CityVet Secures Consecutive Spot on Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care List, Showcasing the Power of Veterinarian Ownership

DALLAS — In an industry where high burnout rates, staffing shortages, and corporate consolidation often strain workplace culture, CityVet is proving that a people-first model can thrive. The community of veterinarian-owned practices has officially been named to the prestigious Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care List in the Small and Medium category for 2026.

Selected in partnership with workplace culture authority Great Place To Work, this marks CityVet’s second consecutive year earning a spot on the list. Notably, the distinction sets CityVet apart as the sole general practice veterinary company recognized among the nation’s leading healthcare employers. This latest accolade adds to a growing trophy case of workplace honors for the Dallas-headquartered company, solidifying its status as an innovative leader in veterinary medicine management and employee satisfaction.

Main Facts: A Milestone Achievement in Healthcare

The announcement of CityVet’s inclusion on the 2026 Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care list highlights a major triumph for the veterinary sector. While the healthcare industry spans hospitals, pharmaceuticals, biotech, and clinical care, general veterinary practices are rarely represented among top national rankings due to unique operational pressures.

CityVet’s distinction stems directly from anonymous employee feedback gathered through Great Place To Work’s rigorous Trust Index Survey. Nearly 222,000 healthcare employees across the United States participated in the evaluation process. To secure a spot, companies had to demonstrate consistently high scores across metrics such as leadership transparency, employee well-being, professional development, and overall job satisfaction, regardless of an employee’s role or demographic background.

At the core of CityVet’s success is its distinctive business model: a community of veterinarian-owned clinics backed by the robust operational infrastructure, mentorship, and financial resources of a centralized home office. Founded in Dallas in 1999, the organization has consistently rejected a rigid corporate mold in favor of "Freedom Through Trust"—a philosophy that grants local veterinary teams the autonomy to shape their clinic cultures and practice medicine on their own terms, while remaining safely nested within a supportive network.

Chronology: Building a Culture of Excellence Over Two Decades

To understand how CityVet earned national acclaim alongside some of the country’s most respected healthcare organizations, it is essential to trace the company’s strategic evolution over the past 25 years.

1999–2010s: Laying the Foundation

CityVet was established in Dallas, Texas, with a singular vision: to bridge the gap between independent veterinary practices and large-scale corporate structures. The founders recognized that many veterinarians felt torn between the entrepreneurial freedom of private practice and the crushing administrative burdens of running a small business. By introducing a partnership model where veterinarians maintain equity and leadership in their local clinics while leveraging centralized support for marketing, human resources, and supply chain management, CityVet created a sustainable blueprint for growth.

2025: Breaking into National Rankings

The model’s success reached a national tipping point in 2025. CityVet achieved a major milestone by earning its first-ever appearance on the Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care list. This was swiftly followed by an impressive No. 11 ranking on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list for small and medium companies. Furthermore, the company secured official Great Place To Work Certification, boasting an exceptional internal metric wherein 88% of employees explicitly stated that CityVet is a great place to work—a figure significantly higher than the national corporate average.

2026: Sustaining Momentum and Industry Leadership

Building directly upon its 2025 achievements, CityVet’s inclusion on the 2026 Fortune list proves that its workplace culture is not a fleeting trend, but a deeply embedded organizational habit. As the company continues to expand its footprint across multiple states, leadership has remained laser-focused on preserving the intimate, community-driven atmosphere that defines individual CityVet clinics.

Supporting Data: What the Numbers Tell Us

The prestige of the Fortune Best Workplaces list lies in its empirical rigor. Great Place To Work evaluates thousands of companies annually through the world’s largest ongoing workforce study, analyzing more than 1.3 million survey responses from organizations representing over 7.3 million employees.

The evaluation process for the health care category involved analyzing nearly 222,000 survey responses from certified organizations within the sector. Key metrics evaluated include:

• Trust Index Scores: Measuring credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie among team members.
• Inclusivity and Equity: Ensuring positive workplace outcomes are distributed evenly across all job roles, full-time and part-time statuses, and demographic backgrounds.
• Employee Retention and Satisfaction: Reflected in CityVet’s internal data, including the 88% employee endorsement rating for Great Place To Work certification.

Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work, emphasized the broader significance of these metrics during the announcement of the 2026 list. "People are at the heart of work in every industry, and health care is no exception," Bush stated. "These companies show how delivering for your people drives financial performance and turns fear of the future into the confidence to win."

CityVet’s data-backed success underscores a vital modern business truth: taking care of veterinary professionals—who face notoriously high rates of compassion fatigue, mental health struggles, and burnout—directly translates to better medical outcomes for pets and higher satisfaction for clients.

Official Responses: Leadership Perspectives on the Honor

CityVet’s executive team was quick to credit the company’s frontline workers, veterinary partners, and support staff for the back-to-back Fortune recognition.

David Boguslawski, CEO of CityVet, emphasized that the company’s achievements are a direct result of its people-first philosophy. "We’ve always believed that when you take care of your people, they can do extraordinary things for the pets and families who depend on them," Boguslawski remarked.

He continued by spotlighting the pivotal role played by the company’s veterinarian partners: "Our veterinarian partners are at the heart of that philosophy. They lead by example, build teams where people genuinely enjoy coming to work, and create the kind of culture that makes CityVet special. As we continue to grow, we’re committed to supporting those leaders and preserving the culture they’ve helped build."

Reflecting on the anonymous nature of the employee feedback that secured the award, Boguslawski added, "This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes directly from our people, and it’s a reflection of the incredible teams who make CityVet what it is every day."

Implications: Setting a New Standard for the Veterinary Industry

CityVet’s consecutive appearances on the Fortune Best Workplaces list carry profound implications for the broader veterinary medicine landscape.

1. Countering the Veterinary Burnout Crisis

The veterinary profession has faced an unprecedented workforce crisis in recent years. High debt-to-income ratios from veterinary school, coupled with emotional stress, long hours, and difficult client interactions, have led to alarming rates of burnout and turnover. CityVet’s model demonstrates that localized autonomy combined with robust institutional support can effectively buffer against these pressures, offering a sustainable career path that keeps clinicians in the field.

2. Redefining Corporate Practice Models

For decades, veterinary clinics have faced a binary choice: remain fiercely independent and struggle with the rising costs of operations, or sell out to massive private equity-backed consolidators that often prioritize profit margins over clinical culture. CityVet’s success offers a compelling third option: a collaborative network model that preserves clinical independence and local decision-making while scaling administrative and financial resources.

3. Fostering Long-Term Growth Through Culture

As CityVet looks toward the future, its leadership team understands that rapid scaling can dilute workplace culture if not managed carefully. By anchoring its expansion strategy in servant leadership, continuous education, transparent communication, and structured opportunities for clinic ownership, CityVet is proving that rapid business growth and exceptional employee satisfaction do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Ultimately, CityVet’s recognition on the 2026 Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care List serves as a powerful reminder that in veterinary medicine—much like any other healthcare sector—caring for the caregivers is the ultimate key to sustainable success.