Navigating the Evolution of Animal Health Care Takes a Team

During the last three years, we were all impacted from the unexpected and rapid changes to our work lives and how we conduct business. This was especially true in the animal health industry. Prior to the pandemic, did anyone ever think that veterinary practices would have to implement curb-side healthcare for pets? This was not only hard on the pet owners but equally, if not more, a difficult transition for practice employees who had to implement new mandated safety procedures while still providing quality care and treatments for pets.

The veterinary industry continues to successfully navigate through the evolution of caring for animals. Through the support of animal healthcare manufactures and the distributors that proudly represent their products and support services, practices can take advantage of innovative services and tools to fuel their continued growth as a business and find the assistance they need to reach their goals and support the well being of their valued staff.

Midwest Veterinary Supply recognizes that veterinary practices are one of many important cornerstone businesses in communities across the country. It is through listening to what practices need, we are able to provide much more than products. Veterinary professionals have told us that they are facing challenges that range from stocking their shelves and promoting pet owner compliance, marketing their clinic, managing staff burn out and compassion fatigue.

Working with an organization that prioritizes the unique and individual needs of your practice is the first step in setting the stage for success. Midwest Veterinary Supply provide a portfolio of business solutions to make operating your practices easier and more profitable.

We invest in the communities and professions that we serve through our mVet Collars for a Cause program. We are committed to donating 100% of the campaign’s net profits to Not One More Vet, an organization that focuses on providing support to all members of veterinary teams. NOMV is a leader in veterinary mental health and their aim is to transform the status of mental wellness within the profession so veterinary professionals can survive and thrive through education, resources, and support.

Streamlining services and internal workflows can reduce stress and help practices free up time to do what they love, practice medicine and spending quality time with their patients and pet owners. Successful practices partner with Midwest Veterinary Supply because they want the convenience of an online store, without the headaches of stocking product and shipping. MyVetStoreOnline, our exclusive online store platform, gives you the customization you want, the convenience you need. You give your customers access to diets, medications, and supplies, without staff spending their valuable time, stocking shelves, managing refills, sending order reminders, and packing orders.

It takes a team to navigate the road to provide exceptional care for animals. At Midwest Veterinary Supply, we take the first steps to partnership by listening to the unique needs of our customers. Our dedicated Sales Representatives have the industry knowledge, animal health education, and resources to help you select the right products and services to support your practice and to ensure that you thrive through the anticipated market fluctuations ahead.

Insightful Experience

It was Espinal’s time as an infantry officer in the US Army that originally opened his eyes to the sacred bond between humans and animals.

Espinal reflects on his time spent in Afghanistan as “an incredible and particularly insightful experience”, one in which there was a stark contrast between how the locals and US soldiers treated canines.

“We took them in, gave them names, provided shelter, and most importantly they made us feel like we were at home,” he recalls.

It was at this point that Espinal realized a tremendous business opportunity, and that our relationship with animals goes well beyond what we can even comprehend today.

“The more we understand about the way our own minds work, the more value we’ll see in the human-animal bond. I think it’s particularly important to have that conversation, especially as we’re better able to identify mental health issues and actually realize that

Putting Values First

they’re pretty ubiquitous,” Espinal continues.

“I think animals provide an amazing tool to help us feel safe and loved.”

Upon return, Espinal went into venture capital investing and was inspired by the entrepreneurs taking risks and creating cool, exciting companies, before heading up the in-house chemistry business and Corporate Development and Strategy team at IDEXX Laboratories (IDEXX).

It was here that Espinal first met Miller, who himself held various roles in both IDEXX’s Corporate Development and Strategy, and Corporate Accounts teams.

“We ended up learning a lot about each other, found each other incredibly complementary, and spent the better part of three years kicking around business ideas, one of which ended up becoming Rarebreed,” shares Espinal.

“We got to see the proliferation of software start-ups entering our space, and IDEXX was one of the

Rarebreed focuses on people, bringing together teams of veterinary professionals to provide the best patient care.

Understanding the challenges that professionals in this field face, Rarebreed wants each hospital team to concentrate on delivering excellent pet care, while supporting their development, culture, and technology.

LOVE – Rarebreed believes in and genuinely cares for its people, hospitals, patients, and clients.

