Sustainable Practice Committee
Press Release – Sustainable Practice Committee
Melbourne – 12 July 2021— Dr Zoe Lenard was appointed as Chair of AVBC’s Sustainable Practice Committee by Council last week. Dr Lenard is a registered specialist in veterinary radiology and veterinary practice owner based in Perth, WA. She has served as President of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS) from 2018 – 2021. Given her background, Dr Lenard understands the importance of continuing professional development, standards for continuing registration, evidence-based regulation and free movement of veterinarians across the mutual recognition zones.
During her tenure as President of the ANZCVS, Dr Lenard has overseen a major restructure with the appointment of a CEO and the transition of the Board (Council) from operational to strategic. Under her leadership, the College was able to be agile through the disruption of Covid-19 and pivot to an online scientific series to replace the in-person Science Week, as well as run Fellowship exams remotely.
Dr Lenard well understands the concept of sustainable practice knowing that it needs to encompass and be relevant to the whole of the veterinary profession. Dr Lenard said, “After years of watching significant attrition across the profession, I am motivated to develop talented people and stop them leaving the profession due to burn out or stress.” She supports the development of better regulation of paraprofessionals to evolve the veterinary team, with a particular focus on nursing and higher-level nursing qualifications.
“AVBC is excited by Zoe’s appointment as Chair of the SPC. She has the tenacity and vision to tackle the wicked problems currently facing the veterinary profession. We look forward to seeing the tangible impact the SPC committee will have on how the veterinary team of the future looks, functions, and thrives,” said AVBC Chair Dr Peter Gibbs.
Building a healthy, sustainable veterinary profession
The SPC was created as part of AVBC’s commitment to supporting boards and working with the associations and educators to deliver a fit-for-purpose veterinary profession. It wants to see veterinarians sustaining continued growth and professional satisfaction throughout their careers. We hope by assisting veterinary professionals to thrive in their careers, it will enhance services provided by veterinarians to the public and build more public confidence.
The SPC will address critical areas of concern such as mental health of the veterinary team, utilisation of veterinary paraprofessionals, complaints handling and standardising regulations across jurisdictions. For regulators, sustainable practice is about preventing incidents requiring the board’s attention before they happen and having a viable, long-term workforce to service the community’s needs and maintain animal welfare standards.