The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has called for veterinarians to get vaccinated as part of a public health push.
‘We want our veterinary staff, animal owners and our communities to be safe and healthy, and that’s why we join our colleagues in human medicine and science in actively promoting the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine,’ said Dr. José Arce, the AVMA president.
‘Veterinary medicine has a clear public health mission,’ Dr. Arce said.
‘In fact, when we take our Oath, we specifically commit to the promotion of public health. Encouraging preventive health care, including vaccination, is part of that commitment. Especially with flu season underway and the approach of winter, we strongly encourage vaccination to protect overall public well-being.’
Currently, around 90% of AVMA members are vaccinated.
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Vets in British Columbia Overwhelmed by Floods
Vets in British Columbia have been inundated with patients after devastating floods swept through the region.
As the floodwater began to recede this week, the province has begun to contact all available veterinarians with food animals, equine, and/or emergency response experience to help with the recovery mission.
‘It would be prudent for veterinarians to confirm their insurance coverage for any harm they may incur themselves or that they may cause to others arising from the provision of veterinary services in these challenging circumstances,’ the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia told its members in an email alert.
Thousands of livestock and domestic animals have been wounded or killed by the flooding. Several clinics have also had to close in the region due to building damage and road blockages.
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VetPartners Expands into Switzerland
The UK-based company VetPartners has made its first move into Switzerland after acquiring a chain of practices in the French-speaking part of the region.
Swissvet group, which has twelve locations, will continue to be overseen by Florent Bourachot, one of the co-founders of Swissvet and chief medical officer Antoine Adam.
In a statement, Mr. Bourachot said:
‘VetPartners is the right fit for us because we share the same values and culture. It is a very caring group that looks after its people and supports teams while still allowing them the autonomy to make clinical decisions.’
‘The veterinary market is evolving in Switzerland and VetPartners will help us to pursue our strategy by being more competitive, and to expand in this country. We already have interest from other practices and projects for new practices.’
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Survey Highlights Poor Work-Life Balance, Wages & Working Conditions
Veterinary Ireland has committed to improving the work-life balance of Irish vets after a survey found that it was the main contributor to turnover.
Veterinary Ireland’s Benchmark Survey 2020 found that it could threaten the long-term sustainability of veterinary practices in Ireland – particularly in more rural areas.
The survey found that the principal reasons why vets wouldn’t choose the profession again were because of:
- Work-life balance
- Wages
- Working conditions due to long long hours and poor planning.
These findings are similar to those found by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) back in 2019.
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Victoria Vets Exhausted and Overwhelmed After Pet Food Contamination Outbreak
A historic pet food outbreak has overwhelmed clinics in the Victoria area.
Main street veterinary clinic, which was ‘ground-zero’ for the outbreak, has been seeing infected patients since June. Although they initially thought the outbreak was due to a rare bacterial infection, after some investigation, they traced the deaths to popular pet food. The food had been contaminated by the toxin indospicine, known for causing liver failure in dogs.
‘The nurses who were stuck in the kennel room were in full personal protective equipment (PPE) for 12-hour shifts, trying to avoid getting any urine, any secretions, or anything on them,’ veterinarian Durelle Esnouf said.
‘In nearly 40 years of practice, I think it was by far the most stressful time I have ever dealt with.’
Although Agriculture Victoria traced the outbreak to Maffra District Knackery, they said that no pet food laws had been broken and that there was no fault in the production line. The case has been closed with no charges made.
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How Leaders Can Improve Their Employees Wellbeing
Workplace wellbeing is something that many businesses aspire to, but never seem to accomplish.
That’s because no matter how many wellbeing programs you have or ‘fun-fridays’, if leadership isn’t modeling best practices, then it’s all for naught.
The fact is that veterinary management needs to lead by example. They can’t expect their teams to set boundaries, or put their wellbeing first when they clearly aren’t. It sets precedent, and expectations, which many leaders may not be aware of.
To improve wellbeing at work, leaders need to set boundaries, practice compassion, and check in with their teams. Particularly over the Christmas period when the clinic is busy and stress is high.
For more advice on how to improve employee wellbeing, click here.
