State/Territory
New York
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Broome County and Southern Chenango County, NY
Shortage Location - May Serve
Tioga County and Western Chemung County, NY
Location Center
Port Crane, NY 13833
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.)
40
Type of Shortage
(Veterinary Practice Area / Discipline / Specialty)
Type II Shortage: Private Practice – Rural Area Food Animal Medicine
Must serve
Dairy Cattle
Other Must Serve
May serve
Beef Cattle
Swine
Poultry
Small Ruminant
Other May Serve
Captive Cervid
Employer
Position Title
Other disciplinary area
Carry Over
Nominator Name
Joy Bennett, DVM MPH DACVPM
Nominator Title
Director, Division of Animal Industry
Nominator Org
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
518-457-3502
Importance/Objectives of Veterinarian
Broome County (715 square miles, population 198,683) and Chenango County (899 square miles, population 47,220) are in a part of New York State which is economically challenged due to the collapse and off-shoring of manufacturing industries over the past 40 years. Protecting and developing the region's agricultural economy is critical to the survival of local families and businesses. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported $71,751,000 of live animal and animal product sales in these counties in 2017. NASS reported a population of 41,600 cattle in these counties in 2017, distributed among 183 dairy operations and 330 beef operations. There were also 165 small ruminant farming operations and 78 hog operations reported by NASS in 2017. The objectives of a veterinarian will be to provide service to these operations, many of which currently lack access to veterinary services. This shortage area also includes the "may service" region of Tioga County (523 square miles, population 48,455) and southeast Chemung County (411 square miles, population 84,148). In total the area represents approximately 933 farms, totaling $59 million dollars in agricultural products sold annually. Of that value, approximately 60% comes from livestock and poultry, including 22,595 cattle, 6695 small ruminants, 454 swine, 1687 horses, and other livestock species (Source: 2017 USDA Census for Agriculture). This area of the state has been economically challenged due to an efflux of manufacturing jobs and has maintained a poor recruiting capability due to the low income potential it provides. However, the awardee may count time served in this region toward fulfilling the required service hours. Without a veterinarian in the local communities of this region to consult with clients and improve farm profitability as well as relieve animal suffering, the community becomes discouraged.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
The veterinarian would need to provide ambulatory service for herd health/pregnancy determination, sick cow work, surgery, emergency services (calvings, etc), necropsies and infectious disease surveillance and testing. They would need to have USDA APHIS Category II Accreditation to complete regulatory work including certificates of veterinary inspection, and would be expected to assist with Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program compliance. Dairy cattle practice would make up the majority of the work load, but the opportunity to work with beef cattle herds, such as reproductive services, herd checks, sick cow work, and protocol development is expanding. A successful applicant will be advising and educating producers to optimize animal health and productivity. The veterinarian would need to offer services to a variety of farm sizes and types, as there is a wide range of farm sizes and purposes in this area. Additionally, the veterinarian chosen for this shortage area would have the option to serve swine, equine, poultry and cervid producers. Those services could include routine visits such as vaccination and reproductive services, sick animal calls, disease surveillance, consulting, and regulatory tasks. This veterinarian will need to be actively involved in community education and producer development. There is an extremely active and rapidly expanding New York Beef Producers Association which is very willing to work with veterinarians to precondition calves, improve uniformity, and optimize health and profits. Producer education meetings provide ample opportunity to develop producers as well as establish clientele. There is an active 4-H presence in parts of these counties, with opportunities to foster their programs.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
One of the biggest challenges in this area is that most veterinary practices are on the boundary of these counties or located in surrounding counties, so veterinary services come from outside the area. There are two retirement-aged practitioners in this area without replacements. The inability to pay a competitive wage in an economically challenged area has made retention difficult and having a program like this available to the veterinarian with veterinary school loans would greatly assist them in being able to work in this part of the state. All counties in this nomination were also nominated as a shortage area last year, but no applications were received.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
Producers are being told "no" to services on a regular basis because there are not veterinarians to service this area. This is an agriculture-based community that needs a veterinarian to support the local agribusiness industry. If this position is not filled, animal welfare and farm viability and profitability will continue to suffer. As is the case throughout the United States, private practice veterinarians are the eyes and ears of animal disease surveillance in New York State. The paucity of veterinary professionals in parts of the state means that we have significant "blind spots" in need of correction. The continuing threats of Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza have been joined by the increasing threat of African Swine Fever. Livestock traceability in the northeastern United States is complex due to the large numbers of states reachable in a one-day truck trip. Without an adequate supply of accredited veterinarians to examine animals for movement and write the required certificates of veterinary inspection, our producers are placed at a competitive disadvantage and some will opt to move animals interstate illegally. The latter activity places New York and neighboring states at risk of dangerous animal disease outbreaks. The safe food supply of New York will be threatened by the lack of professional oversight in this rural community. There is a vast land base that could be developed to support increased food production, which would help create employment opportunities within the local community.
Community Aspects
Like many areas of the Southern Tier of upstate New York, Broome County and southern Chenango County possess a variety of quaint villages surrounded by rolling countryside. Binghamton is a small city located in Broome County with 47,969 people, Once a major manufacturing hub, Binghamton's economy now is largely driven by healthcare and education, as it is the home of Binghamton University, a major research institution with 18,000 students, as well as Broome County Community College. Downtown Binghamton features shopping, a growing arts scene, the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Roberson Museum and Science Center, and a wealth of sporting events and teams. Other visitor attractions include the Phelps Mansion museum, the Cutler Botanic Garden, and the Bundy Museum of History and Art. The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park is the fifth oldest zoo in the nation. The city is also known as the Carousel Capital of the World, as it houses six antique carousels. Chenango County's county seat is Norwich, a lovely village of 7000 people. Picturesque towns include Bainbridge, New Berlin, and Greene. Annual festivals and events in Chenango County include the Winter Living Festival, the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, the Afton Fair, the Greene Arts & Crafts Festival, the Chenango Blues Fest, and the Greene Apple Festival. The county is largely rural with villages and towns throughout. These two counties offer a diverse selection of landscapes and communities to choose from. The cost of living in these areas is low relative to other parts of the state. Major interstate highways I-81 and I-88 both run through these areas, facilitating travel to other parts of the state as needed or desired.