Priority Areas

Retention and Service Delivery

 

Veterinary Workforce Retention and Service Delivery

Dr. Jason Coe, DVM, of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) has begun forwarding studies in these and other clinical practice management areas. A number of research papers have now been authorized for free access by Dr. Coe and the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) that include topics such as, “Veterinary Technicians contribute to shared decision-making during companion animal veterinary practice,” 2022; and, “Discussion of costs continues to be uncommon in companion animal veterinary practice,” 2022.

We will continue to identify and seek permission to post research articles specific to veterinary work and practices that impact attrition and retention. Efforts will also be undertaken to share best practices in these areas from veterinary clinic owners and administrative managers.

Reviewing Wellness Programs and Developing Veterinary Wellness Resources

The CVMA is reviewing wellness programs in other jurisdictions to determine practices and methods that could complement the current The Working Mind courses, Togetherall, Resource Hub, and Time to Talk programs. In terms of upcoming wellness activities:

  • The Working Mind courses: 8 courses are scheduled for 2023 with the first two sessions sold out.
  • Togetherall: An April 12, 2023, webinar promoted the platform and shared additional features of the platform such as assessments, educational resources, and tools for a variety of mental health topics with focus on anxiety and depression. The CVMA will continue to promote Togetherall and explore opportunities such as booths at the CVMA and VMA conferences.
  • Merck Animal Health-CVMA Time to Talk about Mental Health in Veterinary Medicine Awareness Campaign: Two of the next three 2023 quarterly webinars have the CVMA Wellness Advisory Group (WAG) members as speakers.
  • Work is underway to develop a guidance document for veterinarians when approached for media interviews on mental health, particularly when sharing one’s own personal experience with mental health and illness.
  • The Veterinary Wellness Advisory Group has identified the need to understand the extent to which clinical practices and hospitals opt into provincial worker compensation insurance programs and the extent to which provincial injury insurance programs recognize psychological injuries.

Three-Part Workforce Recruitment and Retention Mini-Series