The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month unveiled a partnership with Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) in Worcester, Mass., to open a low-cost primary care clinic for animals on the high school's campus this spring.
Cummings School Professor John Rush and Associate Professor Elizabeth Rozanski and both in the Department of Clinical Sciences, originally developed the core ideas for the initiative around four years ago, and Cummings School graduate and Staff Veterinarian Gregory Wolfus will serve as the supervisor for the clinic, according to Rush.
The clinic was created in part to offer more primary care experience to Cummings School students, according to Rozanski.
"We were interested in increasing our students' ability to learn how to deliver primary care to veterinary patients that they don't get exposed as much to in a teaching hospital — vaccines, ear infections, minor surgical procedures, stomach upsets — those sorts of things that they'll see a lot of once they finish veterinary school," Rozanski said.
The clinic was also developed to provide treatment for underserved animals in the Greater Worcester area that do not have access to treatment for diseases such as rabies and parvovirus, according to Rozanski.
Work has already begun on the clinic space, which will be located on the high school's campus.
Worcester is an ideal location for the clinic not only because of its proximity to the Cummings School, which is located in nearby Grafton, but also based on the substantial population of underserved animals in the area, according to Rush.
"The school has done some things in the past with the Worcester Housing Authority and found that the majority of the animals that are there are not getting regular veterinary care, often due to the cost of veterinary care," Rush said.
"We think there's a significant additional low-income population in the Worcester area whose needs are not being met right now because they can't afford it, so the animals are not getting care," he said.
Rush explained that, given the number of thriving veterinary clinics in the Worcester area, the new clinic will be committed to serving only those animals whose owners have genuine financial need.
The collaboration between the schools was initiated in part by the Cummings School's Shelter Medicine Program, launched in 2008, which provides outreach to local shelters and animal welfare organizations, particularly in Worcester, according to Cummings School Associate Director of Communications Tom Keppeler.
WTHS is also an ideal institute to partner with as the school offers a veterinary assistant program, according to Keppeler. The two institutions' shared local interests led to their cooperation, he said.
Although WTHS students learn veterinary assisting theory, they have not previously had access to live animals. Through the clinic, WTHS students will have the opportunity to communicate with clients in reception, speak with clients on the telephone, serve as cashiers for clients, help with general animal steadying and restraint for veterinary students and learn how to process laboratory materials, according to Wolfus.
"The majority of things that need to be accomplished in a small animal hospital, the high school students will be challenged and allowed to do — obviously senior students getting more exposure than junior and younger students," Wolfus said.
"We're hoping to have sort of a peer-mentor program amongst the high school students along with the other students that are going to be in the clinic," he added.
Cummings School students will gain experience in communication skills and decision making for finances and treatment approaches that would be useful at any veterinary clinic. Students will also learn how to conduct some of the more challenging conversations that come with being a veterinarian, according to Rush.
The clinic is scheduled to continue indefinitely. Its model is intended to serve as a standard that can be replicated and used by veterinary schools elsewhere, according to Keppeler.
Rush explained that between the roles of veterinarian and veterinary assistant, there is also the role of veterinary technician, which is taught at the undergraduate level.
Rush said that he hopes that the clinic will establish a relationship with Becker College in Worcester to provide training for their veterinary technician students in the future.
"I think that this is just a wonderful initiative for Tufts to take on and is a real testament to the university's commitment to active citizenship," Keppeler said.
"This is Tufts once again being a leader in the community and figuring out a way to deliver education in a way that incorporates mentorship, that incorporates non-traditional learning and provides a good to the community," he added. "In that sense, it is a win-win from every angle."
