As part of the OVC integrated plan, the College is continuing to examine how to provide a quality clinical program and at the same time assure financial viability of the clinical program and college.
“Faculty and staff of the HSC have worked hard over the past few years to reduce the annual operating deficit, but expenses are still greater than the funding we receive from the province and from HSC revenue,” Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean, stated in a communiqué to the College community. “Discussions with the province have indicated that an increase to the provincial grant within the next several years is unlikely.”
To help identify and implement solutions to these complex problems, two outstanding individuals have agreed to conduct an external review of the OVC clinical program on Jan. 7 and Jan. 8. The reviewers are:
• Rustin Moore, BS, DVM, PhD, DACVS
Associate Dean for Clinical and Outreach Programs
Bud and Marilyn Jenne Professor at The Ohio State University
• Doug Freeman, BS, DVM, MS, PhD DACT
Dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
They will be asked with helping to answer the following questions:
1) How should our clinical program meet the requirements for teaching, research and healthcare delivery within a financially viable framework?
2) If it is not possible to meet these requirements in a financially viable framework, what are the alternative options for our clinical education program (e.g., outsourcing, distributed learning model, reduction of specialty services, etc.) in order to provide essential learning opportunities for student veterinarians and graduate students?
“We have been discussing this review in Dean’s Council, soliciting feedback from the Associate Deans and Chairs and have asked Chairs to have discussions with their faculty and HSC Management to have discussions with Veterinarians and staff about the information that should be provided to the reviewers before they come and what questions should be asked and answered while they are here.”