OkcPets Magazine November 2021

8 OKC Pets • November/December 2021 Veterinary Hope Foundation ‘Veterinarians see animals struggle every day, but what often goes unseen are the struggles veterinarians face.’ By Anna Holton-Dean V eterinarians are always there for us. Now, thanks to the Veterinary Hope Foundation, we as the pet commu- nity are there for them too. Veterinary Hope Foundation was founded in early 2021 by two veterinarians, Drs. Elizabeth Chosa and Blair McConnel, who saw the need. The reason veterinarians need us may surprise you — “surely, veterinarians have it good,” right? But what often goes unseen are the struggles they face. According to a CDC study, veterinarians in the United States are at an increased risk of suicide, a trend that has spanned more than three decades. More precisely, accord- ing to VHF, they are three times as likely to die from suicide due to emotional and financial stress. The new nonprofit foundation’s goal is to offer veterinarians something profound — hope. Its focus is on support, education and connection programs tailored specifically for the animal-care community. The foundation consists of a team of committed, caring professionals. Its board members and advisory panel are composed of respected veterinary health professionals representing a range of perspectives. According to its website, the foundation “will offer multiple interactive support groups for veterinarians, each one led by a mental health professional. Groups will focus on issues meaningful to practicing veterinarians, such as dealing with distraught clients, balancing family and work, handling grief and building emotional stamina.” Dr. Heather Owen, owner of Animal Acupuncture and Canine Sports Medicine Facility in Tulsa, recognized the crisis. She joined the foundation in May 2021 as the board secretary to help save her profes- sion. She further explains the mission and resources of the organization. “NOMV (Not One More Vet) was started, and they are there to help veter- inarians and their teams when a crisis is occurring, but no one has come forward to help prevent a crisis from occurring,” Owen says. “That is where our organization comes in. Veterinary Hope Foundation was started to help give veterinarians the tools they need to endure the daily demands of our profession. “By counseling veterinarians and working in support groups, we can teach them how to de-escalate angry clients, how to help counsel clients on financial requirements, how to help them cope with the emotions involved in not being able to save an animal because finances prevented it and how to cope with the natural loss of pets, as well as the unexpected loss of patients.”  While veterinarians have the highest rate of suicide of any profession, Owen says she believes they are losing even more to veteri- narians and vet techs walking away from the profession.