09/20/2021
The last eighteen months have changed the world. Regardless of perspective, the changes have impacted many aspects of day-to-day life. I have experienced the best and worst of humanity in this pandemic.
I have been a veterinarian for 20+ years. The last 18 months have solidified how much I love what I do. But the same experience has driven others out of the profession.
Prior to the pandemic, Cowlitz Animal Clinic employed three full time veterinarians. Even then, the doctors had to turn away new clients because we preferred knowing and providing continuity of care to the patients that were already established. At that time, there was adequate time to chart, make referrals, follow up on lab work, obtain consults with specialists and more.
The pandemic brought so many unknowns into the world that it became a minefield to practice veterinary medicine. Social distancing and masking were not readily accepted by a portion of the general public. The stress of isolation and anxiety from Covid-19 further aggravated a tense situation. As veterinarians, we were considered essential workers. We continued to provide care through a time when many remained at home.
National organizations, the AVMA and CDC, worked together with our state organization, the WSVMA, providing a roadmap for veterinarians to maximize safety of their employees, their clients, and themselves. The latest guidelines can be found here:https://dscog95ndhbkb.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/01112032/COVID-19-A-Guide-to-Mitigating-the-Risk-of-Infection-in-Veterinary-Practices-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-July-1-2021.pdf . This guidance was utilized to develop curbside care protocols.
Curbside service has minimized time lost for Covid-19 infection amongst my employees. Cowlitz Animal Clinic has not had to fully shut down due to virus transmission. The employees that acquired the virus were exposed by family members and community spread. While not perfect, the curbside service has kept the clinic open and available to provide care to current patients.
Unfortunately, things seldom go as planned. Two of the three veterinarians left Cowlitz Animal Clinic. One taking a surgical position that required no client contact. The other became a relief veterinarian filling in for short periods at several locations. That left one veterinarian (myself) to provide care for the patients currently established at the clinic. There was no way to care for all the established patients.
Veterinarians were not the only employees to leave Cowlitz Animal Clinic. Several receptionists, assistants, and a practice manager also left employment over the past year as well. The pandemic stress, constant strain, and anxiety combined with rude, sometimes frankly aggressive behavior, and unrealistic expectations of some clients drove several employees to leave the field of veterinary medicine entirely.
“Why don’t you just hire another vet?” is the most common response to this situation. This is my hope. However, our current situation is far from unique. In looking at the online job postings, five other clinics in Cowlitz County are currently looking for veterinarians to join their practices. Again, not unique, the same experience is happening across the country. The AVMA states there are in excess of 18 positions per job seeker on their national veterinary job listing platform.
To stay open with the reduced staff, I have closed the clinic on Saturdays. The reduced hours allow us to continue to provide care until another veterinarian is hired. There is no certainty when that might happen. I continue to adjust the scheduling and day to day procedures to allow us to care for as many of our current patients as physically possible. I am attempting to make the best of a difficult situation. Navigating this minefield requires cooperation and respect between the veterinary team and the client for the benefit of the patient.
I have written this to request your assistance. I need people to realize the massive degree of harm that screaming at a receptionist, throwing payment on the ground for an assistant to pick up, threatening harm when advised to seek care at the ER, telling those trying to help they don’t care, or “if my pet dies it is your fault”, and damages the entire veterinary team. These interactions happen regularly. Please stop and consider the impact of your words. Reacting out of anger and frustration does not help.
The client who screams at employees, hangs up on a receptionist, tells me that I don’t care, or is unhappy with our policies is given their medical records. This formally severs the veterinary care relationship with Cowlitz Animal Clinic. This protects employees fostering a safe and healthy working environment.
I do not know how the next months or years will play out. There are likely to be further changes and adjustments to the schedule. Kindness and patience are required as we navigate the journey to adding a veterinarian to our staff.
Updates will be provided as this situation changes. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katie Stephens
