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Importance to Elanco and our Stakeholders

Many Elanco employees interact with veterinary clinics where they witness the emotional demands of the profession. Animal care providers can struggle with compassion fatigue and mental health issues, among other challenges. Compassion fatigue is when health professionals regularly exposed to traumatic events develop traumatic stress, cumulative burnout, exhaustion and a depleted ability to cope. These individuals are highly trained to give care, but it is also important that we show care for them. In a meta-analysis of veterinarian mental health studies, 14 of the 15 studies reported a higher risk of suicide than in comparison groups.

One of the tenets of Elanco’s veterinary advocacy effort is that assisting in self-care is an ethical imperative. If animal caregivers fail to take care of themselves, they potentially endanger or lose the ability to care for the animals that depend on them.

Our Action

Better care for pets by caring for veterinarians

Many Elanco employees are veterinarians who have experienced the emotional demands of the profession. We seek to support our veterinary partners who may struggle with empathetic exhaustion or "the cost of caring” for their patients and clients.

We help train veterinarians on leading self-care practices, support them in combating the stressors of the profession and help them embrace the rewards inherent to the job. Elanco promotes well-being in the veterinary profession through:

• Betterinary Series: A series of talks approved for continuing education credits to provide personal and professional well-being education through which we promote better outcomes, outlooks and overall well-being for veterinary professionals. Workshops in the series cover topics including empathetic exhaustion, well-being, resilience, flourishing, mental health and suicide, burnout, culture, bereavement and communication. New topics and presentations are created as needs in the community are identified.
  • Since the creation of this initiative in 2020, more than 400 presentations have been delivered to veterinary professionals across the United States. In 2023, more than 150 veterinary professionals participated in wellness workshops across the continent. More workshops are planned for 2024 in Australia.
• Insights Discovery: A personality exploration workshop, used both internally and externally, that facilitates connection with colleagues and workplaces where innovation, creativity and productivity thrive. We also provide this training as part of the Power of 10 leadership initiative in collaboration with the Veterinary Medical Association of Executives (VMAE).
• Fear Free®: A third-party certification program that provides veterinary professionals with the knowledge to address fear, anxiety and stress in animals – to improve the experience of veterinary care for all involved. Many of our consulting veterinarians are certified and help train veterinary staff.
• Mental Health First Aid: Elanco's suite of products not only enhances animal health but also supports the professional efficiency of veterinarians through user-friendly applications, single-dose treatments where feasible, and educational value-added resources. A sample of our offerings include:
  • Claro® Otic Solution: A pioneering treatment for canine otitis externa, Claro® is the first FDA-approved, veterinarian-administered, single-dose treatment regimen for canine otitis externa. Just one dose per infected ear removes the uncertainty of client compliance. This approach ensures full compliance without the uncertainties associated with client application, negating the need for follow-up home care instructions.
  • Nocita® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) and Zorbium® (buprenorphine transdermal solution for cats): These long-acting analgesics minimize the frequency of veterinary visits and inpatient care, offering convenience to veterinarians by reducing the necessity for repeated dosing and mitigating the risk of opioid misuse by pet owners.
  • Elanco Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody: As the first and only USDA conditionally approved treatment for canine parvovirus, this monoclonal antibody delivers substantial efficacy in a single dose and is recognized for its high safety profile. It serves to reduce the intensive care requirements and emotional distress associated with managing parvovirus in puppies.
  • Elanco's My Pet Persona Online Tool: This innovative digital platform enables veterinarians to accurately assess an animal's risk for parasites, thereby facilitating the judicious prescription of parasiticides. This tool is designed to alleviate stress and conserve valuable time for veterinary professionals.
    
    Please note that the availability of these products may vary by global region.

Across the globe, we sponsor virtual mental health conferences, partner with counselors to offer free sessions, deliver well-being insights through podcasts and offer face-to-face mental health and well-being workshops delivered by our staff. Subjects in which our staff have certifications include: compassion fatigue, positive psychology, QPR Institute suicide-prevention training, the human-animal bond, mental health first aid and FRANK communication training.

External Affiliations and Collaborations

We collaborate with many academic institutions to lend expertise, help advance leading practice and support the next generation of veterinarians. Elanco is proud to be the sole sponsor of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Leadership Academy, which helps provide leadership development in academic veterinary medicine. This academy is designed for emerging leaders in academia, as a forum for building lasting ties between faculty members at veterinary schools and departments around the world. The forum contains more than 53 member institutions across North America and Europe, with 30 candidates in each class. Seven current veterinary medicine school deans are graduates of the AAVMC leadership academy.

Elanco developed the Power of 10 Leadership Initiative in partnership with the VMAE in 2012 to help recent veterinary graduates develop foundational skills in leadership, communication and business. Through these initiatives, Elanco helps equip leaders of veterinary institutions and associations with the necessary tools to address the challenges of the profession.

We also help increase access to graduate-level training for diverse student populations through Elanco R&D’s Animal Health Fellowship (part of the Elanco Scholars Program). We’re collaborating with Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to support a cohort of scholars. Our intent is for this fellowship to have the following impacts:

• Increase access to graduate-level training for diverse student populations
• Elevate Elanco R&D as an employer of choice for early career talent
• Support areas of research vital to our animal health solutions

Elanco is also a proud sponsor of many Veterinary Business Management Association student groups within veterinary schools.

_{Citation
Pohl, R., Botscharow, J., Böckelmann, I. et al. Stress and strain among veterinarians: a scoping review. Ir Vet J 75, 15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13620-022-00220-x}