Ten thousand veterinary professionals in Georgia, New York, and Texas now have improved access to mental health resources, thanks to a newly launched pilot program from the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE). The organization, in partnership with wellness platform Listeners On Call (LOC), has launched Veterinary Wellbeing Alliance, an initiative aimed at helping veterinary professionals reduce stress and burnout. “Veterinary well-being has been a growing concern in recent years, and the pandemic has made it all the more urgent,” says VMAE chief executive officer, Adrian Hochstadt. “With increasing levels of burnout as practices face higher client demand than ever, it’s vital veterinary professionals have ready access to support.” Through the pilot program, approximately 10,000 veterinary professionals in Georgia, New York, and Texas will gain complimentary access to the LOC platform. Members of each state’s veterinary medical association will be offered four hours per month at no charge to connect over the phone with one of LOC’s trained listeners, with whom they can share their challenges, frustrations, and concerns. Founding patrons for the project include Antelligence, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), AVMA Trust, Banfield Pet Hospital, CareCredit, Circa Healthcare, Covetrus, Dechra, DVMetrics, Felix Pharmaceuticals, Lap of Love, Merck Animal Health, MetLife, Midwest Veterinary Supply, and Zoetis. “We hope members can benefit from these resources, and we look forward to learning from the pilot how the Alliance can be of even greater service in the future,” Hochstadt says. “We’re also grateful for the support from our founding patrons, without whom this effort wouldn’t be possible.”
