Winfield veterinarian Tamara Zimmerman has announced the closing of TLC Veterinary Clinic south of Winfield. The decision was made public through an open letter Zimmerman wrote to the community and sent to various news media outlets Monday.
The state ordered an emergency closing of the clinic in September after an investigation revealed unaccounted for narcotic level painkillers. A colleague and employees who worked with Zimmerman told the state that the veterinarian appeared to be taking the painkillers.
The clinic will remain open for boarding and grooming through Jan. 7 but animals are not currently receiving medical treatment.
Zimmerman was eventually allowed to retain her license under a settlement reached with the Kansas State Board of Veterinary Examiners in October. Though she admitted no wrongdoing, Zimmerman did agree to hire a managing doctor for her clinic and submit to random drug testing.
She announced the clinic had reopened in November but said in her most recent letter that she felt the financial toll of being closed for 10 weeks.
Zimmerman hopes the clinic will sell and reopen under new ownership.
Below is the text of the letter provided to NewsCow. You can follow the links at the bottom of the page to read past stories related to the TLC clinic.
LETTER:
To Whom It May Concern:
Although this is the time of year that I typically send out a letter stating our accomplishments of the past year and the hopes and changes the clinic looks forward to in the coming year, unfortunately this letter is not such a letter.
I am sure that most of you have heard or read about the troubles that TLC has had the past several months. While there were some issues that needed addressed, as with most things, there are two sides to every story. However, I will not go into detail on the events that occurred at this time. If you have specific questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me personally. As I have stated from the beginning, I have nothing to hide. Nor do I feel I have done anything for which I feel put any of your beloved pets in danger.
During the investigation, TLC was closed temporarily for approximately ten weeks. Being a small business and a relatively new business at that, ten weeks is a very long time to have no regular income coming in. Also, we had to let a majority of our employees go. As a result, we have had to struggle financially just to be able to stay open at all.
To make the situation worse, my husband, although completely innocent of any wrong doing (regardless of what was stated in the documents), was asked to leave Ark City Clinic. His last day is February 1, 2008. He is currently looking for another job, including jobs out of state.
Initially we had hoped to keep the clinic open until we could find a buyer or at least until the end of the school year. Unfortunately, financially, that will not be the case. I regret to inform you that although we will stay open for boarding and grooming temporarily, TLC Veterinary Clinic will close on or about January 7, 2008. This allows those of you who have made arrangements over the holidays to still board your pets without having to find another place to board them. Also, we will still honor the groom appointments through this date, as well. Although I still retain my license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Kansas, we have decided due to the short time in which we need to sell our home, find new jobs, and prepare to move, I feel it best to focus on my family at this time.
I wish to thank those of you who have continued to believe in me and shown me support during an extremely difficult time. I still hope to find a veterinarian for TLC who will practice the type of quality medicine that I have strived to practice. I truly believe that God has other plans for me and my family. I also believe that TLC Veterinary Clinic will soon reopen under new ownership.
We will be able to send copies of your records to you if you so choose. Please contact the clinic at 221-9247 or 441-9613 as soon as possible. Please leave a message if you need to. When a new buyer is found, your records and reminders will remain available at the clinic under new ownership. Furthermore, any auction certificates obtained from KSOK will be honored.
Again, thank you to those of you who have stood by me in this most difficult time, and I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
Sincerely,
Tamara J. Zimmerman, DVM
