State/Territory
Ohio
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Highland and Clinton Counties
Shortage Location - May Serve
Fayette, Adams, Brown Counties
Location Center
Intersection of routes 50 and 62, Hillsboro, 45133
VSGP Status
Open
VMLRP Status
(Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program)
Open
Priority of shortage
Moderate
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
There is a pressing need for early disease detection and protection of animal health in order to maintain the economic importance of agriculture to this southern Ohio community. Using data from USDA NASS, the nominated area has approximately 102,500 food animals (cattle, swine, sheep), primarily on small farms. Cattle numbers for 2023 in this area were 74,000. According to the Ohio VMA data, this area is currently being served by 6 food animal veterinarians. This area is 2969 square miles. Veterinarians in this area are nearing retirement and will leave a significant void, and a few practices have welcomed young veterinarians and must work to retain them in the area. There is animal movement in this region with two busy livestock markets in Highland county - UPI Hillsboro and Union Stockyards.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
This veterinarian would most likely join or be retained within a large animal or mixed animal practice to provide preventative, diagnostic, treatment and surgical services to food animal producers as well as caring for small animals. This would include herd health, consultation on vaccination, nutrition, facility design, and client education. In addition to direct animal care, the veterinarian would serve as a source of information on herd health, be an early identifier of potential zoonotic diseases and foreign animal diseases (FAD), serve as an educator to 4-H and FFA members as well as the public, and contribute to the community. 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 involvement in state and federal disease programs (TB, Brucellosis, CWD, Scrapie, etc.) and for purposes of livestock movement across the nearby state border and two livestock markets in the area (Hillsboro). Involvement with client education and animal disease traceability program (ADT), drug residue prevention, veterinary feed directive also allow additional opportunities for service. Veterinarians in this area are very likely to work with multiple species on a regular basis.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
Loan repayment can help a practitioner become established or retained in this community. The pull of higher salaries and more flexible schedules in nearby urban areas is a threat to retention here, debt repayment can balance that. Veterinarians in this area regularly accept student externs to educate and familiarize the next generation of veterinarians for recruiting and educational purposes. There are more mixed animal practices than exclusive large animal practices in this area and more practitioners could balance the workload for all. There are recent graduates working in this area and retaining them will directly benefit the agriculture of the region and state.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
Adams county currently has one Category II Accredited Veterinarian, with 4 in nearby Fayette. This displays a true risk of new vectors and diseases being missed as they try to enter the state and threaten agriculture. With livestock markets in this region as well as being near the Ohio border, veterinarians are needed to monitor animal movement, be vigilant for diseases, and serve the local and state agricultural community. Because the market is a gathering point for commingling of animals it must be well served both with on site market veterinarians but also by veterinarians in the surrounding region that supply these markets. 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 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 offers a rural lifestyle, low cost of living and beautiful scenery while being within an hour of Cincinnati and Dayton and just over an hour to Columbus for social, cultural, recreation and sporting events. The Highland and Clinton county areas boast several state parks, two colleges, and many outdoor activities available such as trails, fishing, and hiking and hunting. Ohio ranks 17th in agricultural income and among the top 11 states in the nation for eggs, turkeys, horses, swine, dairy, sheep and goats.