Every morning, Dr. Cathy Hicks and her three dogs pile in the truck and drive to work. But for the first time in three decades, the morning route no longer ends on Hwy. 53.
After 30 years at "the old place," Hicks Animal Hospital recently moved to a brand new, state-of-the-art facility off PP Hwy., leaving the old, brown building with the wood paneling behind.
"It's really been a many-years project," Hicks said. "I had done quite a bit of research on my own and then enlisted an architect and a company specializing in veterinary facilities. I spent a lot of time learning rights and wrongs and basically we took it from there."
Hicks said her 6,500 square feet facility, located at 182 County Road 469, is 4,000 square feet larger than the former building. She said space was a key factor necessitating the move.
"We needed more room, that was for sure," she said.
Upon entering the bright lobby of the new building, space is the first thing clients familiar with the old place will notice, along with the absence of brown. Hicks chose earth tones for the inside, which also complement the outside's sage green exterior.
To the left is a refreshment area with coffee, water and tea, a customer restroom, a bench and a small table with chairs for additional seating. To the right is another table with chairs, benches, and a corner with toys and games to keep children entertained while they wait.
Each exam room is accessible from the lobby, a feature Hicks said is great for clients and employees. With clients entering through a door on the lobby side, Hicks and her employees enter through a door on the opposite side. Behind that door is a spacious prep area. The prep area allows employees adequate space for preparing shots, readying medicine and various other daily tasks.
Next to the prep area, heading further into the facility, is an entire room dedicated to treatment. Hicks said oxygen drops are a new feature the old facility didn't have which have drastically improved convenience.
"Now if we need to keep an animal on oxygen overnight, we can do that when before it was an issue," she explained.
Past the treatment area is the surgical room, which has multiple heated operating tables. Hicks said the tables are intended to make the animals comfortable but keeping her hands warm is a fringe benefit she's noticed.
"I love it here," she said. "We're having a ball."
To the right of the surgical room is an ultrasound and X-ray room and then separate recovery rooms for cats and dogs. This allows like-animals to stay contained in a quiet environment with adjustable lighting until they're ready to go home.
Down a short hallway off the treatment room is an isolation room near an exterior door so those who come into contact with the sick pets will not contaminate the others.
Aside from space and high-tech equipment, a few more simple pleasures have come with the new building. A backup electrical system means in the event of inclement weather, business will continue as usual.
"Being here in Southeast Missouri, we never know when we're going to lose power so that feature is huge," Hicks said.
She also mentioned specific air zoning tactics to keep cross contamination at bay, a spacious boarding area with outdoor access for her visiting animals and added that keeping the noise levels to a minimum was another goal she was able to check off her list.
"I visited one facility and when you walked in you could hear everything," she said. "I knew right away I didn't want that. I wanted it to be comfortable for everyone."
Hicks said although she and her staff moved into the new building Aug. 5, she's not finished expanding just yet.
"It's kind of an ongoing project," she explained, and adding a large animal area out back and a fish tank in the lobby are two more of her goals.
She said the business doesn't yet have a sign out front, but is "easy to find."
"Turn left at the First Midwest Bank ATM on PP Highway, and head down that road. We're on your left and it's the only business on the road," she said.
The phone number for Hicks Animal Hospital is 573-686-1281.