August 14, 2024
Last month, volunteers from VeTouch (Veterinary Treatment Outreach for Urban Community Health) and the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic (PNC) jointly provided care to both animal and human patients in the same clinical setting. This collaboration was a precursor to an upcoming pilot program that aims to create a model to train future health professionals to address complex challenges for people and their companion animals.
“Caring for pets is caring for people. When pet owners experience barriers to their own medical care, food security, housing, or social supports, their companion animals’ health and welfare may also suffer. Our hope is to provide pets with reliable and excellent care while providing our clients with compassionate, relationship-centered customer service that meets their unique needs," said Lauren Bernstein, MVB, MPH, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and VeTouch preceptor.
Both VeTouch and the PNC are student-run free clinics that care for underserved communities across the Twin Cities. VeTouch regularly hosts clinics for pets of people with low or no income or who are unhoused, while the interprofessional PNC provides health services for people from a diverse array of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
During the shared VeTouch and PNC clinic, veterinary volunteers examined 24 dog and cat patients, while the PNC volunteers cared for six people, including one whose very high glucose level suggested a new diagnosis of diabetes.
“This partnership between the PNC and VeTouch is an opportunity to address critical gaps in both human and animal health,” said PNC Medical Director Brian Sick, MD. “It also represents a significant advancement in bringing interprofessional care to the whole family, encompassing the wellbeing of both humans and their pets, and fostering a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to community health.”
"I have been involved in community medicine my entire veterinary career and have been impacted by listening to the community's lack of medical care not just for their pets but for themselves," said Shanan Hamilton, a VeTouch volunteer and student in the College of Veterinary Medicine. "It was wonderful seeing members take advantage of our medical care team, and I know many of them left knowing their pets and themselves are cared for."
According to VeTouch Preceptor Whitney Waldsmith, DVM, DACVPM, providing students an opportunity to work collaboratively with other health professionals helps them understand the systems in which people and their animals live.
“Our goal is for students to be able to think empathetically when making medical plans, and understand resources that are available to them and their patients," said Waldsmith, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Pharmacy student and PNC volunteer Linh Tran says she volunteered at the clinic because she wanted to have some experience with pet care and build connections with other health care professionals.
“What I learned is that there are some similarities of medication between humans and animals,” said Tran. “I appreciate that we have the opportunity to take care of both the animals and the owners in this shared clinic.”
The unique opportunity to serve both human patients and their pets was also a draw for medical student and PNC volunteer Stephen Martin.
Veterinary medicine student Sara Kelly became interested in OneHealth through her mom, who is a human health care professional.
"Since I began vet school, my mom and I have spent hours comparing and contrasting the human and animal medical fields," said Kelly. "Additionally, I became involved in VeTouch early in vet school and love their mission. It is so fun and rewarding to be able to connect with these clients and pets who live right in our local community. Helping to coordinate a partnership between PNC and VeTouch allows me to both give back to the local community and explore the intersection of human and pet health, since humans and their pets often experience similar health struggles."