#056: Closing The Gap Between Vet Med and Technology with Daniel Valdes

The reality of being a veterinarian is that you create relationships and bonds with the pets you work with over the years, and the longer your career, the more pets you see in full circle.

The process of euthanasia for Dr. Pam Johnson’s childhood Doberman impacted her entire career. She knew she wanted to do better for the pets and clients she would encounter. 10 years into her career, she began to feel the heaviness of grief after losing so many pets she had cared for over the years.

We have a powerful conversation about the needs of the client AND the vet during the process of euthanasia. This involves empathy, compassion, and support before, during, and after the act. It’s also important for vets to understand and respect differing opinions on the quality of life of a pet. Vets should be able to provide reassurance and peace alongside the unavoidable pain of pet loss.

As a veterinarian, you likely experience euthanasia daily, which can take a huge mental toll. Especially with the ying yang of emotions of grieving a pet to turn around and enter a joyous puppy in the next exam room. Dr. Johnson addresses the lack of training and support for vets when it comes to such an emotional service as euthanasia.

Dr. Johnson and her husband have started a new consulting and coaching business, Veterinary Mastermind. She uses her 30 years of experience in vet medicine to help vets advise clients with extraordinary pet health decisions.

What’s Inside:

• Why euthanasia cannot be a transactional experience.
• Advising and supporting clients through euthanasia.
• The need for more support, coaching, and training when it comes to emotional services.
• Navigating euthanasia as a veterinarian.
• Grieving while supporting; The mental load of a veterinarian. 

Mentioned In This Episode:
drpam.vmm@gmail.com
Dr Pam Johnson - Associate - Accelerated Performance solutions | LinkedIn 

Today’s guest, Sydney Wandix, speaks to one of my favorite topics: the varying opportunities that fit under the vet med umbrella. There are so many careers available in this field that you don’t have to be stuck; you can try new things and hopefully find just the right fit.

Sydney has run the gamut of jobs in the veterinary industry and is a licensed veterinary technician. She works for UrgentVet as an Expansion Manager, traveling to her company’s new clinics to support and develop the clinic team. Monday through Friday, Sydney reaches new cities and states to work with a team, seeing new people and new clinics every month. She provides managerial support and assistance with new roles.

During our conversation, Sydney shared some outstanding tips she feels younger Sydney could have benefited from, and hopefully newcomers to the field can now.

1. Confidence is key
2. Talk less and listen more
3. Don't be afraid to have the “hard” conversations
4. Never assume
5. Take time for yourself

And if you take anything away from this episode, remember to get out there and try these opportunities within the vet med industry. If your current role isn't serving you, there ARE other options.

What’s Inside:

• An interesting job in the vet med industry.
• Seeing the opportunities within the veterinary field.
• Tips for newcomers to the vet med field.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Connect with Sydney Wandix on LinkedIn 

We have another incredible full circle story for you on this episode. Dr. Natalie Fayman shares her journey beyond vetmed after 33 years of exhaustion and burnout led her to a point of no return. When a  life coach helped Dr. Fayman work through her emotional eating coping mechanism, she had a powerful breakthrough and a total epiphany through positive intelligence. Leading her to the passion of helping other veterinarians make the same mental transformation so they can stop dreading their jobs and find positivity at work again.

Stress resilience is so important for veterinarians, who experience many stress triggers on a daily basis. Dr. Fayman goes over some of those triggers and how to manage them. We discuss unhappy clients, conflict resolution, micromanagement, and a big one… how to say no when you need to.

An important factor in stress reduction is taking care of your body. Dr. Fayman places emphasis on proper nutrition, hydration, positive sleep habits, play time, and physical release of energy. These are all basic needs that can get swept under the rug when you’re stressed and overwhelmed at work, but they will make the biggest difference physically and mentally.

Dr. Fayman reminds vets, Put the oxygen mask on yourself first! You deserve a happy and stress free life, and it’s possible to set boundaries while being successful in your career. You can find out more about Dr. Fayman and her coaching via her website and other links provided below.

