Thank you!
We have a rough budget, and if you'd like to email me directly (kgerbig@humanerescuealliance.org), I should be able to provide a rough budget on what it looked like to get us up and running the first year.
To get this program up and running, I spent the first several months creating an inventory and figuring out a software that worked for us to track cost/patient.
I also wrote out specific instructions for how we were to receive calls and what our Dispatch team should share with community members - it was important for us to set clear expectations with community members about when they should expect a call from our team and what services we could provide. We rely on google spreadsheets to track this information.
And the last big part of getting this all together was a scheduling software. We use Acuity.com, but again, this platform may not work for everyone or be everyone's preference.
Our program is fluid and we change things a lot depending on needs. For instance, I stocked a lot of heartworm prevention when we first started, because I truly thought I would be testing every dog we came across for heartworm disease. And while this is important, it wasn't what our community members necessarily asked for at their first visit. So I would recommend staying flexible and listening/learning from interactions with folks to figure out what is needed or wanted. This was especially important at the beginning of the program when we were "introducing ourselves" to the community!
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Kelsey Gerbig
Veterinarian
Humane Rescue Alliance
VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-13-2024 10:18 AM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Community Conversations - 2/12/24 - Small Team, Big Impact
This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
Unanswered question from the chat:
"If there's a budget range for this and a number of animals/clients served number, that could help us all understand scope for getting something like this up and running. Same goes for if you have specific SOPs or outpatient directions that you'd recommend having ready before launching. Great program!! Thank you for all you do!!" - Alexis Pagoulatos
Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2024 11:14 AM
From: Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Subject: Community Conversations - 2/12/24 - Small Team, Big Impact
Updated 2/12 at 2:12pm PT - Recording now available to watch on-demand!
We hope to see you on the next Community Conversations call on Monday, 2/12/24 at 11am PT.
The team may be small, but it is mighty! Join us for a conversation with Dr. @Kelsey Gerbig, Field Services Veterinarian at Humane Rescue Alliance and community member Denita Brown as they discuss the creation of the Field Veterinary Program and its impact in Washington, DC. This program is unique, integrating access to veterinary care into Humane Rescue Alliance's field services department (the branch that houses humane law enforcement and animal control). This innovative approach of collaborating with animal control and humane law enforcement officers to reach community members and reduce unnecessary animal surrenders has shown great success in its first year. We will discuss the importance of reducing barriers to care, the challenges the team has faced, and the impact we have made so far.
Register here for our Weekly Community Conversations Calls taking place on Mondays at 11am PT: maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration. There is no call on Monday, Feb 19th in observance of the President's Day holiday.
#AccesstoCare
#CaseManagement*
#CommunityPartnerships*
#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*
#Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization
#PetSupportServices*
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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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