We are currently undergoing an exciting clinical evolution. With a brand-new DVM team at the helm, we are actively redefining our medical protocols and elevating the standard of care for every patient that walks through our doors. We built a patient-first environment from the ground up. This is a rare chance to join a practice where your input helps shape our new workflows and ultimately provide the best medical care for our patients. We are proud to highlight our intergrative medicine approach offering acupuncture, allergy testing, diet consultations, & supplements.
Are you a veterinarian who believes great medicine goes beyond treating symptoms?
At Northwest Animal Hospital, we’re building something special — a veterinary experience that combines excellent traditional medicine with a thoughtful, whole-patient approach to health and wellness. We are excited to welcome a compassionate and motivated Associate Veterinarian who is interested in practicing high-quality medicine while exploring integrative and holistic options that can help pets live healthier, more comfortable lives.
Whether you already have experience in holistic or integrative veterinary medicine or are simply excited to learn more, this is an opportunity to join a supportive team that values curiosity, collaboration, and individualized patient care.
Northwest Animal Hospital is a full-service companion animal practice providing preventive care, dentistry, surgery, diagnostics, internal medicine, and more. What makes our hospital especially unique is our growing commitment to integrative veterinary medicine.
We believe traditional and holistic medicine do not have to compete with one another. Instead, we look for opportunities to thoughtfully combine the two, creating personalized treatment plans based on the individual needs of each patient and family.
Our goal is to support the whole patient — from nutrition and lifestyle to disease prevention, pain management, recovery, and long-term wellness.
Our Managing DVM, Dr. Draca, is passionate about expanding the integrative services available to pets throughout the Des Plaines community.
She currently provides nutrition and diet consultations, including guidance surrounding fresh feeding, home-cooked diets, and raw diets when appropriate. This gives clients the opportunity to better understand how nutrition can support their pet’s overall health and complement traditional medical care.
Dr. Draca is also nearing completion of her veterinary acupuncture certification and has already begun incorporating acupuncture into patient treatment plans.
And we’re only getting started.
Our growing integrative medicine program includes or will soon include:
For a veterinarian who is already passionate about holistic medicine — or someone who has always wanted the opportunity to learn more — Northwest offers an environment where those interests can be encouraged and developed.
We are looking for a veterinarian who believes in using the right tools for the right patient.
That may mean traditional diagnostics and medication for one case, acupuncture and nutritional support for another, or a thoughtful combination of approaches.
You’ll have the freedom to practice high-quality medicine while working alongside a team that is open-minded, progressive, and interested in continually expanding what we can offer our patients.
Great veterinary medicine starts with a great team.
At Northwest Animal Hospital, you’ll work alongside veterinarians, technicians, and support staff who value communication, collaboration, and creating a positive hospital environment.
We want our doctors to feel comfortable asking questions, discussing cases, sharing ideas, and pursuing the areas of veterinary medicine that excite them most.
Experienced veterinarians are welcome, and newer graduates who are looking for strong mentorship and an opportunity to develop their own style of medicine are encouraged to apply.
You may be a great fit if you:
Previous holistic or integrative medicine experience is not required. An interest in learning and an open-minded approach to patient care are what matter most.
Located in Des Plaines, Illinois, Northwest Animal Hospital offers the best of suburban living while keeping Chicago within easy reach.
The area offers beautiful parks and outdoor spaces, great restaurants, established neighborhoods, and convenient access to shopping, entertainment, O’Hare International Airport, and everything the greater Chicago area has to offer.
Whether you enjoy city weekends, quiet neighborhoods, outdoor activities, or a little bit of everything, Des Plaines provides an excellent place to build both a career and a life.
We want our veterinarians to build careers they genuinely enjoy.
Our benefits and opportunities include:
If you have been looking for a veterinary practice where traditional medicine and holistic care can work together, we would love to meet you.
Come grow with a team that believes veterinary medicine can be progressive, compassionate, collaborative, and individualized — and that there is always more to learn when it comes to helping our patients thrive.
Join Northwest Animal Hospital and help us continue building a more comprehensive approach to veterinary care in Des Plaines.
USD $120,000.00 - USD $150,000.00 /Yr.
Heartland Veterinary Partners is a support organization that is committed to improving the lives of veterinarians. We purchase veterinary practices and provide operational support to relieve administrative burdens such as payroll, recruiting, HR, marketing and accounts payables. If needed, we invest to support growth. The practices maintain their unique branding, culture and clinical autonomy.
At Heartland, we believe that selling a veterinary practice shouldn’t mean losing what makes it remarkable. When we acquire a practice, the doctor comes first. We listen closely to their needs in order to create a one-of-a-kind solution to ease their administrative burdens—all without disrupting their day-to-day operations, the culture they’ve fostered, and the relationships they’ve built. In other words, the name over the door doesn’t go away. The headaches of running a business do.
Partnering veterinarians appreciate an improved work-life balance, less financial worry, and the confidence that their teams will be in good hands. Best of all, they get to focus on why they entered the business in the first place: to care for animals and to be present when their clients need them most. Practice team members enjoy the warm culture of their individual community practices combined with the support and resources that Heartland brings to the table.
Improving the lives of veterinarians means supporting them at all stages of their careers. Whether you're a veterinary student or a new graduate looking for hands-on learning to begin your career or an experienced veterinarian looking to tackle management and leadership opportunities, we keep your goals at the heart of everything we do.
The Heartland Support Center team is hardwired to serve. We follow the philosophy of servant leadership and put the needs of others first with a genuine desire to help. As a result, Heartland’s practices count on team members to be there for them with heart and solution, not a corporate agenda.
