Developing Veterinary Medical Support at the Local Level

Wesley Bissett, DVM, PhD

on behalf of the

Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team

Objectives

Why do you need veterinary medical professionals?

Characteristics of our profession

Pre-arranged agreements

Engaged in planning efforts

Supported during response

Why?

2018 Camp Wildfire

• Started on November 8, 2018

• 100% containment on November 25, 2018

• Texas A&M University Systems Team requested on December 20, 2018• Texas A&M VET• Texas A&M AgriLife

Extension

• EMAC request for animal shelter management and veterinary medical support

• Texas A&M Systems Team closed the shelter on January 16, 2019

Characteristics

Characteristics of our

Profession

Highly stressed

Long hours

In debt

Low return on investment

Under paid

At risk

Characteristicsof our

Profession

• 66% Companion Animal exclusive

• 19% Mixed Animal

• 2% Food Animal exclusive

• 6% Equine

• $60K - $165K ($95K)

• $168 K in student loan debt

• > 20% over $200K

• ~40% are part-time

• Avg ~53 hrs per week

• Avg profitability of 10-12%

• Avg cost to start a practice $1.4 M (2003 data)

Bureau of Labor StatisticsAVMASimmons Vet Practice Sales and AppraisalsDVM 360

Characteristicsof our Profession

Ethical dilemmas

Giving bad news

Managing adverse events

Difficult clients

Teamwork issues

Managing work-life balance

JAVMA

Characteristicsof our Profession

6.8% (3.5%) of males and 10.9% (4.4)of females in the profession have serious mental illness/psychiatric disorder, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness .

24.5% of males and 36.7% of females in veterinary medicine have experienced depressive episodes since leaving veterinary school, one-and-a-half times the prevalence of a U.S. adult throughout their lifetime.

14.4% of males and 19.1% of females in the veterinary profession have considered suicide since leaving veterinary school. This is three times the U.S. national average.

1.1% of males and 1.4% of females in the veterinary profession have attempted suicide since leaving veterinary school.

https://atwork.avma.org/2015/02/12/veterinarians-and-mental-health-cdc-results-and-resources/

Reimbursement

• State and local governments are the only eligible applicants for sheltering and rescuing household pets and service animals. Contractors or private nonprofit (PNP) organizations that shelter or rescue household pets and service animals cannot be reimbursed directly as an applicant. However, contractors and PNPs can be reimbursed for sheltering and rescuing household pets and service animals through a state or local government, provided a written statement from an eligible applicant is presented in which the applicant verifies that the contractor or PNP is performing or has performed sheltering or rescuing operations on the applicant’s behalf and the expenses are documented.

FEMA DAP 9523.19

Recognize the difficulty in charging a victim for veterinary medical care

Euthanasia??

Liability Protection

Official part of the response acting on jurisdictional orders

Within their professional scope

Liability

Disaster Response ??????

Liability Protection does not equal Legal Representation!

Starting Point

Starting Point

Recognize that you need themRecognize

Recognize that while animals are not the highest priority, they are indeed a priority that will have to be dealt withRecognize

Establish paid vs volunteerEstablish

Recognize that veterinarians will need to be integrated and supportedRecognize

Include in planning

• Factor in their stressorsInclude in

Develop a capacity determination mechanismDevelop

Starting Point

Written into the plan

• Required training

• Expectations

• Paid vs volunteer

• Source of tools of the trade

• Required documentation

• Additional personnel assistance

• Where they will fit in organizational structure

Establish an MOU or MOA

Planning

• Evacuation

• Rescue

• Decontamination

• Veterinary medical operations• Complications of euthanasia

• Shelter

• Carcass disposal

Planning Assistance

I'll never do that again!

Response

Response

• Home damaged or lost

• Practice damaged or lost

• Did they lose patients

• Loss of family or friends

Understand their situation

• Consequences of the practice being a base of operations

• Future client base

• Income status of future client base

Income generation

Response•What is their financial

contribution if they are a volunteer?

Support

Recognize the need to re-stock

• Encourage their reaching out to suppliers

Support

• People

• Supplies

Documentation

"Ward of the county"

Support

Tactical plan that is complete and spans the spectrum through end of response

Thank You!