Enhancing Veterinarian Well-being Benefits Pets, People, and Your Business

“Compassion fatigue” and “burnout” are the two most commonly searched terms online to describe the result of a medical professional’s well-being battle. Veterinarians have particularly been impacted due to the challenges presented by the rapid growth of pet ownership during the pandemic, coupled with workforce shortages at all levels of the veterinary profession. The critical importance of the human-animal bond was highlighted even more so during the social isolation period of the pandemic years. As a result, the role of the veterinarian as a family caregiver has been elevated to levels not seen previously.

Along with this added responsibility comes the challenge of preserving the well-being of veterinary caregivers. More pets with stronger family bonds equate to higher demand to provide basic and advanced veterinary care and the need to provide more social support to families struggling with the emotional and financial impact that can come with pet ownership. Similar to human healthcare, the veterinary profession, in general, was ill-prepared to meet the intensity of the demand to provide more people resources and resilience to overcome the associated emotional toll of managing through all of the factors related to the delivery of more care to more pets and families in a compassionate way.

As a result, veterinarian well-being has suffered and become a major focal point for preserving the profession’s integrity. Compounding these challenges  are sobering facts about the profession:

Thirty-three percent of veterinarians surveyed stated they would choose another profession if starting again, and another 26% were unsure if they chose the correct profession.  

Nearly one in 10 veterinarians are thought to suffer from serious psychological distress, with one in six having experienced suicidal ideation. And most alarming, a higher suicide prevalence compared with the general U.S. population.

Female veterinarians in clinical and non-clinical roles were 3.5 times as likely to die by suicide as the general population.  

At MedVet, the only privately held veterinarian-owned and led nationwide network of specialty and emergency hospitals, we have made doctor well-being an organizational strategic priority. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates the positive correlation between enhanced doctor well-being and higher quality patient care, reduced medical errors, greater career longevity, and ultimately, stronger organizational growth and ability to serve more patients.

Our approach is based on the framework to enhance the workplace, personal, and financial well-being with a multi-year, organization-wide approach as follows:

Workplace well-being:

Building a culture based on our values of Teamwork, Leadership, and Compassion.

Developing hospital and medical directors, ER department heads, and clinical managers with continuing education programs.

Investing in a new healthcare management system, equipment, facilities, training, and work processes that make it easier for our team to provide exceptional care and service. This increased efficiency supports less overtime, fewer hours spent at the computer, and a more balanced work-life harmony.

Personal well-being:

Providing training and tools to our team to support their emotional health. We provide programs including Unburdened (5), Compassion Fatigue, and QPR suicide prevention training. We also have a special initiative we call Pause to PAWS that reminds our team to take time for themselves and provides general direction on how to practice mindfulness and focus on a commitment to self-care. 

Wrapping well-being resources into our benefits package to include the use of personal discretionary funds toward well-being along with access to Talkspace, Headspace, and an Employee Assistance Program.

Helping our doctors reset and recharge is a priority, so we also offer generous paid time off, options for family leave, and well-being rooms within our hospitals.

Financial well-being:

Establishing a student debt repayment program that includes annual funds allocated to paying off student loans and free financial advice for loan consolidation and payment planning.

Providing base salaries for all doctors and a production upside opportunity without negative accrual.

“Nearly one in 10 veterinarians are thought to suffer from serious psychological distress, with one in six having experienced suicidal ideation. And most alarming, a higher suicide prevalence compared with the general U.S. population.”

Offering a shareholder opportunity to provide long-term wealth building.

Awarding years of service bonuses with more paid time off and additional discretionary funds to use for personal well-being.

Providing an Employee Relief Fund to assist veterinarians experiencing unplanned financial hardship.

Well-being has become a part of the fabric of our culture at MedVet. We take great pride in seeing that our efforts are paying off! As measured by our bi-annual Doctor Well-being Survey, 14 indicators of well-being have increased significantly since 2020. The most notable increases were the ability to complete timely medical records and having access to personal well-being resources. It truly takes a village to make a difference, one person and one day at a time.