Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Davis.
Adam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After nearly a decade spent working as a graphic designer in Hollywood, a newfound love for animal rescue led me back to school in pursuit of a new career. Since graduating from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2016, I have practiced as a small animal veterinarian, providing care to hundreds of pet owners and their loved ones in Los Angeles. I credit much of my success as an animal doctor to the strength and clarity of my North Stars. In my personal life, that compass is directed by my love for my three years old daughter, Sage. And in my professional life, I am guided by the respect I have for the human-animal bond, which I hold as sacred. After all, what else could stop complete strangers on the street and lead to joyful exchanges and new friendships but the smile on the face of a young child or the wagging tail of a puppy? The human-animal bond remains strong and continues to transcend all differences that too often divide us.
That is not to say that the field of veterinary medicine is without challenges. An awareness that grew within me each passing year of practice and, like many other challenges, reached new heights during the COVID pandemic. Veterinary medicine is in dire need of some soul-searching and has been for some time. Animal doctors are more than twice as likely to commit suicide than the general population. Veterinary nurses are burned out and underpaid. Turnover rate at hospitals for doctors and their support staff is alarming for those that appreciate continuity of care from their healthcare providers. Corporate consolidation is rampant, with large corporations owning a larger % of veterinary practices each year and 50% of all revenue from U.S. veterinary hospitals being controlled by consolidators, making options for care fewer and fewer for pet owners. Just last week I was presented with a Maltese in respiratory distress by a distraught owner. My calls to a nearby emergency animal hospital went to voicemail.
The clients that I had been speaking with each day perpetually expressed their frustrations with this seemingly broken system. These were hardly new concerns, but the pandemic certainly exacerbated these challenges even further. For me, it cast an even brighter light on our field’s shadow. And I will dedicate the rest of my career to seeking solutions and ideas that can help benefit all sides of the veterinary medicine transaction – the doctors, the support staff, the clients and their beloved pets. One idea that I feel could be a potential solution for many of these challenges is a return to the roots of medicine in which practitioners visit with patients within the comforts of their homes. I began working on a business plan for a multi-doctor house call veterinary operation. Like many other plans, this would soon wind up buried beneath the diaper bin of my newborn daughter. However, a tragedy involving a colleague would later catalyze this vision becoming a reality.
Through the waning months of 2021, a veterinarian named Steven Wienberg was dealing with the immense challenge of running his highly successful mobile veterinary practice while trying to overcome a growing cancer in his pancreas. I was working at a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ practice as an associate. A long-time colleague reached out to me about filling a few relief shifts for Dr. Weinberg’s business. I was eager to find out firsthand how the ideas I had conceptualized might actually play out on the road. I worked three shifts for the company – and loved it. I’d find myself sitting in the client’s home and listening to their concerns for an hour or more. I could take my time in explaining my clinical findings and break down the steps we could take to elucidate what was going on with their pet and use this information to develop a treatment plan. I did not feel pressured to sell services or tests that may not be necessary to further this pursuit. This was clearly the next step towards offering the type of relationship-driven care that I had always embraced and had built a loyal following of clients upon.
The animals I visited were comfortable and much less anxious and fearful. The response from their owners was one of gratitude. Most had never fathomed that such a service could exist, especially after years of curbside care in a crowded parking lot. For me, it really felt like a game-changer. Soon after these shifts, I entered into discussions with the company about becoming a partner and full-time member of their team. Unfortunately, Dr Steve succumbed to his cancer before the partnership opportunity became official.. I wound up purchasing the company in March, two years into the pandemic and our new way of living. I felt free.
We now have two offices which we call hubs, five trucks, a full surgery and dental suite, and a highly-skilled team of doctors, technicians and dispatchers working together to provide veterinary services throughout Los Angeles. Dr. Steve had a very large footprint, seeing patients from the San Fernando Valley down to Long Beach and beyond. We hope to hire two more doctors before the end of this year. Each doctor serves a smaller, consolidated territory, reducing drive times and, therefore, increasing efficiency. We work for ourselves and for our clients and patients. I fully believe that doctors should have ample autonomy to practice how they feel comfortable and most energized. And I believe we will succeed and carry Dr. Weinberg’s legacy forward.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely, no shortage of obstacles and speed bumps when one inherits an existing company, but we have a great team and tackle each one as they present themselves and have made incredible progress in our first year. One of our biggest challenges has been finding other veterinarians to work alongside myself. The rising number of pets along with other variables has strained an industry already pressured by a lingering and intensifying shortage of veterinarians. A recent study estimated that the nation will be 15,000 veterinarians short of demand by 2030 if pet ownership continues to grow at its current rate and vet schools aren’t able to pump out enough graduates to meet growing demand. Even more troubling, research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that one out of six veterinarians has considered suicide. One study found that male vets were 1.6 times more likely to die of suicide than the general population, while female vets were 3.4 times more likely.
One of my many goals is to simply make working in this field enjoyable again. I truly believe we can offer a different approach that enhances one’s quality of life and alleviates the stress, anxiety and compassion fatigue that veterinary professionals too often speak of. At the same time, it is difficult to compete with large corporations offering signing bonuses and higher salaries to entice prospective employees. I am also very selective about who we employ. After all, if we hire doctors that do not share my desire for strong communication and relationship-driven care, I will only wind up with a growing client base with “Only wants to be seen by Dr. Davis” written into their records. So yeah, the veterinarian and technician shortages have put more of the heavy lifting on my own back, but I am patient and optimistic that we will add to our team in time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about PriVET Pet Care?
House call veterinary services are becoming increasingly popular, offering a convenient and comfortable alternative to traditional veterinary care. At PriVET Pet Care, we are passionate about providing the highest quality of comprehensive veterinary services in a humble, kind, and professional manner. Guided by our founding values of strong communication and relationship-driven medical care, we are charged with making the task of providing veterinary services and protecting the human-animal bond more enjoyable for all sides of the transaction. With multiple doctors on staff, a comprehensive list of services, and state-of-the-art equipment, our mobile veterinary hospital is unlike any other in California.
What’s next?
Primary goal for now remains organically growing the business by finding additional, like-minded veterinarians to help bring our services to even more clients throughout the city of Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: privetpetcare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/privetpetcare
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/privetpetcare
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/privetpetcare-home-pet-medical
