DR. JOYCE GIFFORD, founder and medical director of Abbott Valley Veterinary Center in Cumberland, was recently appointed the new president of the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association. The association is a 250-member nonprofit dedicated to promoting animal welfare, veterinary medicine and public health. Gifford succeeds Dr. Shelly Pancoast, who completed her term at the end of 2023. Gifford served on the association’s board of directors in 1999 and has been a member since 2021. In 2006, Gifford received the Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
What are your plans for the association? The Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association has an ambitious agenda for 2024. We currently are monitoring several pieces of proposed legislation that could impact the profession, as well as animal welfare in our state, including suggested edits to the act governing the practice of veterinary medicine. We’re also working to support veterinary hospitals across the state as they grapple with workforce shortages and seek to ensure the well-being of their team members. And RIVMA’s charitable arm, the Companion Animal Foundation, is always active in helping to provide financial assistance to pet owners to make sure every Rhode Islander in need can access veterinary care for their pet.
What would you say is the biggest need/challenge currently facing the veterinary sector today, and what needs to be done to correct that? Like many sectors, veterinary medicine is struggling right now with staffing, both [in terms] of veterinarians and of veterinary technicians. In response, veterinary hospitals in Rhode Island are cross-training staff and collaborating with specialists where possible and we need more of that. Nationally, several new veterinary schools are opening and beginning to educate and train veterinarians.
What is hampering the community’s access to veterinary services? As is well known, the pandemic saw a spike in pet ownership. This, coupled with workforce issues, has made access to veterinary care slightly more constrained. We believe that we have made important progress meeting demand, and we are hopeful that the financial assistance available to pet owners through our Companion Animal Foundation is also helping with access to care.
What, if any, new initiatives will be developed by the veterinary medical association to further support the sector? Considering the significant impact the workforce shortage has had on our industry, RIVMA is focusing on new ways of collaborating with the Rhode Island Veterinary Technician Association. Together, we want to explore new means of certifying and licensing technicians here in the Ocean State.