RESPECT – Rarebreed recognizes and appreciates people’s similarities and differences, and always treats everyone with dignity.

FUN – Rarebreed believes fun is a key ingredient in high-performing teams, and that work should be a happy place.

“We want our values on the wall at every practice and our headquarters, because this is what we live by. Having a pet is about unconditional love, and it’s why many people join the field in the first place, so love is fundamental. Respect is also incredibly important, it’s a basic human need to be heard, seen and respected, so that’s a non-negotiable core value for us. And lastly, what’s the point if it’s not fun? We like to have fun within reason, and that’s part of who we are.” – Dan Espinal, CEO, Rarebreed Veterinary Partners bigger acquirers of those companies, so we got to meet a whole bunch of interesting entrepreneurs trying to bring software solutions to enhance the client experience and patient outcomes.”

The dynamic duo realized that the market is, unusually, not constrained by demand, but supply – more specifically, the supply of talented, qualified veterinarians and veterinary technicians to meet demand at the point of need.

Thus, it dawned on Espinal and Miller that if they could treat people well, pay them competitively, provide great benefits and introduce creative incentives, they would have a highly differentiated platform.

“Rarebreed was born, we bought our first practice in 2019, and the rest is history. What we’re really trying to do is prove to the world that you can create a company in this industry that really does care for its people, creates the best working environment, and at the same time is effectively run.”

Caring For Team Members

Today, there are just shy of 130 Rarebreed locations spanning from Florida to Maine, with a very strong concentration of facilities in the northeast.

A structured company culture permeates throughout the whole business, built on a familyfirst mentality that creates an encouraging, open, and fun working environment that fosters team member growth from all angles.

As people are the foundation of the company, it’s crucial that Rarebreed takes care of its team members from both a mental and physical standpoint.

Equally, technicians are empowered to maximize their wide range of skills in Rarebreed’s veterinary hospitals, whilst doctors and management are encouraged to trust their technicians and staff to perform the tasks they’re trained for.

The result of investing in people? Happier team members and a lower turnover of staff.

“Good culture eats strategy for

The Rarebreed Ecosystem

Reimagining the veterinary experience is about looking at the entire veterinary network and transforming it into an ecosystem that provides continuity of care for all. It means: breakfast, so you really need to be able to operate, integrate, and differentiate the business,” Espinal explains.

• General practices rely on PetMedic urgent care clinics to manage after-hours, nonemergency cases.

• Urgent care hospitals and general practices count on emergency hospitals to handle life-threatening situations.

• Emergency hospitals are able to prioritize crises and timesensitive cases, without having to worry about non-emergency patients.

• Each hospital within the organization has the communal support, technology, and learning and development tools needed to thrive.

• Rarebreed’s veterinary team members are able to properly utilize the skills they’ve worked hard to perfect.

“We have sought to do that by building unique capabilities that encourage best-in-class retention. We’re able to keep our veterinarians and we’re able to keep them happy.”

Rarebreed believes that team members who feel valued, appreciated and connected to an organization provide better care for pets and owners, and continues to find ways to attract and retain the brightest and kindest minds in the veterinary profession.

Showing appreciation for team members also means taking care of them financially, with the company offering generous benefits and pay that transcends the professional average.

Similarly, diversity and inclusion is integral to making sure everyone at Rarebreed has a place where they can thrive, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or credentials.

“The industry is diverse from a gender perspective, particularly our business, but it’s not diverse from a racial perspective, which is something that has a long way to go,” emphasizes Espinal.

Increased Access To Care

Acting on strategy, which is secondary to culture, Rarebreed is introducing innovations to encourage better medical outcomes and client experiences.

As well as objective-based staff incentives, telemedicine is coming to the veterinary market, something that is already prevalent in human healthcare.

“Pet owners are often forced to diagnose the pet themselves, so wouldn’t it be amazing if you could talk to a veterinary professional on the phone and have them guide you to a specialist, general practitioner, or urgent care?

Elanco

Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health, dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we’re driven by our vision of food and companionship enriching life and our approach to sustainability – Elanco Healthy Purpose™– is to advance the health of animals, people, the planet and our enterprise.

Healthy Pets, Healthy Pet Parents

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