Recipient Organization
PRAIRIE VISTA VETERINARY HOSPITAL LLC
801 N MAIN ST
SOUTH HUTCHINSON,KS 67505
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Prairie Vista Veterinary Hospital (PVVH), is a 3 doctor practice located in South Hutchinson, KS. The practice has a strong contingency of beef, dairy, small ruminant, and equine clients. Due to practice dynamics and shortage of production veterinarians in the area, 3 veterinarians share a caseload of 24/7 emergency service. The senior veterinarian will soon be seeking retirement, and is finding the rigors of full time work plus emergency on- call to be a burdensome load. With a full caseload, and large practice area, it is often difficult to fully accommodate services to Food Animal Producers in a timely manner.The goal of entry into the Rural Practice Enhancement grant program for KS225 is to better serve existing clients, as well as alleviate shortages of timely services for new production clients. To meet the goals stated, RPE funding would be utilized to increase inventory of ambulatory equipment, and utilize newer technology to increase efficiency. PVVH is pursuing a 4th veterinarian, allowing us to maintain the current workload, as well as expand and cover a larger region in an efficient timeframe. Through communication with various veterinary colleges and potentially employable externs, it is apparent that work-life balance and mentorship is important to new veterinary graduates entering the field. With better equipment and on-call schedule flexibilities, retention of employees and recruitment of new veterinarians is more easily attained. Approval for this grant will allow PVVH to provide a strong presence in maintaining a thriving production animal veterinary shortage area.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal for PVVH with RPE funding is to provide efficient uninterrupted veterinary care for a large geographic area experiencing attrition of Food Animal Veterinary Practitioners. With additional equipment, veterinary care will be enhanced and more services will be provided per day. Less down time due to equipment failure yields more time for education of best practices in disease outbreaks, animal husbandry, pharmaceutical regulations, and preventative medicine. Addition of a mobile veterinary box, and truck will allow transport of equipment and sensitive pharmaceuticals in a safe and controlled environment. Addition of a portable digital radiographic unit allows in field use for any of the species encompassed in our food animal and equine practice. Updating surgical instrument packs and semen/parasite evaluation devices allows for efficient and accurate diagnostics and treatments.In the first year, the funds will be used to update and add crucial equipment. With our existing relationships to multiple 4H, FFA, Hutchinson Community College(HCC) ag department, K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, the equipment will be used for education as well as service of veterinary clients. Students shadowing us for pre-veterinary studies and veterinary college externship interests, will benefit from the safety and comfort of a new vehicle. Semen evaluations, pregnancy checks, and surgeries performed at the HCC beef herd facility will bolster educational development of students enrolled in animal science classes. Social Media messages and distribution of newsletters highlighting the addition of mobile radiographic imaging and importance of semen evaluations will be employed. A Harvey/Rice/Reno County Cattle producer meeting held at the salebarn will utilize the microscope and media hook up for parasite control importance. The ability to provide affordable on-farm radiographic exams on lame horses will benefit the Amish community and allow further relationships to form for education in event of disease outbreaks. Assistance at the Kansas State Fair birthing center, provides education of animal practices to rural and urban spectators.The second year will continue with educational enhancement of community through producer meetings and student mentorships as discussed in year 1 . Efficiency of newer equipment will allow more clients to be serviced daily. Addition of a proposed associate veterinarian will increase practice capabilities and allow expansion of services. We will continue offering and promoting the equipment, services, and educational meetings made possible by funds from this grant via client letters, print, and social media through the third year. Each of the three years in the grant project period will be directly focused on retaining VMLRP awardee Dr. Schmitz and another potential associate. Each item of equipment purchased will last at least several years after the end of the grant project period, ensuring that these services continue to be available to the shortage area. With better equipment we also feel it will be easier to entice another veterinarian to the practice within 1-2 years, thus easing the on-call load of all staff veterinarians.
Project Methods
With the resources acquired via support from this grant, the practice can better provide medical, surgical, and preventative services to clientele. Veterinary-client relationships already in place will be reinforced and new relationships formed through various means, including the following.A mobile veterinary box unit allows temperature control for pharmaceuticals, specific organization of instruments, and ability to provide water for surgical procedures are paramount to maintaining best practices and efficiency in many of the pastures and ranches that PVVH services. The mobile veterinary box will last well beyond 3 years as evidenced by previous purchases.Purchase of a new 4x4 crew cab truck with a manufacturer's warranty will allow for less repair time and maintenance. These trucks are lighter than a ¾ ton, and can still pull portable equipment and the stock trailers we use to transport animals. Fuel efficiency, ride comfort, and safety of job shadow and extern passengers will be enhanced.This increased fuel efficiency and reliability will result in less of the incurred farm call costs needing to be passed on to the client. This vehicle should surpass the 3 years of the grant project period, and have capital value upon trade in. With this trade in value, the grant funding would maintain momentum that will support PVVH financially through the purchase of the following vehicle/s.A proposed portable DR radiographic unit with protective vests, thyroid protection, gloves, adjustable base, and foot tunnel box are of high quality, rigid, transportable and allow point of care diagnostics. Diagnosis of joint diseases and hoof infections are often speculated upon since we lack this modality. Radiographs are a rapid and efficient method to make a proper diagnosis and producers would benefit from these accuracies. Amish clients utilize horses for transportation and agriculture. Providing on farm radiographic diagnostics will increase the likelihood of these animals being properly cared for. Historically, equine lameness cases were referred to an exclusive equine practice in Wichita since our equipment was inadequate.Addition of a new electronic automatic ejaculator along with a 40X-1000X Phase-contrast Compound Microscope will increase productivity in the bovine and ruminant sectors. This equipment is highly transportable to be utilized for semen collection and evaluation at the client's facility. Students and clients will benefit educationally from visual involvement. Surgical instrument packs and a calf extractor would also be purchased for the vehicle and box since dystocias are a major component in food animal practice.The remaining funds would be allocated to purchase heavy steel freestanding portable livestock panels. A local welding shop builds these in 24' sections, and an Arrowquip dealer sells them in 10' sections. These can easily be transported with a flatbed or livestock trailer to a needed working location where their specific application is versatile. Remaining panels can be utilized as loaners to animal interest groups, educational demonstrations, and transportable overflow pens at the clinic site.