State/Territory
Texas
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, Knox, and Wilbarger Counties, Texas
Shortage Location - May Serve
Location Center
1700 Wilbarger Street, Room 12, Vernon, Texas 76384
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.)
80
Type of Shortage
(Veterinary Practice Area / Discipline / Specialty)
Type I Shortage: Private Practice Food Animal Medicine
Must serve
Beef Cattle
Small Ruminant
Other Must Serve
May serve
Swine
Poultry
Other May Serve
Equine
Employer
Position Title
Other disciplinary area
Carry Over
Nominator Name
Lewis Dinges, DVM
Nominator Title
State Veterinarian
Nominator Org
Texas Animal Health Commission
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
512-719-0715
Importance/Objectives of Veterinarian
This shortage area has seen a steady increase in the amount of land devoted to agriculture production over the past decade. While the human population also continues to increase, the number of food animal veterinarians has almost disappeared in these counties. Across these five counties, there is only one veterinarian who performs primarily food animal work. Considering this area has close to 130,000 head of cattle, it is very difficult to meet the veterinary needs of the many cattle producers in these counties. With so much beef cattle in this area, around 80% of food animal veterinary services are spent with calves and cattle with the other 20% spent on sheep, swine, and poultry. One of the primary issues with this shortage area is that although this area is not as densely populated with animal agriculture as some others, it is a very large and spaced-out geographic area, causing a strain on producers to receive veterinary services at their properties. These counties make up a combined 4,100 square miles with very small towns that are far away from each other. The result of this is longer hours for veterinarians to travel across the counties, longer times that clients have to wait, and higher costs for producers in need of veterinary care.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
Primary activities for veterinarians in this area involve educating food animal producers on vaccination protocols, parasite control, and the proper use of antibiotics and their withdrawal times. A veterinarian in this area must be willing to provide emergency services, sometimes after hours, both in and out of the clinic to the surrounding counties, as well as provide ambulatory services. A veterinarian will be available for questions and advice and will work to improve food animal production systems, ensure a safe and sustainable food supply, facilitate livestock biosecurity, safeguard from foreign animal diseases, and serve as a crucial part of community-based emergency and disaster preparedness with regards to animal transportation, health, and boarding. Additionally, veterinarians must be able to perform reproductive services, including bovine trichomoniasis testing and breeding soundness exams, as well as routine services, such as inspecting animals to issue certificates of veterinary inspection for interstate animal travel.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
In the recent past, word of mouth has been the primary recruitment tool. Recommendations from community members and sales representatives have created some interest. Truthfully, I don't personally know the best way to go about recruitment and I don't have much down time to think about it, which is part of the problem. However, with a new veterinary school in the Texas panhandle, there is hope that there will be more interest in veterinarians coming to these counties, as programs are in place that emphasize the importance of rural practice. Having a financial incentive to ease the worry surrounding student loans will help with recruiting and retaining new veterinarians in this area as all the veterinary clinics are struggling to find new associates, especially ones that provide primarily food animal coverage.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
This is primarily an agriculture-based community with large cattle ranches, egg farms, and equine facilities. Food animal health is therefore vital to the success of the community's economy and to the prosperity of the people who live here. From a food supply and human/animal health perspective, this area lies on and near the Texas-Oklahoma border, so ensuring the health of animals traveling across state lines is critical in maintaining a safe food supply. Because beef cattle is the primary livestock production here, tens of thousands of feeder cattle are imported and exported through these counties each year, moving to and from Oklahoma and Kansas. More veterinary care means greater attention to food animal health and the quicker animals can be inspected and shipped. Economic consequences come as the geographic work area of a veterinarian increases, the amount of time available to see animals decreases due to travel time. With the rise in fuel and supplies coupled with the increased service area, the prices of veterinary services have increased or have forced some to close their businesses altogether. Therefore, enticing new veterinarians to return to their local communities is difficult to do. In order to on-board a new veterinarian and then add costs of new equipment, a suitable facility, and building up a regular clientele, veterinarians either need to increase their fees or migrate to areas where work is easily accessible in order to make a living. The leaders in this region fear that this situation equates to a long-term shortage for their area, leaving resident's and animals with even less access to veterinary care.
Community Aspects
Vernon, Texas and the surrounding towns are places that have a real sense of community and family. The history of Vernon and the surrounding communities have a very strong ranching history, with many families involved, from the W.T. Waggoner Ranch to Doan's Crossing. This area was a staple of the cattle drives and became the home to many of the early Texas settlers. The downtown area of Vernon is growing, with a historic 1950's movie theater still operating, a great farmer's market in the spring and summer, and many restaurants and boutique shops. Every August, Vernon hosts the "Summer's Last Blast," which is a classic car show that draws visitors from all across the United States. The area also has a wonderful community college with a great history in rodeo, baseball, and softball and a local hospital with an active emergency room and surgical services.