Bringing relief veterinarians to the practice team

Why should relief veterinarians be considered part of a hospital’s team? Charlotte Weir, vice president of hospital success and industry relations at the Roo, a digital platform for relief veterinarians, shared her insights on how including these professionals in a practice’s culture leads to happier staff and more cohesive, stronger teams as well as improved patient care, in a dvm360 interview. Weir presented this topic and more during a continuing education session at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, that guided veterinary professionals in creating workplace environments that attract top relief talent, reduce burnout, and support long-term hospital success.

RELATED: Identifying the DNA of a practice

The following is a transcript of the video:

Charlotte Weir: Relief vets are so cool, right? They're chameleons. They're like the new kids on the block all the time. So they bring flexibility, they bring a fresh perspective, and of course, they bring support. They step in to help prevent burnout [and] maintain continuity of care. They [help keep the] practice running smoothly. They're not just coverage. They're an incredible asset to your team when they feel welcome and integrated.

So, it really starts with intentional communication. Share your clinic's workflow, share your culture, share your expectations upfront, early and clearly; introduce relief vets to the team and clients. I know at Roo, we really encourage hospitals to provide these details upfront and their shift postings, so relief vets can, like, step in with confidence and when they feel like included in your practice, DNA, everyone benefits, clients, staff, and then, of course, the patients. And that's like, Paramount, right? Number one, that's the goal. Can you imagine being the new kid on the block every day? Really hard, right? So I know here at my practice, we do sort of like the Kate three juice muffin and a flower for our relief veterinarian coming in. And that's, you know, that's our welcome gift. So we just want them to feel at home and welcome and part of the team coming through the door. It's super small gesture just to say like hey, we hear you, we see you, we welcome you. You're part of the team. Come on in.

For more coverage of the Fetch Kansas City conference, visit the dvm360 conference news page.