“Charting Was the Bane of My Existence”—Until I Found PetDesk Scribe
Products: PetDesk Scribe
Challenge
Dr. Kathleen Cavell, DVM, struggled with time-consuming, manual charting after long, high-pressure days at Northwood Animal Hospital. Even after transitioning from paper to digital, documentation remained tedious and mentally draining—often left until the end of the day.
Solution
PetDesk Scribe provided a seamless, intuitive way to record and transcribe appointments. Dr. Cavell began using it during the beta phase, integrating transcribed notes into Cornerstone with minimal editing. Onboarding was fast, the interface clean, and the team found it easy to adopt in a fast-paced environment.
Results
Time saved: ~1 hour per day
Improved note quality: Fuller, more accurate SOAP notes
Better workflow: Reduced mental load and end-of-day backlog
Team buy-in: High interest in wider adoption
“Charts have always been the least good thing about this career.”
‘Charting was the bane of my existence.’
After nearly two decades at Northwood Animal Hospital, Associate Veterinarian Dr. Kathleen Cavell is no stranger to long days, packed schedules, and documentation that never seems to end.
“Charts have always been the least good thing about this career.” she explained. “You spend your day in exam rooms or handling emergencies, and then you’re expected to sit down and write up everything from memory—often hours later.”
Dr. Cavell recalled the days of thick stacks of paper charts piling up on her desk, only to be replaced by digital templates that still required painstaking manual clicks and checkboxes.
“I’d tried another AI transcription tool before, but it didn’t stick. It was expensive, clunky, and hard to sell to the team. But with PetDesk Scribe, I already trusted PetDesk—and I knew it would be different. And it is.”
dr. kathleen cavell, dvm, northwood animal hospital
‘That’s where Scribe comes in.’
When the opportunity to try PetDesk Scribe came up, Dr. Cavell jumped on board from day one.
“I’d tried another AI transcription tool before, but it didn’t stick. It was expensive, clunky, and hard to sell to the team. But with PetDesk Scribe, I already trusted PetDesk—and I knew it would be different. And it is.”
Dr. Cavell now records her appointments, copies the transcribed SOAP notes into Cornerstone, and edits them as needed. The result? Faster documentation and fewer missed details.
“On a busy day, I’d say it saves me about an hour. But even more important is the quality. The notes are fuller, more accurate, and I’m not constantly worried about forgetting something small but critical.”
‘Scribe didn’t add to the chaos—it helped simplify it.’
Dr. Cavell and her team have always been super impressed with PetDesk’s onboarding team, and this time was no different.
“I was part of the beta testing group, so I got to see it from the start. From day one, the onboarding process was smooth and straightforward. I didn’t need hours of training or a complicated setup. I was up and running immediately.”
One of the standout features for her was how intuitive the tool felt from the beginning. The clean, clutter-free interface made it easy to use in a fast-paced clinical setting, where switching between patients and tasks is the norm.
“My first impression was just how clean and easy it was to use. You don’t want to deal with something complex when you’re juggling appointments, client questions, and treatment plans.”
For Dr. Cavell, the first impression wasn’t just good—it was the reassurance she needed that this was a tool built with veterinary teams in mind.
“My first impression was just how clean and easy it was to use. You don’t want to deal with something complex when you’re juggling appointments, client questions, and treatment plans.”
‘My clients are on board and so is the team.’
Dr. Cavell tells clients upfront that she’s using a transcription app, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“None of my clients have ever had a problem with it. In fact, some clients say they use similar tools at their own jobs or think it’s a great idea. It’s all been positive.”
The rest of her veterinary team is eager to start using Scribe too. Dr. Cavell tells us that there’s no hesitation—just enthusiasm.
“Everyone’s excited about it. They’re happy to let me be the guinea pig, figure out the best way to use it, and then teach them. I think they’re definitely ready to go. It’s just about setting up a consistent workflow.”
‘It’s not just about saving time; it’s about raising the bar for patient care and continuity.’
For her and the team, Scribe has done more than just save time—it’s transformed how she approaches documentation.
“With Scribe, the level of detail in my notes has improved dramatically. Instead of quick bullet points or relying on memory at the end of a long day, I now have full, well-structured notes that capture everything we discussed during the appointment.”
And while she still takes time to review and edit each note—“It’s my license, after all,” she reminds us—she says the tool has significantly lightened the mental load.
“There’s something comforting about knowing everything we talked about is captured. I can be present with the client in the moment, and trust that Scribe has my back. Even on chaotic days, I no longer end with a mountain of incomplete charts. That mental weight is just… less.”
“There’s something comforting about knowing everything we talked about is captured. I can be present with the client in the moment, and trust that Scribe has my back. Even on chaotic days, I no longer end with a mountain of incomplete charts. That mental weight is just… less.”
dr. kathleen cavell, dvm, northwood animal hospital
The verdict?
“It’s intuitive. It’s reliable. And it helps me be a better vet,” she said. “If you’re tired of staying late to finish notes, if you’re worried you’ll forget something important, or if you just want to work smarter—try PetDesk Scribe. You won’t regret it.”
About Dr. Kathleen Cavell, DVM, Associate Veterinarian
Born and raised in southeast Michigan, Dr. Cavell gained over seven years of experience as a veterinary assistant before graduating from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Her clinical interests include surgery, emergency medicine, ultrasonography, and exotic pet care—passions she explored through externships in San Francisco and UC Davis.
A lifelong exotic animal lover, she’s owned everything from rats to reptiles, and currently shares her home with three orange cats and a rescued tripod German Shepherd. Based in Tallahassee with her husband, Mathieu, she enjoys hiking, strength training, archery, and volunteering with local pet and wildlife rescues.