What’s Inside:

• What is stress resilience?
• What is positive intelligence?
• How to work through common stress triggers in vet med.
• Tips for taking care of yourself and reducing stress in the veterinary industry.

Mentioned In This Episode:
No Limits Coaching
natalie@nolimitscoachingnow.com
Schedule a free meeting with Natalie
Live Without Limits-Stress Resilience and Mental Fitness | Facebook
Natalie Fayman - Positive Intelligence | LinkedIn

Does your veterinary job leave you depleted? Worn out? Reaching for chocolate and caffeine day after day after day? Kirbie Be had the same experience when she was an elementary school teacher. She shares with us her story of declining physical and mental health… all culminating in a big shift when she took a contract in the Caribbean at a prep school for the families of those at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

It was there in St. Kitts that Kirbie changed her life, and everyone noticed! She began building and learning a series of healthy habits that benefited her health (physically and mentally), and even though she was spending more time on herself, her energy was overflowing. This is where Vet Vive Wellness was born.

From starting a yoga and fitness studio on the island to helping veterinarians at the university reach their health goals, Kirbie has created programs and spaces for veterinarians and veterinary students to recover, reduce stress, and build habits that not only impact their health but improve their performance at work and school.

In a career with little to no margin for error, it's easy to develop an all or nothing mindset while striving for perfection. Kirbie’s biggest advice is to not give in to all or nothing. Choose your goals, list the skills needed to reach those goals, and break them down into actionable habits one small step at a time.

If you want to learn more about Kirbie and Vet Vive Wellness, you can visit her website, socials, or send them an email.


What’s Inside:

• The cost of prioritizing your career over your own health
• How healthy skills and habits can improve your job performance
• Healthy habits and their link to mental health
• Tips for introducing new health habits with success

Mentioned In This Episode:
Vet Vive Wellness
hello@vetvivewellness.com
Vet Vive Wellness - LinkedIn
Vet Vive Wellness on Facebook

A fun bunch joins me for this episode. I sat down with Dr. Chad Ely, Dr. Jessica Schultz, Dr. Lindsey Goeckner, and Dr. Mara Fehrenbacher from Effingham Vet Clinic.

During our conversation, the glue that holds them together was no surprise. Humor. The team at Effingham has no shortage of jokes for each other when it comes to work. They find that taking a lighthearted laugh is the best cure for stress, even in intense situations. They describe their natural boundaries and capacity for poking fun (even at themselves) as a huge contribution to their happy atmosphere.

They’re not wrong either, because when it comes to vet clinics, Effingham has a great retention rate. What’s the secret sauce? Alongside Dr. Ely, the colleagues chime in with what value they find in their practice: mentorship, trust, and understanding; personal and professional support; cohesive practice; people that make you want to stay; and a great mix of age and experience.

They share some great stories throughout the episode about their appreciation for their clinic and how they’ve handled stressful emergencies. It’s always about their team. Every new hire is first and foremost added as a cohesive piece, so that the support, camaraderie, and family at Effingham Vet Clinic are ever-growing. It might be work, BUT it’s supposed to be fun. 

What’s Inside:

• How does humor and happy people impact veterinary practice?
• The secret sauce for high retention.
• Creating a cohesive practice with trust and support.
• “It’s supposed to be fun”, something we may forget when it comes to work. 

Mentioned In This Episode:
Dr. Chad Ely on LinkedIn
Effingham Veterinary Clinic
Effingham Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Neil Shaw is the founder of SignalPET, where he has worked to refine revolutionary AI technology to boost veterinary confidence and reduce stress with assisted diagnostics.

When a pet comes in for care, there are a variety of scenarios that could take place, and many fall to a pivotal question: Do they need radiology? This question can lead to an out of office referral, long wait times, or even skipping radiology due to a lower confidence veterinarian or maybe a lack of funds from the client. This can mean lower care benefits for the patient and client.

