Fostering a culture of best medicine is a key area of focus for NVA Compassion-First. Part of that mission is continuing to provide career paths and opportunities for medical leaders to develop their skills and enter new professional arenas.
We’re proud to announce the expansion of our clinical leadership team. Joining Clinical Advisor Dr. Stacy Burdick are two new medical leaders: Dr. Matt Booth and Dr. Brooke Fowler.
Matt Booth, DVM, DABVP (canine and feline): ER Practice Development Lead
Most veterinarians who choose emergency medicine don’t stay more than a few years. According to Dr. Booth, one of the main reasons is the lack of long-term professional identity, value and esteem. Emergency practitioners work a demanding schedule and face unique challenges, contributing to a diminished work-life balance compared to other veterinary professionals. Dr. Booth hopes to change this in his new role as ER Practice Development Lead for NVA Compassion-First.
He believes veterinarians can happily serve as career-long emergency practitioners with the right systems. In his new role, Dr. Booth will share the incentives – far beyond pay and benefits – of becoming an emergency practitioner and help create support systems in the form of mentors and clear paths to mastery for those looking to dedicate their careers to the profession. “I want to build positive relationships and provide a clear path for emergency veterinarians to thrive in their career,” he said.
He plans to go into our hospitals and fill in where emergency help is needed. While at the hospitals, he’ll offer consultative support to the hospital to ensure their ER departments thrive, and also bring awareness to ER Immerse, our mentorship program that provides career pathing for emergency medicine. The ER Immerse program provides three training tracks to meet each doctor’s individual needs.
Developing our ER Immerse program is critical in retaining, attracting and developing our talent.
Dr. Booth will develop and support the program’s didactics, assist in creating quarterly continuing education events for the ABVP track, and mentor ABVP mentees. He’ll also serve as our Specialty Advisory Board’s ABVP Representative.
Eventually, he hopes to partner with our GP facilities as well as our Canadian and Australian hospitals to promote the well-being and retention of all ER veterinarians.
And while recruitment is essential, his main focus will be on retention. By focusing on retention, we’re honoring loyalty, he said.
“If done properly, emergency medicine is the most fun and rewarding profession. Practicing all disciplines at a high level and fast pace is part of the love for emergency practice,” he said.
Dr. Burdick is incredibly excited about this new role.
“In our current environment, focusing on our ER veterinarians is vital to the health of our practices,” she said. “Dr. Booth’s experience, passion and excitement make him the perfect role model and leader to drive these important initiatives forward. I cannot wait to see what he is able to accomplish!”
Although his new role is a part-time gig, Dr. Booth has stepped down from his position at Colorado Animal Specialty & Emergency in Boulder. He will remain in Colorado, where he lives with his spouse, two children, and cat, Bob.
Brooke Fowler, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology): Clinical Trials Coordinator
After obtaining a degree in veterinary medicine, completing her internship and residency, and working as a specialist in oncology, Dr. Fowler, is passionate about promoting clinical trials and their importance in advancing medicine, something she’s excited to share in her new role as Clinical Trials Coordinator.
“I want us to be doing things that no one else is doing. I want us to be the best,” she said. “In doing that, we’ll increase job satisfaction, set the standard of care, and attract new talent.”
Dr. Fowler will help promote and organize clinical trials, continuously positioning NVA Compassion-First as an industry leader. She’ll support the hospitals’ house officers with study design and manuscript preparation, and she will help enhance veterinary medicine by:
“If we want to be a leader in veterinary medicine, we can’t be content on following. We need to lead in innovation,” Dr. Fowler said. “I’m excited about this new challenge. I look forward to building out the role and watching it come to fruition.”
Dr. Burdick said increasing clinical trials within NVA Compassion-First will promote the most innovative medical options for our patients and their families, enhance the professional satisfaction of our clinicians looking to practice with a group that prioritizes cutting-edge medicine, and it will help us solidify industry partnerships.
The role is a part-time position, so Dr. Fowler will continue to work three days a week at Colorado Animal Specialty & Emergency in Boulder, where she lives with her three daughters. She will also serve as our Specialty Advisory Board’s Clinical Trials Committee chairwoman.
