Dr. Michelle LaCoste, a Mason City native, received her Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from North Dakota State University in 2001 before graduating from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. Dr. LaCoste purchased Animal Medical Hospital on May 1, 2017. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery and all varieties of medicine. Dr. LaCoste enjoys spending time with her husband and children, her many pets, and gardening.
Dr. Lorelei J. Kruse, born and raised in Osage, Iowa. She attended Iowa State University where she received both her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and her DVM in 2002. Following graduation, she practiced in Minnesota for 15 years. Her veterinary interests include wellness medicine and soft tissue surgery. She enjoys spending her free time with her family and pets. Her hobbies include the family hobby farm, flower gardening, and antiquing.
Dr. Nicole L. Drost, born and raised in Rockford, IA. She attended Iowa State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Ecology and graduated from the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Drost practiced in an Iowa mixed animal clinic for a year before joining Animal Medical Hospital. Dr. Drost likes to spend time running, gardening, crafting, and spending time with her kids and her cat Belle.
Technicians
Theresa graduated from Omaha College of Health Careers as a Registered Veterinary Technician. She comes to Animal Medical Hospital with 20 years of previous experience. Theresa enjoys spending time with her cats Taz, Twofor, Tippy and Sparky.
Emily graduated from Des Moines Area Community College in 2008 as a Registered Veterinary Technician. She has been employed with Animal Medical Hospital since 2010. Emily enjoys spending time with her husband and sons, horseback riding, and spending time with her dog Storm.
Nikki joined Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant in 2020 with plans to further her education to become a veterinarian technician. She likes to go fishing, spend time with her family and friends and go horseback riding with her 2 horses, Hemi and Lady. She has 3 dogs at home and some aquatic life she enjoys caring for.
Assistants
Sara graduated from North Iowa Area Community College with a Medical Assistant Degree. She is a vet assistant and has been employed with Animal Medical Hospital since 1988. Sara enjoys spending time with her family and two black Labrador Retrievers Rya and Neeka.
Krista graduated from Iowa State with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She has been employed with Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant since 2016. Krista enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her cats Pancho and Squash.
Leo joined Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant in 2024. He graduated from Hagerstown Community College and has a background in managerial and customer service. He enjoys spending time with his dog and cats Khaleesi, Atlas and Osias. He can also be found drawing and participating in online games with friends.
Libby joined Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant in 2025. She joined us to expand her knowledge after her time working for the Cedar Bend Humane Society. In her free time Libby can be found kayaking, crafting and spending time with friends, family and her cats Junebug and Canyon.
Natalie joined Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant in 2025. After spending time in human medicine as a CNA and CMA she transitioned to animal medicine. Natalie keeps busy with her family and being active with her dog.
Students
Keira joined Animal Medical Hospital as an assistant in 2022. She is pursuing a degree in biology at Iowa State with intentions to continue her education to become a DVM. She loves to spend her free time reading while cuddled up with her cat Koda.