CNYACE Webinar: Topics in Wellbeing

Presented by: Kate Boatright, VMD

There’s More Than One Way to Treat a Cat: A Practical Approach to the Spectrum of Care
Veterinarians are in the unique and challenging position of balancing the medical needs of their patients, the emotional and financial needs of their clients, and their own moral and legal obligations to both. Cases limited by client finances are a daily occurrence for many small animal practitioners. Since pets are considered part of the family by their owners, conversations between pet owners and the veterinary team can become emotionally charged, especially when finances are limited and decisions about care become life or death. These cases and the discussions that go with them can contribute to burnout for many veterinarians, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
In the real world, the gold standard care that has historically been the focus of veterinary education is not feasible for all clients. Veterinarians must develop comfort in approaching cases incrementally and learn strategies to work along a spectrum of care to help the greatest number of clients and patients. They must develop the confidence to offer a variety of options based on evidence-based medicine, client financial and emotional limitations, and the health and welfare of each patient. While veterinary education is slowly changing to focus more on the spectrum of care, as outlined in a recent JAVMA article by the Ohio State University, recent graduates may have had limited exposure to the spectrum of care concept.
All veterinary team members are invited to join a practicing rural small animal veterinarian in a case-based discussion to better understand the spectrum of care and how it can be applied in practice. We will examine the barriers that prevent us from offering a spectrum of care, how to overcome them, and tips for discussing finances with clients.

Promoting Wellbeing in the Workplace
How do you thrive in your veterinary career for 5, 10, or even 50 years? You learn to make self-care a priority. This lecture will begin with a brief review of the state of mental health in the veterinary profession. A discussion of recognizing burnout in ourselves and our team will follow using Dr. Boatright’s personal walk through professional burnout. We will explore tools and skills that can be used both to recover from and prevent burnout at the individual and team level, with a focus on setting boundaries and cultivating resilience.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the role that client finances play in patient care, the concept of spectrum of care, and how it can be applied in a private practice setting using case-based examples of both emergent and non-emergent cases.
2. Discuss barriers to practicing within a spectrum of care and how to overcome them.
3. Develop communication skills to maximize success when discussing finances with clients, especially in situations of limited finances.
4. Understand the state of mental health in the veterinary profession through a review of available data on both veterinarians and veterinary team members.
5. Recognize signs of burnout in self and coworkers.
6. Understand what the veterinary clinic can do to support mental wellness in team members.
7. Develop an understanding of specific skills that can help in burnout recovery and prevention.