Relief staffing system expands its network-building feature

Serenity Vet, an operating system for veterinary relief staffing, has made its network-building feature accessible to relief veterinarians. Previously available to clinics, this feature allows veterinarians to invite practices they already work with and coordinate scheduling in 1 place.¹

Relief work is a viable career path for many veterinary practitioners. Over the course of a decade, ending in 2018, relief practice grew from approximately 1800 veterinarians to approximately 2300 veterinarians, numbers that track with the overall population of practicing veterinarians, which is also increasing. Independent relief workers must spend time securing their next placements and managing administrative tasks such as invoicing, in addition to practicing medicine.^2,3

The Serenity Vet system automatically handles invoicing and payments, and shifts within an existing network are not charged typical marketplace fees. The system’s expansion moves relief staffing away from one-off, transactional engagements toward a more structured, relationship-driven model that improves profitability for both parties, according to Serenity Vet.¹

“Most relief veterinarians already have practices they enjoy working with, but coordinating shifts often still means juggling messages, keeping track of multiple invoices, and, if they are hired through a marketplace, knowing the clinic is paying an extra fee on top of your rate,” Andrew Ciccolini, DVM, cofounder at Serenity Vet, said in a news release.¹ “Serenity Vet provides a central system to manage these relationships, creating room for better rates by removing middleman commissions, and simplifying [administrative] work for both sides.”

The platform operates without contracts or placement fees, giving veterinarians more flexibility and independence in how they structure their work, according to the company. For clinics, Serenity Vet offers a single operating system to manage all relief staffing workflows through 1 subscription. Together, these capabilities create a more connected and efficient ecosystem, enabling clinics and veterinarians to build long-term relationships and run a more predictable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial business.¹

According to Ciccolini, nurturing professional relationships between relief veterinarians and veterinary practices is not only good business but also good for well-being. “We’ve also seen in our burnout survey [that] veterinarians who work repeatedly with the same clinics tend to feel more financially stable and report lower levels of burnout,” he said.

Conversely, relief professionals can help alleviate burnout for permanent staff at a hospital or clinic, Michael Raphael, CEO for IndeVets, a veterinary relief service provider, said in a dvm360 interview.² “Oftentimes, this helps those clinics prevent burnout and grow their practices with our highly credentialed vets,” he said.

The launch of the Serenity Vet’s expanded system builds on a recent feature release that allows clinics to invite relief veterinarians to their networks on the platform. In addition to centralizing work with existing clinics, Serenity Vet offers support tools for the business side of relief work, which include income planning features to help forecast earnings, insights into local market rates, built-in negotiation tools, and opportunities to connect with new clinics.¹

References

1. Ciccolini A. Relief veterinarians can now centralize all existing clinic relationships and manage scheduling, shifts, and invoicing on Serenity Vet. News release. March 31, 2026. Accessed April 2, 2026. https://serenity.vet/blog/relief-veterinarians-can-now-centralize-all-existing-clinic-relationships-and-manage-scheduling-shifts-and-invoicing-on-serenity-vet/
2. Crossley KC. Relief practice allows veterinarians to thrive. dvm360. February 17, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/relief-practice-allows-veterinarians-to-thrive
3. Kogan LR, Rishniw M. Relief and mobile veterinary careers may offer a path towards improved quality of life. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2023;262(2):209-215. doi:10.2460/javma.23.07.0422