State/Territory
Ohio
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey Counties
Shortage Location - May Serve
Harrison and Jefferson Counties
Location Center
Barnesville, OH 43713
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
Other Must Serve
May serve
Dairy Cattle
Swine
Poultry
Small Ruminant
Other May Serve
Cervid/Equine
Employer
Position Title
Other disciplinary area
Carry Over
Nominator Name
Kristy Shaw
Nominator Title
Assistant State Veterinarian
Nominator Org
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
614-507-5223
Importance/Objectives of Veterinarian
Ohio ranks 17th in agricultural income and among the top 11 states in the nation for eggs, turkeys, horses, swine, dairy, sheep and goats. In this eastern area of Ohio livestock and poultry are underserved. 2023 NASS statistics show at least 82,500 cattle in this region, predominately beef cattle on various size farms. There are currently zero Category II accredited veterinarians in both Noble and Monroe counties. Noble, Monroe, and Belmont counties have difficulty finding veterinarians to work at the local fairs which is a barometer of overall veterinary care. According to the Ohio VMA data, the area is currently being served by 7 food animal veterinarians, and several of those entered practice over 40 years ago. This four county portion of Ohio is 1931 total square miles of area. Belmont and Noble counties have livestock markets, thus many animals cross nearby state lines due to this.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
The objective of a veterinarian filling this shortage situation is to serve the area's food animals through direct animal care, treatment, and prevention of disease, client education and accredited veterinary duties. This individual would be vital to promote animal and public health as well as protecting the overall economics of agriculture in Ohio. This veterinarian would most likely join a mixed animal practice or be retained in a practice to provide a variety of services to several species. The activities for a veterinarian in this area are diverse with emphasis on the need to provide herd health, reproductive exams, consulting for facility design, nutrition, animal welfare, protocols for vaccine and parasite control, diagnostic and surgical services to food animal producers as well as possibly caring for small animals. In addition to direct animal care, the veterinarian would serve as a source of information to the community on herd health, may educate 4-H and FFA members, may perform fair or market work, and serve as an early identifier of potential zoonotic and foreign animal diseases (FAD), and make contributions to the community. This area has many cattle on farms of various sizes as well as a diverse group of other livestock. Dairy farms in the area have declined but may of these producers are still involved with livestock. The veterinarian would be an advocate for agriculture to the consuming and interested public. Another aspect is the need to be USDA Category II accredited for the purposes of livestock movement, due to proximity to three livestock markets and the state border. Involvement in disease control programs as well as educational outreach to clients through meetings, newsletters, and implementation of animal disease traceability program (ADT) creates an additional veterinary service to provide to the livestock producers.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
Practices in this area have historically been very willing to host and mentor students. Efforts to encourage and recruit individuals hailing from this region to return to the area are underway as practitioners in the region are approaching retirement. Historically, some younger veterinarians have come to the area for a time but not set down roots. The loan repayment program would give more leverage to someone who might otherwise be pulled by corporations or higher salaries.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
Two of these counties have zero Category II Accredited Veterinarians within them. With recent concerns about the Asian Longhorned Tick found in neighboring West Virginia this displays the true risk of new vectors and diseases being missed as they try to enter the state and threaten agriculture. Because of these factors this is a high priority shortage situation to fill. It has been said that growing the economy by investing in these rural communities and increasing opportunities for families and farmers is key to our nations future. Without adequate veterinary resources readily available, these counties could serve as an incubator for very serious, highly infectious and contagious diseases including zoonotic diseases. Further, the lack of veterinary resources exacerbates the problems associated with the implementation of One Health initiative including zoonotic diseases. Small producers, and other citizens of these counties deserve for their animals adequate and meaningful access to veterinary care. Producer education and improving animal health directly contributes to food safety in this region as animals are raised and processed for personal use as well as entering the broader food supply. Difficulty finding veterinarians to serve the county fairs is not only a concern for animal health during the fair, but raises concern about the lack of overall education to the next generation of producers that this represents. Veterinarians in this area are aging and increasingly busy trying to serve the growing animal numbers. This contributes to stress on the community and on the veterinarians themselves. Veterinarians serving in this area are often some of the most well educated and trusted resources that many members of the public and animal owners will meet. These relationships are vital not only for animal health but for their positive impact on public health.
Community Aspects
This area of Ohio boasts beautiful scenery and reasonable costs of living while being less than an hour from Wheeling and just over an hour to Columbus for dining, arts, sporting events, and recreation. There are several lakes and reservoirs in the area as well as quick access to the Ohio river for watersports and fishing. Potential for hunting, hiking, outdoor activities abound. The veterinarians in this area have a wealth of opportunity to positively impact their community and serve their neighbors right where they live and work. Other veterinarians in the area who may be reaching retirement age could offer mentorship and/or potential future practice ownership to pass the torch.