Non Technical Summary
The veterinary shortage situation ND151 currently does not have enough large animal veterinary support for the significant number of livestock in this practice area. The veterinary shortage makes it difficult to provide the large number of services that the area needs such as calving obstetrics, treating disease outbreaks, regulatory disease testing, herd health medicine and reproduction services. Also, without the adequate large animal veterinary support, rapid detection of foreign animal diseases or zoonotic reportable diseases becomes difficult and thus poses risks for human health, food safety, and economic damages. The area is in dire need of support to correct the veterinary shortage situation. Circle C Veterinary Service is located in the center of the ND151 shortage situation and currently provides mobile and haul in livestock services to the counties affected by the shortage. With this support from the VSGP, Circle C Veterinary Service will increase the development and provision of livestock veterinary services directly to the shortage situation. Additionally, Circle C Veterinary Service will provide educational opportunities to both students and livestock producers from the rural community in the shortage situation. This project will be accomplished through an increase in the number of large animal veterinarians working in the practice and providing services. Circle C Veterinary Service will require additional equipment for this practice growth. The RPE grant will be used to directly purchase the equipment required. This equipment will include a stationary hydraulic chute, service truck, veterinary box insert, portable ultrasound, and portable hydraulic chute. These practice enhancements will have both an extensive and lasting impact on local livestock, livestock producers, and local economic vitality.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
311	3310	1160	100%

Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases;

Subject Of Investigation
3310 - Beef cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1160 - Pathology;

Goals / Objectives
Establishing a permanent solution to the ND151 shortage situation is the main goal of this project. To achieve this goal, Circle C Veterinary Service will employ additional large animal veterinarians, employ subsequent support staff and purchase the veterinary equipment needed for the veterinarians and support staff to fulfill the needed livestock services of the area.During the first year of this project, an additional large animal veterinarian will be hired and will join the practice and its current two full time veterinarians. The clinic will hire 2 support staff to accommodate the practice growth that will occur with the employment of this additional veterinarian. Veterinary equipment will be required for the practice growth and the RPE grant will be used to directly purchase the equipment required. During the second and third years of the project, the implementation of the veterinarians, staff and equipment in solving the shortage situation will take place. During this time the clinic will seek out and hire an additional large animal veterinarian and 2 more support staff. At the end of the project, the practice will consist of 4 full time veterinarians and 10 full time support staff. The practice will have undergone rapid growth in the number of clients and services that can be provided to this shortage situation. The goal of solving the shortage situation will be accomplished as the infrastructure is in place to maintain the clinic indefinitely. If an associate veterinarian or support staff decides to leave the practice, there is sufficient personnel in place to hire and train replacement personnel. The long-term impact on the region beyond will be the presence of an efficient, quality veterinary service in this area that can sustain the changes that many practices undergo such as veterinarians or staff leaving.

Project Methods
The equipment that will be specifically acquired with this grant will be required by the clinic for the additional large animal veterinarians to provide services to this shortage situation. This equipment will include a stationary hydraulic chute, service truck, veterinary box insert, portable ultrasound, and portable hydraulic chute. The service truck, veterinary box insert, and portable hydraulic chute allows farm calls to be made for many herd health services such as ultra sounding for bovine pregnancy, bull breeding soundness exams, and brucellosis vaccinating heifers to name a few. The stationary hydraulic chute will be placed in the clinic to improve efficiency and safety in the current cattle facility. This will allow the clinic to service larger numbers of livestock that are hauled into the clinic such as bulls for breeding soundness exams or heifers for brucellosis vaccinations. It will also be used for exams and treatments of sick or injured cattle. The portable ultrasound will be required by the clinic for the additional large animal veterinarians to conduct bovine, equine, and small ruminant pregnancy diagnosis as well as diagnostic imaging both at the clinic and in the field.