Meaningful Measures of Growth: How Are We Changing the Veterinary Industry to Benefit Society?

As young children, many of us looked forward to standing against a doorframe, backs straight, while a parent gently placed a ruler on our heads and measured our height, marking it in pencil so we could see how much we’d grown over time. Such a process of tracking growth is exciting and satisfying because it creates a clear record of our transformation over time. I still look forward to those moments of measurement. And, as the year draws to a close, I am pleased to have the opportunity to mark our progress, share how we’ve changed, and look forward to the future.

It has been an incredible year of transformation – one that I’ve been honored to be a part of at Banfield.

We see ever-increasing rates of pet ownership and thus increasing demand for pet-care services, as well as the growing need for our services among more diverse communities. We also see a sharp increase in the demand for more modern, holistic veterinary care. Yet, as demand grows, we continue to contend with low numbers of people entering the profession. And the nature of veterinary work is challenging in itself. Caring for pets and people can take a toll on all members of the hospital team – emotionally and financially.

But I’m proud of the way we’ve been adapting to these shifting demands, striving to become more agile, innovative and connected than ever before.

Improving Access to Care

We launched a practice-wide online scheduling tool that simplifies the process for clients to bring their pets in for care, meeting clients where they are and helping our hospitals better manage scheduled pickups, drop-offs, exams and surgeries. Since we rolled out the program, the online scheduling tool has been used to make more than 60,000 appointments per month!

Building New Career Pipelines

We are also disrupting the way new people are entering the industry, creating new pipelines for growth and career development among our associates and supporting these efforts outside of our own organization. With a shortage of veterinarians industry-wide, we believe credentialed veterinary technicians can be enabled and empowered to practice to the full extent of their license, so more pets get the care they deserve. Our goal is to open up new ways to work, ultimately helping drive access to quality veterinary care for more pets.

In our own hospitals, we’ve started to make changes. We are reemphasizing the importance of relying on the skills of veterinary technicians to manage hospital workloads and ensure maximum attention to clients and pets. And, we are reaffirming for veterinary technicians their value to our practice by: increasing salaries for our technicians across the board in 2018; expanding our Penn Foster program that provides tuition assistance to Banfield associates who have a desire to become credentialed veterinary technicians; and tripling the allowance for continuing education.

Elevating the Profession by Elevating Our People

I spend a lot of time with our associates, both here at our headquarters and in our hospitals across the U.S. If you’ve ever spent time in a veterinary practice, you’ve probably witnessed the commitment to giving pets the best care possible. That investment of time, talent, knowledge and emotion can create incredible stress for individuals and for teams. The industry as a whole struggles with that stress, and the mental and physical impacts it has on the brilliant people who have dedicated their careers to caring for pets. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Dan Aja, talks more about the realities of compassion fatigue here.

I believe Banfield has an obligation to help our associates not just attain a work/life balance, but to truly thrive in work and in life. When our associates feel balanced, strong and healthy, they bring their best selves to work every day.

This year, we committed to expanding the resources we offer to every associate to support their wellbeing.

·        Healthy Mind. Providing medical care to patients that can’t talk and simultaneously fulfilling the duty of care to pet owners is mentally and emotionally taxing. These stresses can leave veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals fatigued, depressed, anxious, or even suicidal. This year, we significantly expanded mental health resources – including hiring an in-house mental health professional and rolling out a multipart continuing education curriculum focused on helping associates manage compassion fatigue.

·        Healthy Body. In addition to competitive benefits and access to digital resources that help associates manage their health, Banfield offers associates opportunities to stay active inside and outside of work. In addition to offerings like discounted fitness memberships, we recently completed “corporate athlete” training for our field leaders, to help provide additional tools for them to manage their energy.

·        Healthy Community. We know the feeling of community involvement is especially important to our associates, and we are expanding on programs that support them in building communities inside Banfield, and in supporting the vitality and growth of the communities where they live.

Banfield associates volunteered more than 15,000 hours in 2018 through our Mars Volunteer Program! We impacted more than 165,000 pets and people by volunteering at local shelters, educating children about responsible pet ownership and delivering free preventive care to vulnerable pet owners across the country.

I’m also proud to serve on the board of our charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation, which granted more than $2.2 million in 2018, impacting more than 1.7 million pets. Once again, grants were awarded in all 50 states, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and, for the first time – Guam! Now entering its fourth year, the foundation is poised to help even more vulnerable pets have access to the veterinary care they deserve.

In addition to engaging associates in volunteerism in their local communities, we are also building associate networks that both celebrate diversity in the larger Banfield community, and support smaller communities that connect associates with similar backgrounds. This Inclusion & Diversity work includes efforts like sponsorship of the Pride Veterinary Medical Community (VMC), support of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI), and participation in Pride events across the country, to name just a few examples.

·        Healthy Career. We also want our associates to enjoy rewarding careers with Banfield, where they are challenged to learn, encouraged to build strong relationships across the industry and empowered to develop professionally. Veterinarians in select states receive practice-paid membership to state Veterinary Medical Associations, and all of Banfield’s veterinary technicians receive memberships to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. These programs support associates as they create strong relationships and assume leadership positions across the industry.

·        Healthy Finances. Our associates often make significant financial investments in their careers, especially when it comes to pursuing certification, medical specialization or advanced degrees. We feel it’s only fair to invest in our associates in return. I’m excited about the progress we’ve made in this area, and I can’t wait to share those details early next year.

These are just some of the steps we’re taking to advance pet care and associate health while collectively elevating societal wellbeing. It’s such a privilege to lead an organization filled with people who are so committed to making a better world. I can’t wait to see what we’re able to do in 2019!