Our Story
About Creekside Veterinary Hospital
our hospital’s mission
At Creekside Veterinary Hospital we know that pets are family. We believe you deserve compassion, integrity, and collaboration with each step of your pet’s life. We strive to provide your pet the best care and to give you the improved Veterinary experience that your whole family deserves. Founded on the principles of integrity, compassion, collaboration, and advancement, we have a clear vision of how we want to treat you and your pets. We’re here for you, doing what we do and how we do it because pets are family. Our plan is to have you help us grow. We’re starting small, with a small staff and one doctor. The more you support us, the more we plan to be here for you, extending our hours for your convenience and for the safety of your pets. Come meet us! We can’t wait to help you.
Meet our Founder
Denise Radford, DVM
Dr. Radford cannot remember a day in her life in which she didn’t want to be a veterinarian. The first tangible proof she has is a picture of her face peering out from behind a “Veterinarian” standin at the county fair. Her best friend growing up was a Rough Coated Collie named Sundance, and her love for him shapes the way she cares for your pets to this day. Dr. Radford graduated with honors from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2014 from the University of Illinois.
She’s traveled many places since her graduation, but you may recognize her most recently from being an Emergency Clinician at Veterinary Care & Specialty Group in Chattanooga, TN. Dr. Radford was thrilled to work with the amazing specialists and team at VCSG, but knew that caring for the pets and people in the Cleveland, TN area was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She founded Creekside Veterinary Hospital in 2021 with the motto of “Because Pets are Family,” so that pet owners who were in search of modern, compassionate, honest pet care would know right where to find it. When she’s not at work, you can find her hanging out with her 4 dogs (Gunner, Remi, Boogie, and Kenobi), 2 cats (Tiki and Isla), and her husband or working on various animal welfare coalitions. She also enjoys enjoying nature and hiking in her free time. She invites you to come see how Creekside and our team is just what you’ve been looking for!
MEET THE Dream Team
Christa P., LSHC
Veterinary Assistant
Meet Christa
Years of Experience: 9
Christa was born and raised in East TN and lived in Michigan for 7 years before coming back home to attend UTK for Animal Science with a Pre-Vet emphasis. She has had a passion for animals and their well-being since she was little. When not working with animals, she can be found spending time with her big family full of sisters, nieces, and nephews. She lives locally with her husband, son, and 3 fur babies (2 cats and a dog). She would love to get the opportunity to work with zoo and marine animals in the future, loves mystery books, comedy movies, and classic rock music thanks to her parents. She wants to find time for cooking classes and travel. Italy is on her bucket list!
When asked “Why do you work in Vet Med?” she said: I want to do whatever I can to help animals feel their best. It makes me so happy. I get the opportunity to be their voice when they can’t tell us themselves what’s wrong. Their gift of unconditional love melts my heart every time!
When asked “Why Creekside?” she said: Being able to call your boss an amazing person, teacher, and friend – I think is rare anymore. The moment I found out Dr. Radford was building her own practice, I knew it would be an amazing place to work.
Christa, we are so happy you’re here!
Julie M.
Veterinary Assistant
Meet Julie
Experience: 12 years
Julie was born and raised here in the Chattanooga area. She attended UTC for Pre-Veterinary classes and started working in an animal hospital at the same time. When not at work, she likes to read Romance Thrillers but mostly you can find her outdoors with her family. She loves to play sports and adventure with her young son and also spend fun quality time with her husband, 2 step-children, horses, 3 dogs, and her cat. She dreams of diving in the Great Barrier Reef and visiting Australia!
When asked “Why Creekside?” she said: “Dr. Radford! She is a veterinarian like no other. She cares about your animals and will go above and beyond for them, and she also cares about the owners. Dr. Radford is a great friend and I’m excited for her to be my boss!”
When asked “Why Veterinary Medicine” she said: “I love learning new things, helping all animals from birth to end of life, and teaching pet owners about the health of their pets. I love Veterinary Medicine.”
Julie, we’re so lucky to have you!
Kara S.
