{"id":21952,"date":"2022-06-01T00:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=21952"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:48:52","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:48:52","slug":"workforce-shortage-innovation-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/workforce-shortage-innovation-station\/","title":{"rendered":"We Must Unite as an Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Veterinary medicine is a calling as much as a profession. It\u2019s a field filled with immeasurably passionate and dedicated people who feel a profound sense of responsibility to animals. But in recent years, our calling has faced an existential issue: a growing workforce gap that could lead to millions of pets not having access to the veterinary care they need. The shortage might be one of the most significant issues our industry will face for a generation, but it\u2019s not insurmountable. Together, if we work as an industry to re-envision how we build our pipeline to provide pet care, we can create a more sustainable future for our profession.<\/p>\n

Attitudes Are Changing<\/h3>\n

Contrary to what national headlines might suggest, veterinary workforce shortages did not start with the pandemic. As we\u2019ve witnessed in daily practice, pet ownership has been on the rise, fueled largely by increased generational interest in pet ownership and a strengthening cultural bond between people and their pets.<\/p>\n

During the early days of the pandemic, historic pet adoption<\/a> rates were a heart-warming highlight at a time with little to celebrate. But as veterinary teams have felt firsthand, the estimated 23 million \u201cpandemic pets\u201d had an unintended impact: the acceleration of the existing workforce shortage.<\/p>\n

To address the needs ahead of us, we need to look at the growing number of pets and respond to pet owners\u2019 shifting expectations. With millions of Americans working from home, devoted pet owners have become more proactive in their pets\u2019 health. From faster delivery of routine care to easier specialty access, the owners want to keep their pets healthier and improve the animals\u2019 quality of life. That is great news for pets, but as we\u2019ve all felt, it presents challenges for veterinary teams already struggling to meet the need.<\/p>\n

Our profession needs innovative solutions, applying principles from human health care and exploring digital tools to give teams the support and reprieve they need while reaching more pets in need of care.<\/p>\n

A Widening Gap<\/h3>\n

In its current state, the veterinary profession isn\u2019t sustainable long term. So, alongside many of my industry peers and Mars Veterinary Health colleagues, I\u2019ve sought ways to drive meaningful and measurable change in addressing the shortage.<\/p>\n

Together, I know we can secure a better future for pets, veterinary teams and our industry if we act quickly and with purpose.<\/p>\n

But first, we must understand the facts. That\u2019s why Mars Veterinary Health commissioned several new studies to quantify the shortage as it relates to\u00a0companion animal veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary specialists.<\/p>\n

A few key findings include:<\/p>\n