New collaboration aimed to reduce veterinary staff shortage

Photo: Fxquadro/Adobe Stock

A collaboration between Evette, a veterinary relief staffing company based in Dallas, Texas; and Shepherd Veterinary Software, a cloud-based practice information management system (PIMS) provider based in Prescott, Arizona, has recently been announced. The collaboration is intended to help alleviate the ongoing workforce shortage in the veterinary profession as a result of burnout, staff turnover, and vacation time.¹

A 2022 survey conducted by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) revealed that 70% of the survey respondents had experienced burnout, yet only 20% believed they were spending sufficient time on self-care, and just 41% utilized the entirety of their paid time off.² Ashli Selke CVT, RVT, and immediate past president of NAVTA, noted the impact on veterinary professional workers in 2020, “I believe we lost a lot of people due to overworking and burnout,” Selke said in an interview with AVMA News.²

“Burnout poses an unprecedented threat, costing the animal health care industry between $1 [billion] and $2 billion annually,” Lauren Jones, VMD, director of vet medicine at Shepherd, said in a news release. “Evette, formerly VetIQ Staffing, has long been committed to addressing these issues, offering tailored staffing solutions for clinics and hospitals.”¹

As a provider of veterinary staffing solutions for clinics and hospitals, Evette matches veterinary relief professionals with positions specific to their skillset. The new collaboration with Shepherd, which was built by veterinarians, will allow the company’s clinics across the US to access Evette’s relief staffing request form, which will be linked from their own software interface.2Shepherd’s clinical tools include medical record and invoice automation, client communication, a payment processor, and a customizable dashboard that allows for viewing of laboratory results; prescriptions; and subjective, objective, assessment, and plan documents.³

More than 600 clinics nationwide are expected to benefit from easier access to Evette’s veterinary relief services. “Our goal has always been a steadfast commitment to personalized and continuous support for our partners and clinics,” Elise Burns, founder and CEO of Evette said in the release. This collaboration with Shepherd marks a significant step forward in our mission to further revolutionize the industry and we’re excited to introduce this first-ever solution to address the pressing issues plaguing the vet industry.”¹

References

1. Evette collaborates with Shepherd Software for first-ever solution aimed to solve the veterinary industry shortage. News release. May 9, 2024.
2. Lederhouse C. Veterinary technicians being paid more but still face concerns about wages, burnout, debt. AVMA News. February 13, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.avma.org/news/veterinary-technicians-being-paid-more-still-face-concerns-about-wages-burnout-debt#:~:text=Seventy%20percent%20of%20respondents%20said,from%2023%25%20to%2052%25.
3. Shepherd Veterinary Software. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.shepherd.vet/