Telemedicine and the future of animal sheltering - Ep 45

GUEST: Brandy Kuentzel is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the San Francisco SPCA. Prior to joining the San Francisco SPCA, Brandy worked as a corporate attorney and emerged as winner of the 10th season of NBC’s reality competition series “The Apprentice.” And she earned a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

MAIN QUESTIONS: What it is veterinary telemedicine and why should animal welfare groups have it on their radars?

TAKEAWAYS:

• Veterinary telemedicine is when a veterinarian interacts with a patient remotely rather than hands-on, such as through a video connection or talking with the owner by phone.
• Telemedicine can be an important part of community-based sheltering efforts that keep animals out of shelters and with their families by improving access to veterinary care.
• Many animals would benefit from telemedicine including those who get overly stressed going to the vet; those in rural areas who must travel long distances; and those whose people have limited mobility, transportation challenges, logistical difficulties with childcare or work schedules.
• Veterinary telemedicine is currently legal in only a few places, but a lawsuit currently going through the courts in California may set a national precedent.
• A common criticism is that animals cannot speak for themselves, but there is a double-standard with human telemedicine that allows doctors to interact remotely with parents of infants and non-verbal patients. Opposition to telemedicine often assumes that veterinarians are incapable of telling whether an animal needs to be seen in person or can safely be diagnosed remotely.
• Recent experiences with the pandemic have shown the benefits and successes of medical care accessed remotely.

LINKS:

• San Francisco SPCA 
• San Francisco SPCA's Shelter PALS program for policy and legal services 
• Leadership recommendation: Harvard Business Review article by Nancy Duarte titled “Good Leadership Is About Communicating Why"