Attract and Retain Veterinary Professionals

Veterinary practices need resources and guidance on how to better recruit, equip and retain team members in an ultra-competitive workforce marketplace.

Julia Loew, Senior Vice President – Commercialization, MWI Animal Health said the No. 1 concern from MWI’s customers, as well as the No.1 ask the MWI team faces when calling on customers is, “Do you know of a vet we could hire?”

Recruitment and retention are critical factors that significantly impact the veterinary profession, Loew said. “The ability to attract and retain talented professionals is essential for maintaining high-quality veterinary care and ensuring the well-being of animals.”

MWI Animal Health recently announced a strategic partnership with Hound, a leading veterinary talent platform, to help address the workforce complexities veterinary practices are facing. Through the partnership, MWI Animal Health customers can access Hound’s talent management technology, “enabling healthier practice culture and growth, improved patient outcomes and stronger client satisfaction,” the company said in a release. Through its software, Hound supports over 20,000 veterinary professionals and thousands of practices nationwide.

In the following interview, Loew and Andrew Luna, Hound founder and CEO, discuss the workforce challenges veterinary practices are facing in 2024, and some possible solutions.

Can you list the pressing issues you’ve seen veterinary practices face related to staff recruiting, relief and retention?

Julia Loew and Andrew Luna: There are several factors impacting the current situation:

Debate on Shortage of Veterinarians: According to the AAHA, there were 116,000 practicing veterinarians in the U.S. in 2019, almost two-thirds of them in companion animal practice. And if pet ownership continues its current rate of growth, the U.S. will need close to 41,000 more veterinarians by 2030.

Unequal Distribution of Veterinarians: The distribution of veterinarians across different areas can be uneven. Rural or underserved areas often face challenges in recruiting and retaining veterinarians due to limited job opportunities and lower salaries compared to urban areas.

High Student Debt: The cost of veterinary education has been rising steadily, leading to significant student debt burdens for new graduates, although there have been slight decreases since 2020. According to AVMA data from 2022 (excluding graduates who didn’t take out any loans), the average educational debt for new veterinarians was over $179,000.

Burnout and Mental Health Concerns: The demanding nature of veterinary work can contribute to burnout and mental health issues among professionals. A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association revealed that more than one-third of veterinarians experience symptoms consistent with burnout. Research from the Frontier Institute shows that burnout could be contributing to more than $1 billion to $2 billion of revenue loss per year. 86.7% of U.S. veterinarians had ProQOL burnout scores in the moderate or high range. All paraprofessionals in the clinic experience this as well and staff turnover is very high.

Shortage of Specialists: There is a shortage of board-certified veterinary specialists in certain fields such as oncology, dermatology, and ophthalmology. This shortage impacts both recruitment efforts by specialty practices and access to specialized care for animals.

The combination of these factors poses significant challenges for recruitment and retention within the veterinary profession. Efforts are being made to address these issues through initiatives such as loan forgiveness programs, increased support for mental health services, and targeted recruitment strategies to underserved areas.

It is important for stakeholders in the industry, including educational institutions, professional organizations, government agencies, and private practices to work together to develop comprehensive solutions that promote recruitment and retention within the veterinary profession. That is where we see the opportunities and benefit of the partnership between MWI Animal Health and Hound being so significant for the industry.

Has this always been an issue for the industry? What has happened post-pandemic?

Julia Loew and Andrew Luna: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on pet ownership and related trends. While increased pet adoption rates and the rise of the “pandemic pets” phenomenon have been debated since 2021, these trends we saw firsthand calling on our customers posed challenges for the veterinary profession. We know that many people turned to pet ownership during lockdowns and periods of social isolation, seeking companionship and emotional support. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), around 12.6 million U.S. households acquired a pet during the pandemic.

During the pandemic, and as pet parents were now home consistently, they also noticed more about their pets’ overall health, leading to higher medicalization rates than in previous years. This included an increased demand for veterinary services, such as routine check-ups, vaccinations, and preventive care. This influx of new and current patients placed a strain on veterinary practices’ capacity to meet the growing needs of their clients. As a result of increased demand, many veterinary practices were experiencing backlogs and longer wait times for appointments. This situation led to frustration among pet owners who may struggle to access timely care for their animals. Now, in a profession that was already facing staffing challenges prior to the pandemic, the increased demand exacerbated this issue further. There became a shortage of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and support staff available to meet the rising needs of pets.

