About Us
Our mission is to honor the legacy of service, kindness, compassion, and talent that Ann Harris, DVM, has provided to generations of people and their pets in the Central New York area by providing programs and resources to stabilize and revitalize Emergency Veterinary Medicine in the region.
History
In 2019, the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society and the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care created a task force to address a national shortage of emergency room veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
These staffing shortages were exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Caseloads increased and pandemic-related staff turnover resulted in unprecedented demand, compassion fatigue, and burnout among existing veterinary emergency care team members at all levels.
The pandemic fueled a "perfect storm" in veterinary medicine as Dr. Mark Will, president of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, described. Labor shortages, staff turnover, temporary limits on non-essential care, and increased pet ownership created a backlog of needs and a demand for services that could not be met — with veterinary emergency medicine hit the hardest.
What this means for CNY
Veterinary care facilities in smaller cities and rural practices lack the resources of academic centers and corporate practice chains to facilitate recruitment of veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians (LVTs) to emergency veterinary medicine.
In August 2019 Onondaga Community College announced it was working to add a Veterinary Science major (leading to LVT licensure) before the 2020 – 2021 school year. These plans were derailed by the COVID19 pandemic.
There are currently no veterinary technician training programs in the greater Central New York area.
In 2021 the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Center in Baldwinsville, NY closed permanently.
In 2022 Onondaga County's only remaining 24-hour emergency veterinary facility, Veterinary Medical Center of CNY, scaled back hours amid a critical staff shortage and is no longer able to provide 24 hour/7 day availability to the community.
Learn More
Are we in a veterinary workforce crisis?
Understanding our reality can guide us to a solution
It would take more than 30 years’ worth of new graduates to meet the 10-year industry need for credentialed veterinary technicians.
ER docs shortage turns critical
Groups search for answers as emergency veterinarian, technician positions go unfilled
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Occupational outlook for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
There are not enough humans to take care of all the animals.
