State/Territory
Texas
Shortage Location - Must Serve
Freestone, Limestone, and Navarro Counties, Texas
Shortage Location - May Serve
Location Center
1501 US 84, Fairfield, TX, 75840
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
Small Ruminant
Other Must Serve
May serve
Poultry
Other May Serve
Equine, cervid
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
Modern animal agriculture demands veterinarian input to insure the health and productivity of livestock. To maintain a healthy food supply, veterinarians must be involved in both production and public health. Although the local population and the number of food animals have both increased in this area, the availability of food animal veterinarians has almost disappeared in these counties. Across nearly 3,000 square miles, there are a very limited number of veterinarians who examine food animals. Freestone, Limestone, and Navarro Counties are among the top cattle producing areas in Texas, with almost 230,000 head of cattle and calves between the three counties. The veterinarian shortage becomes an issue when considering that close to 90% of veterinary needs in this area are specifically for beef cattle, with the other 10% of animal needs in this area being for swine, poultry, and equine. This area has the longest running amateur rodeo in the region and more than 90% of the agricultural land used in the county is livestock and poultry-based. There are more than 5,200 farms here and each producer requires routine veterinary services, which is too much for just a few veterinarians. Because this area has such a large number of food animals, it is imperative that more livestock veterinarians are recruited in order to maintain the health and sustainability of animal agriculture in these counties.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
With so many cattle producers in these counties, veterinarians will be responsible for communicating and educating producers and the public on best reproductive practices, disease control protocols, and healthy food supplies. Veterinarians will provide routine services, including vaccinations and testing, as well as emergency services when needed. Performing Trichomoniasis tests and artificial insemination or embryo transfer will be a part of daily activities, as well as monitoring for foreign animal diseases and providing health certificates. With an influx of human population, more small ruminants have become a mainstay in rural communities, as they are popular show animals and are economical additions to small farms and ranchettes that are on the rise in this area. Communicating the best health practices to these owners is critical in maintaining disease control.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
Over the past several years, clinics in this shortage area have utilized job posting outlets for veterinary schools as well as the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) magazine. When these did not generate candidates, they also listed posting in the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) magazine. Unfortunately, these postings have not generated much interest. With little interest coming from job postings and older veterinarians retiring or passing away, having a financial incentive to ease the worry surrounding student loans would help with recruiting and retaining new veterinarians in this area who may not have otherwise applied.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
Due to the shortage of food animal veterinarians in the area, the few veterinarians practicing here have seen an increase in clients trying to diagnose, treat, and perform procedures on their animals. This can contribute to an increase in animal suffering, disruption of the food supply, and ultimately a higher input cost to the producer. This area has several elite producers of seed-stock cattle as well as multiple stocker operations that are struggling to get preventative medicine done on their cattle, not to mention emergency services in limited situations. A large concern is that these producers may relocate to a new area or disperse their herds due to the lack of veterinary support and guidance. This would impact not only the community, but the surrounding regions that rely heavily on agriculture and livestock production. One existing large animal veterinarian plans on retiring within the next year after being in practice for 40 years, as it is difficult to continue to meet the physical demands of a large animal veterinarian. Assistance with debt liabilities will put new associates in better positions to purchase a clinic in the near future, ensuring that their community has large animal veterinarians for the decades to come.
Community Aspects
This area lies in the beautiful scenery of east Texas. There are multiple lakes and rivers, including Richland-Chambers Lake, which has great fishing, has a large recreational area with beautiful hiking trails, and hosts seasonal activities like a firework display on July 4th. Freestone county hosts the oldest amateur rodeo in the state, which is held every July 4th in Teague, Texas. There are multiple parades, festivals, and themed nights throughout the year located in downtown Fairfield, Texas. The local community in these counties are among the most welcoming people in the world; they regularly drop off goodies and meals to their community members and are always willing to help their neighbors any way they can.