Omaha, Nebraska – Beginning Tuesday, the VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, the only around-the-clock emergency animal clinic in the Omaha-Council Bluffs vicinity, will curtail its operational hours due to a widespread shortage of veterinarians.
Hospital manager Laura Bates attributes the reduction in hours to the nationwide scarcity of vets. This deficiency has left the center with just four of its original nine doctors since the onset of the pandemic.
Bates expressed her concern, saying, “We’re now facing the challenging task of balancing our staff’s workload with our community’s need for our services. It’s become apparent that we need to find a solution to bridge this gap.”
Henceforth, the VCA’s emergency walk-in hours will primarily be limited to overnight hours: from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. during weekdays, and from noon to 7 a.m. during weekends. These time slots were strategically chosen to ensure that pet owners have a place to turn to outside regular veterinary office hours.
Bates assured, “We’re available during those hours when other primary care or urgent care facilities are closed.”
When the VCA is unavailable, pet owners are recommended to seek services from their primary care veterinarian or Urgent Pet Care in Papillion or West Omaha.
Despite Urgent Pet Care being a competitor to the VCA, its practice administrator, Debbie Newhouse, asserts, “We’re all here for the same purpose – to serve the pets.”
However, Urgent Pet Care has also begun to experience the repercussions of the veterinarian shortage as they see an increase in clientele. “Triage is now more important than ever,” noted Dr. Scott Yonker, co-owner and veterinarian of Urgent Pet Care.
Yonker shared the VCA’s triage chart, explaining that the most critical cases receive attention first. This includes life-threatening situations tagged as “Priority 1,” such as poisoning, heat stroke, bloating, and urinary issues. Other less urgent conditions fall under “Priority 2” and “Priority 3”, with varying degrees of wait time.
Due to the current situation, non-life-threatening cases at both facilities may experience wait times between four to six hours. The professionals advised pet owners to call ahead to assess the situation, establish a primary care vet as soon as possible, and schedule regular preventive care visits.
Bates expressed hope that the staffing shortage at the VCA will be resolved within six to ten months, allowing them to return to their 24-hour schedule.
