{"id":21925,"date":"2022-06-01T00:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T00:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=21925"},"modified":"2022-07-14T22:55:26","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T22:55:26","slug":"all-things-creative-disruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/all-things-creative-disruption\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Creatures Great and Small"},"content":{"rendered":"

To my generation of veterinarians (boomers), James Herriot was our role model. Mr. Herriot treated all creatures, great and small. One doctor, all places (exam rooms, stalls and barnyards), all alone, all types of medicine, all creatures, at all times. It was a romantic ideal that built the profession we all hold dear. But is that ideal still possible? Can we still be all things to all people? Sadly, I\u2019m not so sure. Perhaps the question is, how can today\u2019s generation of veterinary professionals meet the needs of today\u2019s creatures, great and small?<\/p>\n

We live in a time of veterinary professional abundance. Pet numbers are up, pet lifespans are up, euthanasia is down, pet spending is up, and America\u2019s love affair with pets has never been stronger. Yes, we\u2019re dealing with issues of personal well-being, the cost of education, the workforce shortage and barriers to veterinary care. But the positives far outweigh the negatives.<\/p>\n

Stephen R. Covey, writing in \u201cThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,\u201d described an abundance mindset in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes for all and a scarcity mindset in which if someone wins, someone else loses. There\u2019s no consideration of a win-win. Our profession, however, is poised for win-wins.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychology professor, described two types of mindsets. The first is a fixed, or scarcity, mindset that is averse to risk, reluctant to change and anchored in the past. The second is a growth, or abundance, mindset that is motivated, generative, and open to change and improvement. Our profession is moving to an abundance mindset.<\/p>\n

In a time of abundance, why change? Why not continue to be all things to all people? Because without change, things stay the same and ultimately stagnate. When we change, we adapt and move forward. Change can be scary, but change is opportunity.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 accelerated change across the veterinary landscape, like it or not. But what got us here won\u2019t get us there. Consumers, our workforce, expectations, technology, workflows and duties have changed. Further, the changes are accelerating. Uncomfortable, yes. Scary, yes. But what a tremendous opportunity for those who evolve to meet the landscape\u2019s changing needs.<\/p>\n

Can we still be all things to all creatures, great and small? I don\u2019t think so. While I believe there will always be\u00a0a place for the primary care general\u00a0practitioner \u2014 a role I love and admire \u2014 it can no longer be the primary model for veterinary care delivery.<\/p>\n

Why Change?<\/h3>\n

Here are four reasons to do things differently:<\/p>\n