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The MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter Merge
Joining Forces to Help Homeless Animals

Neal Litvack, MSPCA-Angell President

In 2020, the Shapiro family, founders of Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS), decided to search for a partner to operate the Shelter. The Shelter’s Board of Directors contacted the MSPCA-Angell, and in January 2021, the MSPCA-Angell took on the management of NEAS. We would work together and use our complementary strengths to help even more animals, locally and nationally.

NEAS transports more homeless animals from out of state than any other Massachusetts animal shelter. Half of their Salem, MA, building is dedicated to quarantine space. This available quarantine space makes adoption in the state possible for homeless animals arriving from out of state (given that the State of Massachusetts requires that all dogs and cats entering the state be quarantined for at least 48 hours). Only about a dozen animals can be quarantined at the MSPCA-Angell’s four large adoption centers, but NEAS alone has a quarantine capacity for 150 animals. No other shelter in the state can quarantine that many animals simultaneously.

NEAS and many South and Midwest animal shelters have excellent long-standing transport relationships. Currently, several out-of-state shelters are overwhelmed with homeless animals and lack the resources to handle them because of funding and staffing shortages. By combining NEAS’s robust relocation abilities with the adoption expertise of the MSPCA-Angell, we can help more communities struggling with pet overpopulation — and help them faster.

The merger with NEAS also expands the MSPCA-Angell’s footprint on the North Shore of Massachusetts. By working together, we can make veterinary care affordable and accessible to underserved communities in the area. Angell’s medical practice also has the potential to expand in the future. Currently, NEAS provides spay/neuter services and vaccinations in their clinic, but the number they can do is limited. We’re hoping that one day we can have a low-cost, fully-equipped clinic available in Salem to assist people looking for subsidized medical care for their pets.

We are grateful for the impact our Angell alums continue to have on providing quality veterinary medicine across the country. This merger, which went into effect on January 1, 2023, is another way we can help animals in areas of need. The MSPCA-Angell and NEAS have had a long-term collaborative relationship devoted to animal protection. And now, we can help even more animals and community members thanks to our robust shared resources. Together we are stronger than we are apart — and the animals we serve are the beneficiaries.

Technology and Staffing Advances in the Past Year

Ann Marie Greenleaf, DVM, DACVECC-SA
Chief of Staff, Angell Animal Medical Center

COVID-19 and its aftermath have permanently changed how veterinary hospitals operate, including at the MSPCA-Angell. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a high turnover rate among veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and support staff, increasing overall stress and anxiety, but we’ve learned from these pain points. As a result, we embraced new technology to improve efficiency and time management and took a new approach to staff recruitment and retention. Fortunately, these efforts have begun to strengthen our staffing situation.

The following is an overview of a few significant technology and staffing initiatives we launched in the past year.

Vocera: A Care Team Communication Platform

For years, Angell staff relied on pagers to communicate with each other throughout the hospital. The drawback? Upon receiving a notification, doctors would have to pause what they were doing and listen to the message before returning the call (or making a note to call back later).

With Vocera, staff can receive messages seamlessly from anywhere throughout the hospital while working. The communication device is worn around the neck like a badge. Using voice commands, Vocera instantly connects staff with each other, reducing phone tag, paging, and physically searching for a person.

In addition, Vocera lets staff make and receive calls without interrupting what they’re doing. For example, when a call says, “This is a message from Dr. Michaels to Dr. Greenleaf,” I can take the call or ignore it — and if I don’t take the call, then the caller can leave a message. However, if there’s an emergency and Dr. Michaels needs to connect with me immediately, she can break through with the urgent call feature.

Vocera also has the option to call an entire department or group. If a staff member needs to speak to an ECC doctor — the first available one — they can contact the ECC department, asking for assistance.

This technology has dramatically streamlined staff communication, reduced stress, optimized workflow, and ultimately improved patient and client care.

Read More

The Value of Mentorship in Veterinary Medicine

Douglas Brum, DVM (Intern Class of ʼ86)
Joel Kaye, DVM (Intern Class of ’91)
Angell Alumni Co-Directors

Interns and residents benefit from mentorship not only because they gain hands-on skills but also because they work alongside experienced vets. The presence of a senior doctor providing mentorship can help them gain confidence as they transition into veterinary practice. The high-stress levels experienced by veterinarians (especially after the past three years of COVID-19) make mentorship even more critical here at Angell today to promote a veterinarian’s health.

