When you’re growing an emergency and specialty veterinary hospital, efficiency is essential—but so is protecting the culture that made your practice exceptional in the first place.

For MarQueen Pet Emergency and Specialty, a privately owned veterinary specialty hospital in northern California, collaboration is everything. The 15+ board-certified specialists and emergency clinicians on staff function as a cohesive team, pooling their expertise to ensure the best outcomes for every patient and pet owner. 

We spoke with Erica Moore, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), and Casey Kohen, DVM, DACVECC, about how they've used Instinct EMR and Instinct Treatment Plan to help support MarQueen's development into the high-performing, uniquely positioned emergency and specialty hospital it is today.

In this customer spotlight, you’ll learn how this thriving, privately owned specialty hospital:

• Traded clipboards and paper charts for digital treatment sheets built into Instinct EMR
• Boosted team communication and patient safety across departments
• Standardized discharges with smart templates, making it easier for every clinician to deliver high-quality care
• Grew the hospital with intention, embracing technology while protecting team well-being and culture

A Veterinary Hospital Built on Team Culture and Clinical Excellence

MarQueen Pet Emergency and Specialty is a rare kind of specialty hospital—privately owned, deeply collaborative, and growing fast. Starting as a small, family-owned specialty clinic, MarQueen is now a locally owned and independently operated emergency and specialty practice serving the greater Roseville and Sacramento, California, region.

Dr. Erica Moore and Dr. Casey Kohen never intended to become practice owners. But when the opportunity came to shape the future of MarQueen alongside trusted colleagues, they took it—and never looked back.

“Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, and we complement each other so well that when the opportunity presented itself, it's like, Oh, this is truly how I can continue to make a difference in this community,” said Dr. Moore.

Why an Emergency and Specialty Veterinary Hospital Chose Instinct EMR

As MarQueen grew, care became more complex. The team needed veterinary software that could handle the unique demands of a specialty and emergency care environment. Printed treatment sheets and disconnected systems were no longer cutting it.

“When I first came into the practice, we had printed out treatment sheets that the technicians would fill in every morning and highlight. And as doctors, we would have to look through and change things, and I would just hoard all those clipboards. And then the techs couldn't do anything because I had all the clipboards, or I couldn't make a change because they had the clipboard,” said Dr. Kohen.

Improving Care and Efficiency with Digital Treatment Sheets

To replace the chaos of paper treatment sheets and hoarded clipboards, MarQueen first went live with Instinct Treatment Plan, our cloud-based integrated digital treatment sheet platform. What stood out most to Dr. Kohen? Instinct’s constant evolution. 

“I just don't see it being stagnant,” said Dr. Kohen. “It's not like you built something and then it is what it is, and if you want change, it's too bad. I think that's been the greatest thing—having some input and seeing change in real life that shapes the way it works for our practice.” 

So when the opportunity came to solve even more of their workflow challenges with the full Instinct EMR platform, the team didn’t hesitate.

“Being able to be more efficient with prescriptions, with integration of lab work, with integration of the treatment sheet… it just made it so much easier to just have one system rather than using Instinct for treatment sheets and another EMR,” said Dr. Kohen. 

It’s safe to say the MarQueen team didn’t miss the old days.

“If somebody says, ‘We don’t think it’s worth it, we want to go back to paper treatment sheets’, there would be mutiny,” Dr. Kohen joked.

Today, Instinct is core infrastructure at MarQueen, replacing outdated workflows, improving visibility across teams, and supporting safe, efficient patient care. And without the usual steep learning curve.

“When we made that transition, it was like transitioning to an iPhone,” said Dr. Moore. “Everything just seemed to be more intuitive. I could figure it out, and I’m not technologically savvy.”

Faster Discharges, Better Medicine, Less Burnout

Instinct didn’t just improve documentation—it enabled better medicine. 

At MarQueen, oncology discharge instructions are now templated and shared across departments, making it faster and easier to deliver high-quality information to pet owners. That means less stress for clinicians and more peace of mind for clients.

Plumb’s integration, customizable snippets, and real-time record access all combined to support smoother handoffs and shaper clinical decisions.

“With the caseload we see, it's not possible to write the quality of discharge notes every single time for what I would want the client to know,” said Dr. Kohen. “But being able just to fire off snippets for those things we see every day elevates the actual level of care we can provide.”

ROI That Feels Different (And That’s the Point)

MarQueen’s owners know that not every benefit of veterinary software shows up on a budget spreadsheet. So when measuring Instinct’s impact, they look at team well-being, patient outcomes, and the ability to care for one more critical patient without burning out their staff.

“If we’re able to be more efficient, we’re not having to slow down receiving. I can get that extra chemotherapy patient in,” said Dr. Moore. “It really helps… tremendously.”

Dr. Kohen, who’s on the floor daily, sees Instinct’s impact firsthand—both on the business and on patient care. 

Instinct EMR gives the team instant access to performance metrics, revenue insights, and scheduling data. But more importantly, it empowers smarter decisions that improve the entire hospital’s rhythm and resilience.

Partnering for the Future of Veterinary Medicine

As tech-forward practice owners, Drs. Moore and Kohen are eager to see further improvements—especially around e-prescribing.

“We’re excited to see what [Instinct does] with prescriptions,” said Dr. Kohen.

They’re already piloting AI tools like VetRec and ScribbleVet and appreciate Instinct’s steady evolution and openness to feedback. From Stockroom to lab integrations to mobile access, they see Instinct as a partner in their mission to provide world-class veterinary care.

A Practice That’s Built to Evolve

At MarQueen, the medicine keeps getting better because the people—and the tools—do too.

Instinct EMR isn’t just a software solution; it’s part of a larger ecosystem of trust, teamwork, and future-ready clinical operations. It’s what helps MarQueen grow without losing what made it great in the first place.

Massive thanks to Drs. Moore and Kohen and the MarQueen team for taking the time to share their experiences with us (and you!). We hope their insights help you take the next step toward a better software solution for your hospital.

If you’re curious whether Instinct Treatment Plan or our complete EMR platform would be a better solution for you and your team, reach out and get a tour.