How Dr. Elyse Cherry transformed documentation with HappyDoc

Elyse Cherry, DVM is an experienced relief veterinarian with eight years of clinical practice, four of them in relief work. She has worked in small animal general practice across multiple clinics and previously served as a certified veterinary technician in the anesthesia department of a major referral hospital before earning her veterinary degree. Dr. Cherry consults with HappyDoc, lending her valuable expertise to the team to shape the future of the product and ensure the highest quality output.

As a relief vet, she isn’t always the provider following up on cases, making it critical that her notes are clear and comprehensive. However, keeping up with documentation while managing a full schedule was always a challenge — sometimes at the cost of important details. 

The challenge of balancing patient care and documentation

Like all veterinarians, Dr. Cherry has to balance patient care with extensive record-keeping. In most clinics where she provides relief, veterinary assistants handle patient intake, but she is responsible for exams, certain medical procedures, treatment discussions, and documentation, typically completing notes between appointments.

Early in her career, she quickly realized how difficult it was to maintain meticulous documentation while managing the demands of a busy multi-doctor practice. Writing records often meant sacrificing scheduled breaks and staying late well beyond closing. Some doctors even came in on their days off just to finish charts.

Over time, experience helped her improve efficiency, but it sometimes came at the expense of the thoroughness she strived for in her medical records.

“Even with strong time management, unexpected challenges, like urgent cases, complex medical workups, or multiple sick patients in a row, make it difficult to document everything in real time,” she recalls. “You either have to reduce the level of detail or spend extra time finishing records after hours.” — Dr. Cherry

The issue isn’t inefficiency. It’s a structural challenge in veterinary medicine , one that leads many doctors to sacrifice personal time just to keep up with documentation.

Looking back at her first years after veterinary school, she believes that having access to HappyDoc during that formative period would have been a “game changer”—helping to ease mounting stress and improve mental health while ensuring high-quality medical records.

“Reducing overtime will always reduce my stress,” Dr. Cherry explains. “As a new grad, I worked in a fast-paced clinic with a high caseload, which led to me consistently staying after-hours to finish my notes. Despite this being the case for multiple doctors, it contributed to a feeling of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and even depression.”

Having an AI scribe during that time, she believes, would have significantly improved her well-being by allowing her to maintain both efficiency and documentation quality without feeling constantly behind.

Now, as a more experienced clinician, she has seen firsthand the benefits of having an AI scribe in place. 

Finding the right solution with HappyDoc

Dr. Cherry had been curious about AI’s potential in veterinary medicine, particularly in streamlining documentation. After evaluating multiple AI scribes, she found that HappyDoc stood out for its high level of customization and ease of use.

Unlike other AI scribes that produced rigid, generic notes, HappyDoc allowed her to tailor documentation to her exact preferences  and the standards of the different veterinary clinics where she works. 

Unlike other AI scribes that produced rigid, generic notes, HappyDoc allowed her to tailor documentation to her exact preferences  and even create multiple versions to match the templates of the different veterinary clinics where she works. She could set custom formatting for SOAP notes, ensuring her records remained structured and easy to reference while also maintaining the consistency her clients are used to in their medical records .She could set custom formatting for SOAP notes, ensuring her records remained structured and easy to reference.

One of the most valuable features was the ability to create trigger words and automated classifications. For example, when she noted a pet was “a little bit chubby,” HappyDoc would automatically assign a body condition score of 6/9, ensuring consistency without extra effort. 

Integrating HappyDoc into her workflow was seamless. With an intuitive interface and minimal setup, she was able to start using it effectively within a day. Even veterinarians less familiar with technology would find the transition smooth, thanks to the ability to review and adjust AI-generated notes before finalizing them.

Immediate results: more time, less stress

The impact of HappyDoc was felt almost immediately. Dr. Cherry found that she could complete records more efficiently without sacrificing quality.

“Now, even on my busiest days, I feel less stressed knowing my notes are already there — I just need to proofread and finalize them. This allows me to focus on meeting my clients' needs without feeling rushed to get to the next appointment.” — Dr. Cherry

She also started using HappyDoc to generate post-visit summaries for clients — something she previously didn’t have time for. This small change improved client communication and follow-through on treatment plans and led to positive feedback from clinics.  The added value of these summaries enhanced client satisfaction, strengthened her relationships with clinics, and ultimately benefited her relief business. 

With fewer shifts running even 15 minutes late, Dr. Cherry was able to be home at a more predictable time, improving her work-life balance. She notes that her wife is a strong supporter of HappyDoc because it reduces how often she has to manage dinner and bedtime with their two kids (“feral children”) on her own. The ability to be home at a more consistent time helped create a healthier routine for the whole family, giving Dr. Cherry more time to be present at home and to recharge. Not only has HappyDoc reduced her stress and helped her maintain detailed records, but it has also made her more competitive as a relief vet. With high-quality documentation, clinics where she provides regular relief have given her overwhelmingly positive feedback, reinforcing the value of accurate, thorough notes.

Measurable change

Dr. Cherry analyzed her invoices from 2023 (pre-HappyDoc) and 2024 (post-HappyDoc) to determine whether fully adopting HappyDoc as a medical scribe led to measurable time savings. To control for variations between clinics with different scheduling or management styles, she only included clinics where she had worked at least 10 shifts in both years. For this analysis, a “late shift” was defined as any shift that extended at least 15 minutes beyond the scheduled end of appointments.

The results were compelling:

• 13% fewer late shifts overall.
• 42.8% less extra time per shift worked, saving an average of 9.2 minutes per shift.
• For shifts that ran late, she left 9.7 minutes earlier on average, a 21.8% improvement.

These time savings significantly reduced extra time spent at work, improving efficiency and allowing for better work-life balance — all without sacrificing thorough documentation.

"Not only has HappyDoc saved me time, but it has also helped me achieve the level of detail in my records that I always aimed for but couldn’t consistently maintain on my own." — Dr. Cherry

AI’s transformation of clinic operations

HappyDoc has transformed how Dr. Cherry approaches documentation, turning what was once a time-consuming burden into a streamlined, efficient process. As AI continues to evolve, she is excited about its potential to further support veterinarians in providing high-quality care without the administrative strain.

For those still skeptical about AI-powered documentation, Dr. Cherry offers a final takeaway: 

"Not only has the adoption of HappyDoc produced tangible time savings, but it has also enabled me to produce records with a level of detail for which I had always aspired to but had not fully achieved on my own. Efficiency and accuracy don’t have to be at odds. With the right tools, veterinarians can reclaim their time while maintaining the meticulous records their patients deserve." — Dr. Cherry