Veterinary Assistant
Meet Kara
Experience: 7 years
Kara has lived in states across the country but recently settled here in East, TN to be closer to her family. When not working, you can find her spending time with family including her husband & son and their pets: 3 horses, a mini donkey, 3 dogs and 2 cats. Her favorite TV show is The Office (U.S.) and in fact, you may catch her quoting Michael Scott at any moment. She’s a leftie, and her favorite book is A Court of Thorns & Roses.
When asked “Why Vet Med?” she said: I am very passionate about animal welfare. I love helping animals feel their very best so their owners can feel their best as well!”
When asked “Why Creekside?” she said: The standard of care is Gold Star, bar none, with animals’ comfort always a priority.
Kara – thank you for being part of the Dream Team!
Lisa C.
Administrative Assistant
Meet Lisa
Years of Experience: 30+ years
Lisa is a proud Chicago Bears & Notre Dame football fan that spent many years in Chicago prior to moving to Cleveland, TN in 2022 to start her next chapter. In addition to her 3 adult kids (of whom she’s very proud!), Lisa’s family is full of pets: One Bloodhound and a collection of Boston Terriers. Someday, she hopes to add a small donkey to the crew! In her spare time she can be found pushing herself to new heights (literally) with her Hiking Group and plans to hike Mammoth soon. She dreams of traveling to Greece & Sicily and would love to have land so she could have her own rescue for senior dogs, where unwanted seniors could experience a sanctuary during their golden years.
When asked “Why Vet Med?” she said: I love being the voice for animals. They love you unconditionally no matter what your background is: I love being their advocate. I also love learning new things on the medical side. I’m very passionate about spay/neuter and leash laws. Our shelters are so overpopulated. I feel my spicy personality can stand up for pets in need!
When asked “Why Creekside?” she said: The calmness. You walk in and you see Angie’s big smile! It’s a very Zen place. I love the Low Stress Handling approach – I have a stubborn bloodhound of my own! The Grief room and patio also hit home for me. Knowing that hospital was built so that when the time comes, we will have a private space where we all can be treated with respect and dignity means a lot.
Kiana H.
Patient Care Representative
Meet Kiana
Years of Experience: 2
Kiana was born and raised right here in Georgetown, TN, and has big goals of going to Veterinary School! After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, she’s living with her family and her 4 dogs and 5 cats on a small beef cattle farm while she applies to vet school. When not working with animals, she enjoys listening to a wide variety of music, including pop, kpop, kR+B and indie. She also likes watching East Asian dramas, with her favorite being “True Beauty”.
When asked, “Why Vet Med?” she said this: “I work in Vet Med because it’s an opportunity to care for animals as well as provide comfort and assurance to their owners.”
When asked “Why Creekside” she said: “Along with the friendly staff, Creekside offers advanced technology and low-stress techniques, allowing for quick and accurate results and ensuring the utmost care for it’s patients. Creekside is also a great environment for employees to learn and grow.”
Kiana brings a gentle kindness and an eagerness to learn to our team, and we’re happy to have her!
Angela B.
Client Care Representative
Meet Angela
Years of Experience: Lifelong Dream, Brand New Reality!
Angie has joined our team as a Client Care Representative. She has decades of experience in client service and customer care but is a new member of the Veterinary World. She realized that all of her passions could collide as a CCR in a vet hospital and thought that Creekside would be a great environment to learn and grow.
She was born and raised in North Carolina, moved to South Carolina, and then settled here in Tennessee 3 years ago with her husband Aaron and their dog, Grayson. Her favorite book is Where the Crawdads Sing and she dreams of traveling to Greece and Israel someday. We love having her on our Dream Team because she exudes hope and positivity. She is eager to learn, believes in Creekside’s Mission, and comes to work every day ready to make a difference for the people around her.
When asked “Why do you work in Vet Med?” she said: “To help people and pets by giving them the best care possible.”
When asked “What is different about Creekside that you love?” she said: “They give true care and compassion from their hearts.”
Trynity N.
Patient Care Representative
Meet Trynity
When asked “why vet med” she said: I love animals and want to help make them better as much as I can.
When asked “why Creekside” she said: The place is beautiful and as soon as I walked inside, I felt like I was living in my dream! Everyone is so nice and accepting.
Trynity – we can already tell you’re smart and driven. We can’t wait to see what you learn while you’re here!
Remi Radford
Office Manager