practicing quality medicine.

What have I been up to…..

The first year was equivalent to having a newborn with colic.  I was so proud and excited to be an owner yet could not find sleep and it was trial and error to see what worked for the hospital.  I can not give enough praise to my team, many of whom stayed with me after the purchase and the clients for taking the opportunity to get to know me.  Since everyone seems to be enjoying coming to the hospital, I believe we are on the right track.  We became proud supporters of Building Blocks which provides support and training for people with developmental and other disabilities.  We keep a position available just for someone from Building Blocks.  In addition we had two high school volunteers for the summer.  A couple of teenagers kept the team hopping.

The second year has been tweaking and oiling the machine.    This would inherently seem less challenging, however, when people are functioning well, making subtle changes can be difficult to institute.  The best description is the new communication board.  I enclosed the surgery window and had whiteboards mounted.  It serves as a means of knowing what is going on in the hospital with all pets.  You should have seen everyone’s faces when the window disappeared.  Today they love the board using in ways I did not anticipate.  Of course I am already thinking of what I will tweak next.  Leaving that as a surprise for the team next year.

For me personally, I started Hapkido.  Hapkido is the art of coordinated power.  It is a culmination of multiple martial arts that are utilized for self-defense. Grandmaster Billy Burchett, a 9th degree black belt, and all the club black belts are teaching me.  Hapkido allows me to focus on improving my self both physically and mentally.  Believe me, this is a great way to forget a days troubles.  Either focus on the art or get punched (they don’t swing hard) in the nose.  If interested in learning here is the website: http://www.hapkido-brothers.co...

Local volunteerism was what I was looking to be able to do as an owner.  Working for other doctors was too time restrictive to allow for volunteerism.   I have continued on with All Care’s history of supporting Minneola Kiwanis.  Kiwanis focuses on children encouraging studious behavior and community outreach programs.  I am sure you have seen the Terrific Kids bumper stickers that are the Kiwanis club’s support.  The high school Key Club is fully supported by the local Kiwanis club.  Our local club is focused on growing the annual Bark in the Park.  It is our means of fund raising for college scholarships and rewards for the elementary students programs.  If interested here is the website: http://kiwanisofminneola.org

Most recently I started cross fit with Chris from Mean Genes Machine.  He is well organized; light hearted, and knowledgeable with his routines.  Beats the heck out of the mind numbing routine of weight lifting in a gym.

I am thoroughly enjoying living and practicing in the area.  People here are pleasure.  The more I am here the more I look forward to the next 20 years.

Doc

I was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut.  I received my DVM from Michigan State in 1983.  I then practiced mixed animal medicine in central Michigan for several years, prior to moving to Florida.  I have practiced emergency medicine for over 18 years before associating with ACAH.  I have many interests, however, my passions are SCUBA diving and photography.

Dr. Irish grew up in New York City and then moved to Florida 
in 2001. She attended the University of Florida for her Bachelor’s degree and 
graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 
2013. She also has certifications from the UF College of Public Health and 
Health Professions, the American Veterinary Dental College and she is an 
accredited veterinarian through the United States Department of Agriculture. In 
her spare time, Dr. Irish serves on the UF CVM Alumni Council and is a member 
of the UF CVM Alumni Executive Board. Her interests include cardiology, dentistry, 
dermatology and integrative medicine. She also enjoys baking, reading, ballet, 
amateur astronomy and all things related to Disney. She has been married to her 
high school sweetheart for 10+ years. Together, they have six cats, four dogs 
and one adorable baby boy. She has worked at All Care Animal Hospital since 
January 2016.

Dr. Rojas was raised mainly as a Florida kid. After graduating from the University of Florida she decided to attend vet school in the great state of Ohio! Four years of the cold was long enough and she thankfully returned back to the sunshine state. Her focus has been with dogs and cats as she has spent years refining her surgical and medical skills while continuing to learn everyday!