11/25/2021
Hi all,
I need to share some news and changes that we have been forced to make. None of which will make anyone happy.
Dr. Schuster has left our practice for a position out west. She may return in the summer, but for the time being we are down to two doctors.
This means that I will be rotating my Mondays between Rice Lake and Chetek, the hospital I am not at will not have a veterinarian, but will be open to pick up medications and perform nail trims, etc.
To mitigate the lost doctor time, we have shortened our lunch breaks to add a few more appointments during the day. Despite doing this, there is still going to be far more demand for services then we can keep up with.
In the last few months FIVE veterinarians have left or retired from Barron County. Their patients still require care, and we (all remaining veterinarians in the county), are doing what we can to accommodate them. Unfortunately, this means that critical cases are prioritized over minor problems like limping and kennel cough.
I am working tirelessly to bring in new veterinarians, but the task has proved daunting as no one has applied, no matter what benefits have been offered. The feedback I am getting is that no one is willing to be on call.
Because of this I am no longer requiring my veterinarians to be on call. I still will be, but obviously I cannot work 6 days a week, and then be on call every night of the year.
So effective immediately I will be on call from 5:30pm-9:00pm and weekends/Holidays from 8am-9:00pm. There will be times when I simply will not be available (my kid has a birthday party, I have a doctor’s appointment, etc).
Fortunately, the Eau Claire area has an emergency hospital, Allied Emergency Veterinary Services 715-529-5900 (please keep this number on hand). If you need immediate service, this is the number to call.
If you have a less critical question, and can tolerate being on-hold, then call 715-419-6285 to speak with our afterhours triage service.
After 9:00pm the triage service is still available and can help answer some questions, but they will not contact me. If they feel your case is critical, they will recommend you contact Allied Emergency Services in Eau Claire 715-529-5900.
Finally, I once again must stress, abusive language and rude behavior towards my staff will never be tolerated. Yelling, screaming and cursing will not get your pet help any faster, but it will lead to us no longer seeing them.
Kamran Khan, DVM