Recipient Organization
LEADING EDGE VETERINARY SERVICES LLC
16034 W US HIGHWAY 63
HAYWARD,WI 548437134
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Leading Edge Veterinary Services (LEVS) is located in Hayward, Wisconsin and has been providing large animal veterinary medical care throughout Northern Wisconsin for over twenty years. The two full-time large animal veterinarians are mostly ambulatory; however, they are starting to utilize a newly opened large animal hospital as of April 2020. LEVS added a small animal division in 2018, the addition has been complementary to the large animal business. The practice has over twenty years of industry reputation and a strong, loyal clientele, which gives confidence toward meeting the objective of sustaining a long-term presence in shortage and rural areas. Aside from the loyal following, LEVS is located in the ideal, geographical epicenter of a rural community with increasingly limited veterinary resources. Funding from the veterinary grant will be utilized to accomplish the goals of sustaining and expanding exceptional veterinary care to the rural communities of Northern Wisconsin, specifically WI203, Barron county. Over the past 7 years, LEVS has noticed an increase in beef producing clients. The shift has not been entirely new business; many of the small dairy farms are converting to beef operations. LEVShas adapted by offering more beef animal specific medicine, such as bull semen collecting and breeding soundness exams. Additional equipment is needed to adapt with the rapid shift in clientele needs. A portable chute, ultrasound and veterinary vehicles would enable LEVS to offer services to all farms, even with limited facilities, and faster, more reliable veterinary care. Despite the overall decrease in dairy clientele, LEVS has added two dairy operations as clients over the past two years, one farm has over 600 milking cows and was added to the weekly herd health schedule. Both clients chose LEVS because of the advanced services provided such as ultrasonography, consulting and regular client education events. While the addition has been welcomed, it has contributed to the inability to share equipment and increased travel distances. The veterinarians are also very active with the UW-Extension agency in Spooner, WI and the Northwest Wisconsin Graziers Association (NWGA). Over the past four years, the extension agency in Spooner has experienced a decrease in consulting staff. As a result, the NWGA and the extension agency have been outreaching to LEVS for animal related questions and to attend various conferences. Aside from attending educational events, LEVS has promoted and been instrumental in providing client education for almost 20 years. Every year for 19 years, LEVS has offered client education meetings for dairy and beef clients with topics such as tail docking, veterinary feed directives, the food armor program and ultrasounding calf lungs on farms. LEVS clients are well informed and involved in the industry and have been for almost 20 years. Historically, the meetings were funded by different veterinary medical or supply companies such as MWI, Zoets, Pfizer, Fort Dodge and B.I. Recently, veterinary companies have been consolidating; now only a few exist and they are focusing sales directly to farms. With veterinarians being pushed out of the veterinary drug sales, providing unbiased client educational events is more important than ever. However, securing funding for future events has become increasingly difficult. As a business, LEVS is not able to financially justify a yearly meeting for both beef and dairy producers. The grant funding would be used to continue client meetings and to expand to producers in the WI203 shortage area. Between the currently established yearly meetings and collaborating with extension agencies, LEVS feels confident in the success of sustaining and expanding educational meetings.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The ultimate goal is to ensure the continued care and add additional services tocurrent and new clients within the underserved areas of Northern Wisconsin. To accomplish such goals, updated ambulatory vehicles are the foundation for being able to provide services. A portable chute is also becoming more necessary for the safety of veterinarians and clients. Without a portable chute, some clients havestopped ultrasounding their beef cattle due to lack of safe handling situations. Breeding soundness exams on bulls have also been delayed or not performed due to lack of appropriate handling facilities on rural farms. Having reliable transport and the addition of a portable chutewill result in more clients utilizing services and the ability to accommodate new clientele. Having only one bovine ultrasound has significantly limited the reproductive work performed in the area. The practice has attempted to share one easi-scan ultrasound between two veterinarians, however, the practice zone is too large to effectively share equipment that is needed on multiple farms. An additional easi-scan will enable the two veterinarians to optimize time and provide services to as many areas of the practice as possible. Demand for ultrasound services is the highest on beef operations, but they are the least concentrated group of producers. Both veterinarians are well trained in ultrasonography and an additional bovine ultrasound would directly result in more bovine herd health exams, especially on beef cattle operations. The funding for educational events will continue the practice of providing a variety of educational discussions to all dairy/beef producers of Northern Wisconsin. Educational events are especially important in rural areas. The limited veterinary resources available must be capitalized as efficiently as possible and not squandered unnecessarily. Educating groups in a mass setting is the most efficient and effective means to promote healthy animal agriculture. With the additional equipment and educational funding, Leading Edge Veterinary Servicesanticipates current clients will utilize more advanced veterinary medical services, such as ultrasonography and bull semen collecting, and new clients to join the practice.
Project Methods
Specific Activities:1) Purchase two 2018 Tahoes, one easi-scan ultrasound and one portable chute.2) Advertise on social media, LEVS website, local radio and newspaper and through the UW-extension agency in Spooner, WI and the Northwest Wisconsin Graziers Association3) Host yearly educational meetings for current dairy and beef clients4) Host educational meetings that are open to all bovine producers in a 60 mile radius of Hayward, WI. Host such events in conjunction with the extension agency and the NWGA5) Regularly attend, at least twice yearly, UW-extension agency events and Northwest Wisconsin Graziers conferences.Evaluation Metrics:1) Number of total trip charges to dairy and beef clients and additional farms with VCPR2) Number and percent of clients in WI203, Barron County3) Morbidity and mortality rates on new farms before and after establishing care with LEVS4) Number of outreach and education meetings, including attendance records and any new clients directly resulting from educational events.5) Projected economic benefits to farms based on services performed. Example: Beef clients utilizing ultrasound: number of open cows. Bull breeding exams: number of bulls failed6) Service fees collected/Use of grant-funded equipment - easi-scan ultrasound and use of portable chute and/or services increased from use of chute.7) Additional metrics based on producer surveys sent out yearly during client education meets/seminars: Ask if clients benefit from veterinary services or utilize more servicesSpecific Outreach:Practice growth and outreach will focus on client education events, 4H youth education events and involvement in county fairs. The events will be a source of introduction of our services and benefits of quality veterinary care and preventative medicine management.1) Washburn County and Sawyer County fair veterinarians:2) Dairy and Beef client educational meeting: approximately 50 attendees, 6 hours annually3) 4H presentations to Rusk, Sawyer and Washburn county. 3 hours annually4) Supporting Sawyer and Washburn county fair and 4H by donating door prizes and silent auction gifts to county fair fundraisers.