The technology behind SignalPET provides support that was once only available to a few—to millions. This AI works across the globe to read in house radiographs and deliver reliable, confident results while the patient is still in the exam room. Vets no longer need to stress about whether they should or should not recommend radiology because it’s more accurate and affordable. Leveling up care and lowering the barriers.

When a technology such as this enters the space, it can be scary, especially for radiologists. But during my chat with Dr. Neil Shaw, I was assured that this is an asset to be used with confidence alongside your expertise, strengthening your trust with your clients. While also reducing time to read films, reach patients, and create care plan steps. 

You can find out more about SignalPET by visiting their website or LinkedIn.


What’s Inside:

• A danger to emphasis on specialties when it comes to general veterinary practice.
• A solution for immediate exam room support for GP Vets.
• How SignalPET, an AI company is transforming radiology for veterinarians.
• A revolutionary way to raise the level of care while lowering the barrier.

Mentioned In This Episode:
SignalPET
SignalPET® | LinkedIn

As providers in the veterinary industry, we have compassionate hearts, always wanting to help pets and their people too. But palliative care can be hard to bear, especially when you’re having difficult conversations daily. 

Dr. Rachel Venable is the owner of Pet Cancer Care Consulting, where she offers teleconsulting. Telemedicine is growing in the vet industry and can be a great option for providers and clients when it comes to access, availability, cost barriers, and time value.  Dr. Venable shares some ‘need to know’ information when it comes to telemedicine and operating within your state's regulations. 

The reality of vet care, especially palliative care, is that you can’t always cure the pet. So how do you tell your clients bad news? Dr. Venable shares her tips on how to navigate these conversations so that you can be the most educational, supportive, and kind provider.

1. Plan Your Conversation - What are you going to say? Consider what the goals of care might be and what you CAN offer to the client
2. Refine Communication and Nonverbal Cues - How do you communicate in general? Consider your language, tone, and body language. 
3. Utilize Silence - Silence is powerful. When you deliver bad news, let natural silence have its place; clients will cue you to continue speaking when they’re ready.
4. Find a Safe Space to Vent - You don’t have to handle bad news alone. Vent and appropriately let out emotions to co-workers and trusted friends, so that you have emotional space to continue. 

When it comes to navigating these hard conversations and executing professional communication in vet care, Dr. Venable encourages providers to seek resources like continuing education courses as well as podcasts. 

If you’re interested in contacting Dr. Venable about her teleconsulting,  you can reach her via her website in the format that applies to your situation!

What’s Inside:

• How to navigate difficult conversations like giving bad news.
• How your communication skills impact delivery of news to clients.
• The power of silence in difficult conversations. 
• The benefit of telemedicine in the veterinary industry.
• Navigating laws and rules in telemedicine and teleconsulting.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Pet Cancer Care Consulting
Pet Cancer Care Consulting on Facebook
Pet Cancer Care Consulting (@petcancercareconsulting) on Instagram
Rachel Venable on LinkedIn

I met Daniel Valdes during a Celeritas Digital virtual peer group discussion (stay tuned till the end and check the links so you can get involved). Daniel is a dedicated project manager with Celeratis, a technology company with a heavy hand in animal health.

Daniel has a personal connection to the vet industry and veterinary wellness, not only as a pet owner but also with his veterinarian sister. He has a strong passion for creating a better relationship and closing the gap with vet med and technology.

In our discussion, he shares innovative ideas to ease the pain points for veterinarians by utilizing solutions from the industries around us. Like simple technology to make queues and wait time easier and more bearable on the vet med and client side.

Most notably, Daniel has worked with NOMV [Not One More Vet] to create an app. This application, now makes NOMV’s incredible resources for veterinarians right into the pockets of people who need them.

Daniel and Celeritas Digital are working to create surprising and needed opportunities for technology and the vet med industry.

