New pet parents strive to provide the best care possible for their furry family members, but they are being met with a challenges that continues to span all industries: labor shortages and the struggle to keep up with customer demands. This is evidenced in the emergency veterinary industry, which is suffering from the increased need for care after adopting “pandemic puppies,” staffing challenges, backlogs in appointments, and the overall increased cost of treatments that jeopardize the quality of care and the satisfaction of both customers and employees.

Rising burnout

The pandemic altered how people live their day-to-day lives, and as many transitioned to a hybrid or remote work model, coworkers were replaced by new pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), more than over 23 million American households¹ adopted a pet during the pandemic.

This influx of new patients increased the already high rates of veterinarian burnout, with one in six veterinarians² considering suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With vets working longer hours and dealing with higher stress levels, their mental health continues to be jeopardized. As a result, many have moved to part-time work or left the industry altogether due to burnout.

A recent study estimated the nation will be 15,000 veterinarians short of demand by 2030 if pet ownership continues to grow at its current rate.³ With fewer employees, many clinics (especially in the emergency sector) are forced to reduce their hours and limit the number of appointments to accommodate a lower staff count, the opposite of what new pet owners need. When clinics cannot keep up with demand, there is a backlog in appointments and delays in care. This can be potentially life-threatening in the case of pet emergencies.

Supporting employees

Luckily, some simple solutions can work in tandem to help create a better work environment for veterinary staff, resulting in higher retention rates, decreased staffing issues, and shortened customer wait times.

Overall, working conditions need to improve. Veterinary teams operate in a fast-paced, high-stress environment, amplified for emergencies such as urgent care or the ER. Many veterinary professionals work long hours, often with little time for breaks. This is mentally and physically exhausting, especially with increased case volume. These conditions take their toll on employees, but management can mitigate adverse effects if they are quickly identified and acted upon.

Once staff issues are understood, the clinic must spring into action and make adjustments. Employers can offer better benefits, such as wellness programs encompassing access to mental and physical health services, pet care discounts (since many veterinarians own animals), and childcare assistance to help with long work hours. Practices can consider offering employee assistance programs (EAP) or partnering with mental health professionals to provide confidential support.

Practices can also offer “question, persuade, refer” (QPR) suicide prevention training to all team members. Clinics can help reduce burnout by offering flexible schedules, ample time off, and reasonable workload expectations. With the rise of remote work, which is usually not applicable to the veterinary industry, working with employees to create schedules that fit their lives is essential.

Most importantly, employers need to create a culture of collaboration and gratitude. According to an employee retention survey, 70 percent would feel better about themselves if their boss were more grateful, and 81 percent would work harder.⁴ Fostering appreciation is an easy, cost-effective way to retain top talent and solidify clinic success.

It might be a reflex for emergency practices to hire rapidly and compensate for their lost staff, but taking the time to recruit people who contribute to a positive culture and precisely fit a clinic’s climate is a better option. When veterinary professionals are dissatisfied with their organization, they cannot provide the best care possible for their patients and may compromise patience care. When patient care suffers, so does the health of the company.

Clinics also need to learn how to listen. Ask for feedback, encourage open and honest communication between employees and leadership, and move forward with making necessary impactful changes. Teams that are appreciated are 73 percent less likely to “always” or “very often” feel burned out.⁵ Implementing employee recognition programs effectively increases retention rates, improves productivity, and boosts engagement and satisfaction. This can be achieved with verbal praise, written recognition, or incentives such as bonuses or promotions. Aim to give acknowledgment in front of others, such as on social media or during team meetings. Keeping morale high is essential to maintaining a sustainable workforce.

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Embracing change

Change takes time, so there are a few actions clinics can take in the meantime to mediate current understaffing pressures. Here are a few ones you can start with:

Leverage expertise. Doctors can provide expert, specialized advice, and nurses can give supportive care to animals receiving treatment. Enable nurses to practice to the top of their license to take some pressure off the doctors, when possible.
Try an innovative approach and consider implementing a role, such as a veterinary scribe, to the team. When everyone on the team knows their part, they can focus on doing the best job possible without the added stress of doing tasks outside their expertise. Additionally, this will reduce confusion between staff and expedite patient treatment.
‘“Kaizen”’ the hospital flow. Kaizen is the concept of continuous improvement. Look for consistent minor improvements to the emergency hospital flow, such as designating a shift lead. They can dynamically visualize everything going on and drive real-time decisions on how to prioritize care. Consider implementing feedback programs for staff and pet parents to highlight clinic shortcomings. Hospitals cannot adjust if they are not clear on where issues lie.
Offer virtual alternatives. If the clinic takes emergency appointments instead of walk-ins, consider offering online booking and telemedicine for lower-risk cases. Virtual alternatives to how clinics traditionally provide care can streamline the process and fill in the gaps left by missing staff. Allowing pet parents to book their appointments online reduces the time and resources needed to manage appointments manually. Consider automating follow-ups and post-care communication. Virtual appointments can minimize wait times, increase appointment availability, and provide flexibility for staff.
Working within a budget. Be malleable and understanding regarding the financial component of care. According to government data, veterinary service costs jumped 10 percent from 2021 to 2022,⁶ just as the demand for pet care spiked. Even if customers are seen on time, payments and treatment options are significantly more expensive than in previous years, piling on unnecessary stress in a time of need. Listen to your customer and formulate a specialized plan that fits their budget without compromising care. Allowing customers to have a say in their pet’s care also strengthens trust with their vets and builds stronger brand loyalty with the clinic.

Better future

Looking at the industry’s future, a few shifts will impact how clinics provide care. The first is the emphasis on preventative care to help decrease the likelihood of potential ER visits. Like humans, health and wellness are becoming a primary focus with pet parents, including regular check-ups, vaccinations, and bloodwork to aid in the early detection and prevention of diseases. There will also continue to be a focus on at-home care, such as lifestyle and diet recommendations, ear cleaning, and tooth brushing, and more.

Industry emphasis will be placed on tech-enabled emergency vet care and customer experience. The use of new technology in vet care is rapidly increasing, including electronic health records, artificial intelligence and machine learning in diagnoses, and telemedicine.

These technologies allow veterinarians to provide better care and make more accurate treatment plans while increasing the convenience factor for pet parents. An optimized customer experience can also be achieved by investing more time in employee training, enhancing the physical environment of the practice, and involving pet parents in their furry friend’s care.

Transparency is at the heart of the veterinary industry’s success. Communication between employees and leadership, vets, and pet parents increases trust and promotes satisfaction across the board. Emergency clinics need to be flexible. They need to listen and enact changes that shift the industry for the better. The future of the veterinary industry is bright and full of employee and customer satisfaction opportunities. Now, it’s time to change for the better.

Anna Foster, DVM, is a 2018 Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine graduate. Dr. Foster began her career as a general practitioner and recruiter at a growing national veterinary company focused on preventive health care. She joined Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in 2020, focused on business development, strategy, and innovation. Foster currently serves as chief of staff to the founder and CEO of VEG.

References

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/01/07/covid-dogs-return-to-work/
https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2015-04-01/study-1-6-veterinarians-have-considered-suicide
https://www.marsveterinary.com/tackling-the-veterinary-professional-shortage/
https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/employers-to-retain-half-of-their-employees-longer-if-bosses-showed-more-appreciation-glassdoor-survey/
https://www.workhuman.com/blog/employee-recognition-statistics/
https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-economy-prices-pets-5e6ab45eb6e3e316a89158bb630a9835