State/Territory
Minnesota
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Todd and Wadena Counties
Shortage Location - May Serve
Cass, Douglas, Morrison, Ottertail and Stearns Counties
Location Center
Menahga, Minnesota
VSGP Status
Open
VMLRP Status
(Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program)
Open
Priority of shortage
High
Fiscal year
Percent FTE
(Full Time Equivalent, based on a 40hr work week.)
30
Type of Shortage
(Veterinary Practice Area / Discipline / Specialty)
Type II Shortage: Private Practice – Rural Area Food Animal Medicine
Must serve
Beef Cattle
Dairy Cattle
Other Must Serve
May serve
Swine
Poultry
Small Ruminant
Other May Serve
Horses
Employer
Position Title
Other disciplinary area
Carry Over
Nominator Name
Courtney Wheeler
Nominator Title
Assistant Director
Nominator Org
Minnesota Board of Animal Health
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
612-756-2810
Importance/Objectives of Veterinarian
A veterinarian in this shortage situation will cover over 8,000 square miles serving more than 13,000 registered livestock premises. Minnesota Board of Animal Health registration data estimates that there are more than 6,500 cattle premises and over 440,000 head of cattle, including more than 130,000 dairy cattle farmed in this area (National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2022). An estimated 1,000 farms raise small ruminants, 675 raise pigs, 3,000 raise poultry and more than 2,000 have horses (MN Board of Animal Health). This shortage situation is greatly underserved. Several practitioners in the area have reached retirement age and new practitioners are drawn to more lucrative urban practices. At least one practitioner in the area closed as she was unable to sell her predominantly livestock practice. Small ruminants are greatly increasing in the area with few practitioners that are able or willing to provide veterinary care for them. These farms are relatively new and require additional veterinary attention and resources as producers are learning about general animal husbandry and disease prevention.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
A veterinarian meeting this shortage situation will perform multiple duties including disease diagnosis, performing surgical and obstetrical procedures, pregnancy testing, developing and implementing vaccination programs, performing diagnostics and necropsies, prescribing appropriate drugs, feed ingredient oversight, and providing emergency services. The veterinarian will be responsible for establishment of veterinarian-client-patient-relationships advising on judicious use and oversight of administration of antibiotics as dictated by the Food and Drug Administration Veterinary Feed Directive. Additional accredited duties will be performed including monitoring herd health programs, conducting state and federal disease surveillance testing and issuing Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs). Veterinarians in this area will play a key role in providing expertise and conducting disease surveillance testing for livestock in the event of an emerging or foreign animal disease outbreak. The veterinarian will also serve as the official veterinarian for community livestock exhibitions and play an important role in educating communities.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
This shortage situation has been previously nominated. Food and mixed animal veterinary practitioners in the area report that they are nearing retirement age and are actively seeking veterinarians to assist with their expanding case load and ultimately manage and/or purchase their practices to provide continuity of care to clients. A VMLRP award serves as a significant incentive for practitioners who wish to pursue a sustainable career in food animal practice. Student loan indebtedness continues to outstrip the growth rate of salaries for private practitioners and this award will offset high student loan debt burden ultimately increasing employment retention.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
It is imperative that practices in this rural, under-served area are able to recruit and retain veterinarians to maintain economic stability for their practices and the people that they serve. According to American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) market research data from 2022, companion animal practices continue to generate the highest revenue while food animal practitioners work the most days and hours per week. Only 2% of veterinarians reported ownership in food animal exclusive practices and food animal exclusive veterinarians continue to have mean salaries lower than that of their companion animal exclusive counterparts. Decreased availability of veterinary care will result in proliferation of disease, increased reproductive losses, diminishing animal welfare and disease spread. Producers will be more likely to administer treatments without the advice of a veterinary professional perpetuating the risk of food contamination or development of bacterial resistance. Sufficient veterinary involvement in food animal production systems is critical in advancing animal and public health disease prevention and treatment.
Community Aspects
This area of Minnesota offers many fishing lakes, hiking and biking trails as well as many historic communities and farms.