What’s Inside:

• Celeritas Digital, technology for animal health.
• Innovative solutions for veterinary pain points.
• Bettering the relationship of vet med and technology.
• A resourceful app for a critical Veterinary organization, NOMV.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Daniel.Valdes@CeleritasDigital.com
Daniel Valdes - LinkedIn
Celeritas Digital - We Design and Build Technology for Businesses Focused on Animal Health. | LinkedIn
Celeritas Digital
Celeritas Digital Webinars 

Early on in Dr. Corey Blake’s, owner of Oceanside Animal Hospital and founder of Sacred Leadership, career, she realized owning a practice is much more than being a good DVM. She became so invested in doing the best for her team, clients, and patients.  Burnout was surely following. This is when she discovered Embodiment and Embodied Leadership.

Too often, we are chasing external validation and external circumstances and expecting internal happiness. In order to live and lead with joy, we have to first take care of ourselves internally.  She has built these ideas into her practice to support her team members: focusing on the idea of connecting to the why by acknowledging the difference you’re making, boosting your self-talk, bragging on team members, and intentionally accepting compliments. 

Disembodiment is a natural occurrence when you consider our society's values of intellectuality and external accomplishments. This constant search leads to a chronic fight or flight, depleting the nervous system and causing burnout. 

How can you stop this and get on the path to embodiment today? Dr. Blake shares these tips:

• Are you tense and anxious? Test your body by noticing how it feels to clench your arm and slowly release from shoulder to fist. 
• Reframe your talk and thoughts to reflect positively.
• Get to know yourself. What do you truly like and dislike? Pay attention to your body's natural physical no and yes responses. 

Embodiment is a complex idea, but Dr. Blake does a beautiful job describing how this directly applies to the veterinary field. She leaves us with a great reminder that you cannot truly know if a career is causing your burnout until you change yourself and how you approach it. When you light yourself within, you will likely find joy right where you are!

What’s Inside:

• What is embodied leadership in veterinary medicine?
• How leading and working from a disembodied state leads to burnout.
• Tips for building internal value practices into your clinic.
• Beginning your mind and body connect to become a better leader.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Oceanside Animal Hospital
Wild Sacred Self - Embodied Leadership
Corey.Blake@sacredleadership.net 

Before she founded BETTERinary Personal Coaching, Dr. Ashlee Bruewer experienced the benefits of coaching. 

From the age of 3, Dr. Bruewer remembers admiring her family veterinarian and wanting to be a small animal vet herself. Between then and now, she has reached her goal, but her career has taken many turns in between. 

Dr. Bruewer shares her personal story in which she felt pressure to meeting a “Gold Standard” impossible for her resources and environment, leading to feelings of not being good enough…burn out…and even suicidal ideations. She was able to connect with a coach who transformed her life, pulling her from rock bottom. 

Not only did Dr. Bruewer reconnect with her passion for Vet Med and finally end up in the small animal care she always dreamed of, but her appreciation for the coaching that helped her save her life motivated her to start her own coaching business.  

With a mission to help veterinarians before they reach rock bottom, Dr. Bruewer shares 5 impactful strategies.

1. Mind your mind and know your goals
2. Acknowledge the stress cycle
3. Swap perfection for adaptive excellence
4. Developing a personal support team
5. Surprise yourself

Dr. Ashlee Bruewer provides some great inspiration for the great humans that veterinarians are, so they can continue their love for animals and serve those who love their animals.

What’s Inside:

• Dr. Bruewer’s personal story of burnout and struggle in veterinary medicine.
• How personal coaching helped Dr. Bruewer reconnect to VetMed.
• 5 Strategies for veterinarians beginning to struggle in the field.
• Resources for suicidal ideations and other symptoms of burnout in veterinary medicine.

Mentioned In This Episode:
betterinarycoaching@gmail.com
BETTERinary Personal Coaching, LLC - Facebook
Ashlee Bruewer - LinkedIn
@dr.coach_ashleeb on Instagram
Not One More Vet