A Timeline of Care and Commitment
TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals owes its origin to Forestbrook Animal Hospital in Gastonia, NC, which was founded by Dr. Bob Neunzig (an early ABVP Canine/Feline Specialist) and opened in 1979. In 1984, a small house was renovated in the Lake Wylie area, a scant 10 miles away across the SC state line, into Bethel Animal Clinic. Continuing the company’s growth, New Hope Animal Clinic was opened in Gastonia in the summer of 1985. That same year Dr. Mark E. Epstein joined the practice as a new grad “baby doctor” under Dr. Neunzig’s mentorship.
Within less than 2 years, Dr. Neunzig unexpectedly “popped the question,” asking Dr. Epstein to join him as a partner in the practice. Upon consideration and following the adage “There is no heavier burden than a great opportunity,” Dr. Epstein said “Yes” and along with another young veterinarian, Dr. Dale Pickens, joined in partnership of all three practices in 1987. One of Dr. Epstein’s first leadership tasks was to oversee Accreditation of all 3 all practices by the prestigious American Animal Hospital Association.
The practices grew. In need of another associate, Dr. Epstein introduced his classmate Dr. Herrick R. (Dick) Hay to Drs. Neunzig and Pickens; later in 1987 Dr, Hay joined the practice as an associate, and a year later, was welcomed as a full partner. Fast forwarding…depending on when you are reading this, Drs. Epstein and Hay have been partners for 40 years, and friends for almost half a century. While the relationship is still in the “trial period,” so far so good.
1991 was a busy year, as the practice, now called Veterinary HealthCare Associates, opened a 3600 square foot facility in northwest Mecklenburg County called Paw Creek Animal Hospital, with Dr. Hay as its Hospital Director (in 2025, it underwent significant renovation as is now under the leadership of Dr. Wes Spangler). Simultaneously to Paw Creek’s construction in 1991, the Bethel location moved its practice 1/2 mile away to a new 3800 sq ft building, nearly three times its original size, and brought under the leadership of Hospital and Medical Director Dr. Jodi Werfal. It was later expanded in 2011, and in 2022, expanded and renovated again and came under the leadership of Dr. Hadley Harris.
In subsequent years, the practiced continued to add a slate of talented and dedicated doctors and staff, as well as the latest equipment, technology, and advanced training and certifications (including Dr. Epstein and Hay’s ABVP Diplomate Board Certification as Specialists in Canine/Feline Practice, 2 of only 8 Board-certifed Canine/Feline Specialists in the Charlotte metro region).
Drs. Epstein and Hay eventually bought out Dr. Neunzig, then Dr. Pickens. In the mid 1990’s, they made the practice into an early adopter and then full transformation into what was termed a Human-Animal Bond-centered practice, and by 2000 had rebranded into TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals (TBVH). Dr. Charles McLaughlin, a veterinarian whose career was first in cancer research at Sloan-Kettering and then in biotech, joined the leadership team with a focus on development and – being an astute student of human relations – strengthening the team and client services.
Dr. Hay married Pam, a Davidson College professor; she wasn’t going anywhere, so TBVH @ Davidson was opened (1999) in a small renovated house near their home with Dr. Hay as Hospital Director. (Yes Dr. Epstein had married too, Janet, a Gastonia native so he could stay right where he was at Forestbrook).
On a somber note during this time, Dr. McLaughlin developed leukemia and sadly passed away. He continues to be remembered for his soft-spoken but moving ways, his legacy still exists in many of TBVH’s training/mentoring documents and he has been dearly missed.
More growth: In 2005, TBVH @ Mountain Island Lake opened at the intersection of Hgwy 16 and Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd (Callabridge Commons Shopping Ctr) in north Charlotte, with Dr. Kim Langholz assuming the Hospital Director role. But in 2019 the large Riverbend district was built across the intersection from MIL, and we jumped at the opportunity to move the practice there, called Riverbend Veterinary PetCare Hospital. Dr. Langholz oversaw this transition, and the practice more than doubled in size when it expanded into the adjacent space in 2024. The Medical Directorship transferred to Dr. Isabel Plourde.
Drs. Hay and Epstein began to consider the long term future of TBVH and knew they did not want to either sell out to a corporation, nor for that matter, stop practicing and contributing in leadership. In fact they had 2 guiding values when considering this next important step for TBVH:
- They would only participate in partnership with any corporate entity, where they would not only continue to practice for many years, but would also remain in a leadership and guiding roll
- There must be a way to invite the practice’s trusted associate DVMs into this partnership.
Holding tightly to these values ensured TBVH’s identity, its team, its culture, its legacy would persist indefinitely. Which is exactly what happened.
There was only one veterinary company that was founded and operated under the exact same ethos as this vision: a small one called Veterinary Practice Partners.