Veterinary professionals were under immense pressure throughout the pandemic, dealing with higher caseloads, longer work hours, challenging cases, and emotional stressors related to caring for sick animals with frustrated pet owners that could often take that frustration out on the staff. These factors contributed to burnout and mental health struggles within the profession.

To mitigate these impacts on the vet profession post-pandemic, we have seen efforts focused on expanding veterinary education programs, enhancing recruitment strategies, improving work-life balance for professionals, providing mental health support services tailored specifically for veterinarians, exploring telemedicine options where appropriate, and promoting public awareness about responsible pet ownership beyond the immediate demands created by temporary circumstances like a pandemic. That is where we see the opportunities and benefit of the partnership of MWI Animal Health and Hound being so significant for the industry.

How can workforce retention issues hurt a practice’s ability to deliver quality care?

Julia Loew and Andrew Luna: Workforce retention has multiple factors that potentially impact pet parent experience, well-being of the staff, financial stability and predictability of the practice and ultimately access to quality vet care.

Pet Parent Experience: High turnover among veterinary professionals can lead to inconsistent care for pets and fragmented relationships between pet parents and their veterinarians. Continuity of care is essential for building trust, establishing rapport, and providing personalized treatment plans tailored to the specific needs of each animal.

Well-being of Staff: Veterinary professionals often face high levels of stress and emotional strain due to demanding work schedules, challenging cases, ethical dilemmas, and client interactions. If workforce retention is low or job satisfaction is compromised, it can negatively impact the mental health and well-being of staff members. This can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, decreased job performance, and even attrition from the profession.

Financial Stability and Predictability: High turnover rates contribute to instability within veterinary practices by increasing recruitment costs (such as advertising vacancies), training expenses for new hires, and potential disruptions in service delivery during transitions. A stable workforce allows practices to efficiently manage schedules, optimize workflows, provide consistent services, and maintain financial viability.

Access to Quality Veterinary Care: Workforce retention directly affects access to quality veterinary care in multiple ways. Inadequate staffing levels may result in longer wait times for appointments or reduced availability for urgent cases. Reduced continuity of care due to employee turnover can impact treatment plans and follow-up visits negatively. Additionally, a shortage of specialized veterinarians may limit access to advanced diagnostic procedures or specific treatments.

What can solutions like Hound’s software platform do to address burnout in the veterinary profession?

Julia Loew and Andrew Luna: At MWI, our goal is to help shape the future of veterinary medicine and make a lasting impact on animal healthcare. We believe that by focusing on workforce retention as part of our comprehensive suite of veterinary practice solutions, together with Hound, we can start to address these factors comprehensively. Our goal is to enable veterinary practices to enhance pet parent experiences while ensuring the well-being of their staff members, maintaining financial stability and predictability, and ultimately improving access to quality veterinary care.

Through Hound’s Rally wellness dashboards, vet teams can be provided with rich workforce analytics to better understand what’s working and where they can improve at both an individual hospital or enterprise level. Additionally, the solution allows team members to grow professionally and receive valuable, honest feedback, which continuously improve the culture and working environment of the practice. And lastly, recognizing the team’s efforts is critical to retention. The platform encourages the practice to celebrate wins.

We feel strongly that by focusing on staff retention, MWI and Hound can improve burnout in the vet profession through fostering a supportive and stable work environment that promotes work-life balance, improves team culture, and provides opportunities for professional growth and well-being.

An aloha connection

Hound has supported thousands of practices and workers across the nation with its platform. On average, multiple hires are made every day on Hound, said Andrew Luna, founder. Over 1,000 team members have already successfully onboarded onto Hound’s employee engagement platform. “One hiring practice in Texas connected with a DVM 4,000 miles away in Hawaii on Hound,” Luna said. “Within a month, they relocated from the Aloha State to the Lone Star State.”

Julia Loew currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Commercialization Services at MWI Animal Health, a division of Cencora.

Andrew Luna is the CEO and founder of Hound, a veterinary work platform.

Photo credit: istockphoto.com/SeventyFour