flyzipper
Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
This is close to home for me.
I took Oscar to the OVC to help diagnose some respiratory issues he was having because my regular avian vet can't CT scan or scope birds (I'll have to update that thread with the good anti-climactic result).
If you're in Ontario Canada, and are potentially affected by this, there's a petition to oppose the closure (feel free to sign if you believe in the cause and think it may help).
I haven't found a public news release to link to, but a reliable source shared the news with me, so here's the text...
I took Oscar to the OVC to help diagnose some respiratory issues he was having because my regular avian vet can't CT scan or scope birds (I'll have to update that thread with the good anti-climactic result).
If you're in Ontario Canada, and are potentially affected by this, there's a petition to oppose the closure (feel free to sign if you believe in the cause and think it may help).
I haven't found a public news release to link to, but a reliable source shared the news with me, so here's the text...
Dear OVC Community,
I am writing to you today to inform you that the Avian and Exotics (A&E) specialty referral service within our OVC Health Science Centre (HSC) will be discontinued as of August 6, 2022.
The need for closure arises from two insurmountable issues: consistent difficulties in sustainably staffing this service with specialist veterinarians, and financial constraints.
Veterinary medicine is a profession under tremendous pressure. Many hospitals face financial and staffing constraints. Similarly, the University of Guelph and OVC, like many other educational institutions, have been faced with budgetary curtailment for several years, and thus pressure to do more with less, with no relief in sight. Reserves that we have used to preserve our range of services have been depleted. Unfortunately, this makes maintaining the A&E service untenable.
OVC’s leadership team is committed to supporting our colleagues, students, and clients through these difficult times, and we will continue to explore new ways to meet these challenges with compassion and a spirit of innovation.
Staff working within the A&E service will be redeployed to other areas of the HSC, and Phase 4 DVMs who are interested in pursuing rotations in this specialty can work with their advisors to identify opportunities for training in other hospitals. In the coming weeks, we will communicate the closure to existing clients of the service, as well as referring veterinarians and other key stakeholders. We will provide support to these clients to help them find another veterinarian who can provide care for their pets.
Below you will find a Q&A with more detail about the closure to answer any questions you may have.
I’m sure you will appreciate that the decision to close the A&E service was a very difficult one to make. This decision is not a reflection on the importance of the A&E specialty, nor on the tremendous work of members of the A&E team over the years. We are very proud of the contribution this team has made to service provision, research and innovation, and mentoring the future practitioners and leaders of this discipline.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Dean and Professor
Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
____________________________________________________________________
Questions and Answers
When will the OVC Avian and Exotics service close?
The service will close on August 6, 2022. Existing clients will be able to book elective appointments until July 8, 2022 and the service will accept emergencies and/or urgent appointments until August 5, 2022.
Why is the OVC Avian and Exotics service closing?
The need for closure arises from two insurmountable issues: consistent difficulties in sustainably staffing this service with specialist veterinarians, and financial constraints.
Veterinary medicine is a profession under tremendous pressure. Many hospitals face financial and staffing constraints. Similarly, the University of Guelph and OVC, like many other educational institutions, have been faced with budgetary curtailment for several years, and thus pressure to do more with less, with no relief in sight. Reserves that we have used to preserve our range of services have been depleted. Unfortunately, this makes maintaining the A&E service untenable.
How will appointments be handled between now and the time the service closes?
Starting July 8, 2022, the service will not accept new patients. From July 8 to August 5, 2022, the service will book only follow-up appointments and provide urgent care to existing patients. Clients must be told that the service is closing effective August 6th and that we are unable to provide service to their animal after this point.
Note: We must ensure that clients understand that we cannot provide veterinary care to their pets after August 5, 2022. Clients who still choose to book an appointment will be provided with a copy of the letter advising them that the service will be closing effective August 6th.
Requests for appointments from new clients owning small mammals from July 8, 2022 forward will be directed to the College of Veterinarians of Ontario’s online directory to find the appropriate serve for their pets.
How will the closure of the OVC Avian & Exotics service affect its staff?
Current A&E staff (one technician) will be redeployed within the OVC Health Sciences Centre.
Who will care for patients of OVC’s Avian and Exotics after the service closes?
Clients who were referred to the OVC Avian and Exotics service by their pet’s primary care veterinarian will be asked to work with the referring veterinarian to determine how best to address their pet’s care needs going forward. For patients who do not have a primary care veterinarian, we are recommending clients refer to the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) website, where they can search for veterinarians by specialty and location.
All referring veterinarians to the OVC Avian and Exotics service will receive a letter in early 2022 notifying them of its closure.
How will patients’ medical record information be released to their new veterinarian(s)?
Upon client or veterinarian request, medical record information will be released to the veterinary care provider. For clients requesting a copy of their entire medical record a fee applies. Summary medical record information will be provided at no cost.
All requests are to be directed to Medical Records, 519-824-4120, extension 54140.
How/where will OVC DVM students learn about avian and exotic animals, and where can they pursue rotations in this specialty?
OVC student DVMs will continue to receive a well-rounded education in veterinary medicine across species throughout all four Phases of the program. Phase 4 students who wish to pursue a rotation in Avian and Exotics may identify external sites where this practice is done, and then submit those sites for approval as elective external rotations. We are working to generate a list of practices that may be potential hosts for these types of external rotations to assist Phase 4 students who would like to explore this option.
