MedVet

Michael Podell

Clinical Resilience Leader

“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.