Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project during the previous reporting period, September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024, included the clients we served, the students we helped educate, and the stakeholders in our success. There are five stakeholder groups that we are most closely engaged with and those are the local Colorado Cattleman's Association, FFA organizations at several schools, our 4H groups and the local SLV Fair, the committee for our annual Ag Fair, and the CVMA. During the reporting period, we successfully interacted with each one. Our efforts were as follows: • One of our DVMs attended and spoke at the winter Colorado Cattleman's meeting regarding veterinary shortages in rural areas • We served as the local veterinarian for our weeklong 4H multi-county fair, as well as our local PRCA rodeo Sky Hi Stampede and two amateur rodeo series in South Fork and Creede. • We aided the Alamosa FFA team in preparation for their veterinary competitions this April. • One of our DVMs gave a producer lecture on Calving at our Ag Fair in February which was attended by around 100 ranchers, and gave a separate talk offered two weeks later to our staff and producers, which had nineteen attendees. • Two of our DVMs who serve on the executive board of the CVMA (CO Veterinary Medical Association) testified at the state legislature four times over the legislative session in February and March on two separate policies impacting Colorado veterinarians. On average, we spent a few hours every week with students (junior high through graduate college level) in-hospital, six to seven hours with producers in meetings or lectures, 12 hours at two career fairs (one for Sanford Elementary and one for Adams State University), three school lectures (Alamosa HS), three to eight hours per month served on boards/ committees. Totaled together, we as a group likely spent upwards of 50 hours in education and extension per month in the previous reporting period to reach our intended audience. Changes/Problems:We have had to adjust our plan only minimally due to changes or problems. Almost everything has gone according to our plan, timeline and goals. Of course, we had mild to moderate differences in prices from the estimated cost of equipment, which prevented us from purchasing every item on our "wish list". Two purchases have not been as worthwhile as previously determined: the dart gun (used only twice) and the Henderson castrating tools (used only once). We believe with further experience and time with both tools, our comfort level will rise and we will use them both with more frequency. We also had no DVM attendees at any large food animal conferences, but have plans to attend more this next year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The grant award allowed our practice to purchase a Bluetooth projector and screen, as well as laptops for two of our veterinarians and tablets for two of our senior technicians. The four of them worked together to offer six in-practice, dinner lectures for our staff and any producers/ family members to attend. We had approximately 80% staff attendance, including DVMs, techinicans, and CSR's at each event. The lecture topics were: Calving: What to Know (with some info on lambing/ kidding as well) Interpreting The CBC and Chemistry CPR and Rescue Drugs (for small animals, and neonates including livestock) Surgical Instrumentation Anesthesia: In House and In The Field Large Animal Vaccine Protocols and Products For the next year, we are hoping to have one or more DVMs or technicians attend AABP or other food animal CE events for professional development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The information regarding our grant award and the opportunities it has allowed has been explained to our clients/ producers and community through the following ways: Using the new equipment on a daily basis, and having our CSRs explain to callers that we've got new offerings, such as the tilt chute for orthopedic procedures. Meetings and lectures for clients, staff, and students. School career fairs and school lectures, which allow for DVM/ RVT interaction with students of all ages. We speak about the career and its role in agriculture, as well as the opportunities we now offer because of the grant (i.e. paid internship). Shared links and updates on our Facebook and website pages. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our Year 2 plan, as laid out in our Timeline in the grant application states: Implementation of DVM and staff training through CE's and meetings; implementation of paid student and mentorship programs; planning of 1-2 producer meetings. We plan to accomplish this by doing two things we've not yet accomplished: Encouraging our DVMs to attend conferences over the next 12 months that will expand our knowledge and expertise in the world of food animal medicine. Planning a producer meeting/ steak dinner this fall in collaboration with Merck to go over nutrition in beef cow/ calf production. Setting up our 11th and 12th grader paid internship. We have two students, who are both 10th graders, interested in participating and should be able to start them next year as well. Finish purchasing what equipment we can still afford with the grant! Whisper stethoscope, IV pump, one additional small ruminant stall.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In a few sentences, what is the issue or problem that your project addresses (i.e.; what are you trying to help solve, fix, mitigate, improve?) Our application for this grant was an obvious one: our rural, frontier community, which is home to 40,000 food animals, has great need of accessible, quality veterinary care. Our practice has served the area for close to 80 years, but many of our instruments and equipment needed extreme upgrades in order for us to offer the best medicine possible. Our producers and community need quality education, consultation, and mentorship delivered to them in as effective manner as possible. Who or what will be most immediately helped by your work, and how? (Hint: What audience did you originally intend for your work to impact?) Our rancher/ producer clients, our students (who are future agricultural partisans and rural mixed animal veterinarians), our community (which benefits from healthy food animals), and our staff of technicians, DVMs and receptionists. For each major goal listed in your project initiation form (shown at the top of the screen), describe for this reporting period: Major activities completed: Teaching: One of our DVMs gave a producer lecture on Calving at our Ag Fair in February which was attended by around 100 ranchers, and gave a separate talk offered two weeks later to our staff and producers, which had nineteen attendees. Mentoring: We have a robust student shadow/ volunteer/ internship program that begins as early as 14 years old, and continues through veterinary school. We currently have 16 students who come in regularly for high school or FFA work study, college internship credits, 4H veterinary science, or personal volunteering. We also host 3-6 externs from veterinary schools across the world each year. We currently also have our first veterinary intern, a first year graduate interested in mixed animal practice who needed more large animal experience and mentorship. Education: Our head technician started organizing quarterly CE (continuing education) lectures for our technicians and DVMs, as well as any of our externs, students, or interns. These get pre-approved through the CO Veterinary Technician Association for credit hours for our registered vet techs. Our practice supplies dinner and the laptop, projector, and screen (all purchased by this grant) while one of our DVMs lectures. The topics this year included: Interpreting The CBC and Chemistry CPR and Rescue Drugs (for small animals, and neonates including livestock) Instrumentation Anesthesia: In House and In The Field Large Animal Vaccine Protocols and Products Consulting: We provide free of charge consulting on all herd health programs, including vaccines and timing, parasiticides, nutrition, genetics, and more to all of our producers. Rural Mixed Animal Veterinary Medicine: Not to state the obvious, but our 7 doctor, 2 location practice services a "frontier" area of Colorado the size of Rhode Island. The grant and the equipment we've purchased through it, have made this service even more accessible and up to date. Data collected The total gross income our practice has earned over the last 12 months directly and indirectly (i.e. mileage to ranches for the farm call)from use of the new equipment purchased with money funded through the grant is as follows: $88,961 Summary statistics and discussion of results. To summarize our previous 12 months over this reporting period, we've been extremely successful in both the goal of improving quality livestock care we offer and in providing great outreach to our target audience. Describe the key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: This year has proven that we are well on our way to successfully accomplishing each goal we have laid out for this grant award. To improve the quality of herd health care, medicine, and surgery to the cattle, small ruminant, poultry and swinein the designated shortage area: Our equipment alone has helped us offer better diagnostics (ultrasounds and microscopes), exams and procedures (stanchions, chute, and stalls), and treatments. We are hoping to use more funding for food animal CEs this next year for our DVMs. To better educate producers, staff, and students to enhance the lives and production of these animals: The purchase of laptops, tablets, projector and screen has helped with our educational outreach to our staff, students, and clients immensely! We hope to plan another large producer meeting as well as implement our 11th and 12th grader intern program this next year.

Publications