So it was in 2020 that Drs Hay and Epstein brought TBVH into partnership with VPP, along with 5 of its tenured associate DVMs: Drs. Jodi Werfal (Exec Partner), Wes Spangler, Hadley Harris, Isabel Plourde, and Kim Langholz (since retired). You will note that these individuals have each taken on the Medical Directorship of a TBVH Hospital. Dr. Epstein became TBVH Group Medical Director, responsible for DVM continued advancement, development, mentoring, and training of the professional staff; improving and expanding hospital services, maintaining the practices operating on the forefront of veterinary patient care and client service.
This would be enough to be called a success story, but it does not stop there.
With VPP, in 2022 key TBVH DVMs opened a 6th hospital in south Gastonia, New Hope Veterinary Hospital; Dr. Werfal was its first Medical Director, but in 2025 our new partner Dr. Peter Rowan has now taken the role.
Then in 2023, Newport Veterinary Hospital was similarly acquired in Rock Hill, SC, about 10 miles south of the Bethel location. An experienced Bethel associate and existing long-term Newport associate both became partners and team-lead the hospital: Dr. Katie Propst as Medical Director, Dr. Ryann Jones as Exec. Partner.
In 2024, another rock-star associate Dr. Aine Schanche became a partner and transitioned into Davidson’s Medical Directorship role.
In 2025, 5 more associate partners were welcomed: Dr. Taylor Doehrmann (Davidson), and Drs. Luke Boliek, Shauna Gross, and Andi Eways (Paw Creek).
And the bench is deep, with more rock-star TBVH veterinarians expected to join in partnership.
When asked to reflect upon the arc of the career, from new grad to one of 4 DVMs in 3 practices to being part of a 24-DVM team (with over half of them partners) in 7 practices, Dr. Hay just shakes his head and says “To be honest, it is hard to believe. We are truly blessed with the best.” Dr. Epstein concurs.
Over the years there have been various awards and accolades. In 1999, Veterinary HealthCare Associates was bestowed the Practice of Excellence Award by Veterinary Economics Magazine, and TBVH was awarded the Small Business Award by the Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2015. Also in 2015 TBVH hospitals became Certified Cat Friendly Practices by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and shortly thereafter underwent Fear Free Certification.
Dr. Epstein has contributed to the veterinary profession beyond his clinical role at TBVH, having served as a president of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and becoming an ABVP Companion Animal Pain Management Founding Fellow; served as president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and earned the designation of Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner. He is the lead author of AAHA Senior Care Guidelines and the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines, has authored textbook chapters and numerous peer-reviewed publications. He continues to be a national and international lecturer on the recognition, prevention, and control of pain in animals.
TBVH and its teams strive continually and constantly to improve and expand our capabilities in the service not just of our clients and their pets, but our communities as well, with a list of community involvements too long to list here…this work is never done! Our doctors and staff share common visions of relationship-centered superior patient care; compassion, patience, and understanding; and uniquely high-touch, high-contact personal service. While each of our hospitals may have a slightly different atmosphere, these basic core values of relationship-building are shared uncompromisingly between them. And that makes all the Difference.
Practice Philosophy
Mission: To enhance and advance the human-animal bond through superior relationship-centered pet health care.
Technology, changes and advances. But the value of Relationships – between people and with our pets – is a constant, For us, anyway, it’s all about relationships, folks.
First, there is something exceedingly special and unique about our relationships with companion animals. Our pets give us what we crave but cannot always expect from the people in our lives: a type of love, devotion, and companionship that is purely unconditional. The chord that this strikes within us is primal, deep and profound, and touches a part of our being that cannot otherwise be easily reached.
At TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals, we recognize this. It is why we know that most of you reading this consider your pet to be a family member, why you give gifts to your pet, or sign holiday cards from them. It is why you talk to your cat or dog in a silly voice, dress them up, take them out, and pamper them silly. And you know what? We love this craziness! (p.s. sshhhh! We do the same to our own pets at home).
The special connection that people have to their pets is called the Human-Animal Bond. Frankly, lots of practices may use this as a buzz-phrase. But at our hospitals, we live and breathe the Bond. We understand it, we revel in it, and we train vigorously in its applications and integrating it into our systems and our very way of being. In fact, it provides an underpinning to our practice, where we not only acknowledge but also celebrate with you the special relationship that exists with your pets.
What does this mean for you? It means consultation appointments that run longer than the national average. It means carefully involving you in the heatlh care decisions of your pet. It means we will not only meet the needs of the friend and companion that you have entrusted to our care: it means that we will also be there for you, meeting your needs no matter how varied. We will meet them in good times and, if necessary, in times not so good. We want you to feel like you can depend on us to be there for you and understand how you feel, whether in a time of health and joy or in a time of illness and worry.
This, then, describes our relationship with you. And the relationship we’ll establish with your furry (or scaly or winged) family members. We’ll laugh together when we can, be serious when we have to, and above all, strive to transcend the usual veterinary practice-pet-client experience into something unique and special.
Because for us, it’s all about relationships. And that makes all the Difference.
