Auburn Animal Clinic is extremely proud of our dedicated and highly educated team. We hire only the best and most experienced employees to ensure the highest level of care.
Here at Auburn Animal Clinic, we make it a goal to treat every patient and owner with respect, gratitude, and care as if they were their own families. Filled with love, concern, and affection, they are prepared for anything that comes their way.
Meet our amazing and dedicated team below:
Dr. Patricia Jo Holm
DVM
Patricia was born in Clinton, Iowa. She grew up on a farm as the oldest of five girls and was the daughter that was always put in charge of the animal and livestock care. She attended Iowa State University and graduated in May 1982 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree. Her first job as a Veterinarian was with Pines Meadow Veterinary Clinic in Oregon, Illinois, where she worked as a mixed animal doctor for 9 years. In 1991, she left that clinic to embark on a new career adventure as a relief veterinarian working under Holm Veterinary Service. She provided veterinary service for Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois veterinarians for 12 years. It was her relief veterinary business that brought her to Auburn Animal Clinic as a relief veterinarian for owner Dr. Ramon Medernach, who was very ill and hospitalized. She started at Auburn Animal Clinic on January 6th, 2003, and overtime made the decision to accept an offer from Dr. Medernach and his wife Sally. She took over October 1st, 2003, and has worked hard to expand the services offered and provide simplified yet thorough care to all clients and patients.
In the meantime, she met, fell in love, and married Harlan Holm in 1984. They have three children: Brad, who is a commissioned Naval Lieutenant 0-3 and Winged Pilot stationed at Whidby Island, Washington and is married to his wife Katie–they gave Dr. Holm the gift of her grandchild, Logan Eva, born July 29th, 2018. Rachel, who graduated from Monmouth College and lives in the Quad Cities, she now works for the State of Iowa Department of Corrections. Their youngest daughter, Halley, is a freshman at Wartburg College Weverly, Iowa and loves reading, music, and dance. She is a counselor at Luthern Outdoor Ministries Center Church Camp in Oregon, Illinois. Harlan, Patricia, and Harlan’s mother breed and raise beef cattle. In her spare time she relaxes by horseback riding and spending time with her horses. She also enjoys plants, gardening, and loves getting together with the family.
In Loving Memory of Harlan Holm
Accounts Payable
Harlan was born in 1955 in Blue Island, Illinois and moved to Oregon, Illinois when he was two months old, where he grew up. He attended Kishwaukee College and graduated with an Agricultural Mechanic’s Degree, then worked for an implement dealer in Polo, Illinois for six years, while farming with his parents part time.
He returned full time to the family farm in 1979, working with his parents raising crops, cattle, and operating a farrow to finish hog operation. He met Dr. Holm in the fall of 1982 and started dating after driving the tractor for their church’s hayride! They married on March 3rd, 1984, and had three children together.
Harlan was our “Mr. Fix-it,” keeping the clinic running along with handling payroll and accounts payable. Every winter he plowed the snow, and each year after Thanksgiving he helped decorate for the West Side Business Association’s Christmas Lighting Display. He loved purchasing, fixing up, and reselling tractors, and was deeply active with Freedom Lutheran Church and the Ogle County Fair Board.
Harlan will be dearly missed by our entire clinic family.
Jackie Hickey
Bookkeeper
Jackie was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois and lived there for 18 years before attending the University of Illinois. She graduated from Rock Valley College with an Associate’s degree in accounting. She worked as a bookkeeper for various accounting firms in Rockford before starting work with Dr. Holm in 2003, when Dr. Holm took over Auburn Animal Clinic from Dr. Ramone Medernach. Jackie loves animals and always had cats as well as one dog, Streeter, that she adopted from Auburn Animal Clinic in 2003 after he was hit by a car. She has two sons, six grandchildren, including a granddaughter (who is in college to become a veterinarian), two great granddaughters, and a variety of “grandpets.” She also has a love for photography, traveling, and the LA Chargers. Jackie finds that, Dr. Holm and all of the employees of Auburn Animal Clinic are truly the most caring and compassionate people she knows and that the years working with AAC have been a very special working experience.
Megan Waugh
Head Technician, Certified Veterinary Technician
Megan is a Certified Veterinary Technician that joined Auburn Animal Clinic in 2015. She started with Auburn Animal Clinic by working in reception while attending classes. She graduated from Rockford Career College’s Veterinary Technician Program in October 2017. Outside of the clinic she is a busy mom of two girls, along with being a home ‘zookeeper’ to her pets, including dogs, cats, ferrets, a tortoise, a Bearded Dragon, and a rabbit. Megan loves to work with the many different animals that come through the clinic and the never-ending learning opportunities that come with it.
Estefani Belmontes
Kennel Technician/Certified Veterinary Assistant
Estefi graduated from Animal Behavior College in February 2018, she is planning to start school again to become a certified veterinary technician. She has two pet hamsters named Cheddar and Chapo, four Parakeets, and a bunny named Cocoa. The newest member of her family is a Bulldog and Beagle mix named Luna. Estfani’s favorite part about working at Auburn Animal Clinic is having new challenges on a daily basis and being able to help families with their fur babies. Estefi is also bilingual and can speak both English and Spanish.