New graduates often enter the profession with little practical knowledge since veterinary school focuses primarily on didactic aspects of the profession and its practicalities. The Angell Internship and Residency Programs are mentorship programs at their core. The programs are incredibly rigorous, but they prepare these young doctors to handle any situation and gain tremendous practical experience and training. As a result, the interns and residents become better veterinarians in the long run. By the time they leave Angell, they have seen and dealt with everything.

Angell matches interns and residents with senior staff doctors in an area of their interest. The mentor is there to guide the intern toward their chosen goal and, more importantly, emotionally support the new clinician through the internship.

Angell’s Internship and Residency Programs are constantly evolving. When we interned 30+ years ago, we shouldn’t have been allowed to do what we did independently. Sometimes we would do a surgery for the first time in the middle of the night all by ourselves. However, that was the standard back then. In those days, a surgeon could only be called in for an emergency spinal surgery or occasionally as a backup. During his internship, Dr. Brum remembers doing four corneal lacerations — all at night. Even more impressive, Dr. Brum had an internmate who cut more than 20 gastric torsions during his one-year program.

Of course, those standards wouldn’t hold today. Over the years, as things have changed and advanced, the mentorship interns and residents receive has increased, giving them more support if needed. Each case seen — whether in or outpatient — is reviewed by multiple doctors in a group setting. Specifically, having even the outpatient cases reviewed by mentors ensures that all cases seen have been discussed with senior staff doctors. By doing this, the cases get the best care and the interns or residents gain exposure to complex cases and hear more opinions and ideas from more senior clinicians — and it’s much less likely something is missed or falls through the cracks.

There is much more didactic training as well. There are weekly lectures specifically for interns, weekly specific specialty rounds and journal clubs for every resident, and two weekly hospital lectures (given by all staff and many guest lecturers). Angell was always able to provide the practical experience of seeing many different kinds of cases but improving didactic training was a priority. It has changed dramatically.

Read More

Looking Back: An Intern Year in Review

Dilraj Goraya, DVM (Intern Class of ’23)

Being accepted into the Angell Animal Medical Center internship program was exciting and nervewracking. As a recently graduated veterinarian, I knew this internship would be a formidable challenge and an excellent opportunity to acquire valuable work experience. The prospect of collaborating with such an accomplished and esteemed team of veterinary experts was indeed thrilling. At the same time, the imminent start of the internship also evoked excitement yet anxiety. The rigorous nature of the program and the demanding expectations prompted doubts regarding my readiness to tackle the arduous trials that lay ahead. Would I be able to endure long hours, challenging cases, and emotional strain? As it turns out, I was not the only intern grappling with apprehensions. The camaraderie that developed between my fellow interns and me proved to be a salient factor in my internship experience. We drew on one another for support, encouragement, and comic relief throughout the program, and I remain deeply appreciative of the connections that blossomed between us and the collective knowledge we gained at Angell.

The life of a veterinary intern is not for the faint of heart. The protracted hours, the taxing cases, and the toll on one’s emotions can be particularly onerous for new graduates. Nevertheless, the support and mentorship of my fellow interns, staff doctors, and the Angell team enabled me to navigate these obstacles and emerge stronger. Despite the challenges, I was fortunate to encounter many rewarding experiences during my internship. Witnessing the exultation of owners as their beloved animals fully recovered was a gratifying and irreplaceable experience. Even in cases where we were not as successful, I felt a sense of pride in knowing that we had provided compassionate and effective care to the best of our abilities.

One of my most significant achievements during our internship was the quantity of knowledge and experience we accumulated. While the initial few months were challenging as we adjusted to the pace and demands of the job, we rapidly gained proficiency and flourished. We garnered exposure to diverse perspectives, and I am confident that these experiences will serve us well in our future veterinary careers. Reflecting on my internship experience, I am grateful for the opportunities and tribulations I encountered. Though our class faced numerous relentless moments throughout the program, I recognize that this experience will continue to transform us into ever-improving doctors.

Collaboration with a cohort of talented and driven interns was one of the most valuable aspects of my internship at Angell. From the beginning, I was struck by the exceptional level of mutual support fostered among us. As we embarked on the uphill journey of honing our craft, we relied upon each other for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration. Our bonds grew stronger with each passing day as we navigated the myriad of challenges that confronted us. Whether it was grappling with the complexities of a case, working through the wee hours of the morning, or simply lending a listening ear to a colleague in need, we were united in our commitment to helping each other. Through this collective effort, we forged a sense of community that transcended the confines of our internship and permeated our lives. Such bonds are essential to the very fabric of the veterinary profession as they foster a sense of community and support that is vital to our collective well-being, and they instill in us a deep sense of purpose and drive essential to our professional success. By cultivating a culture of collaboration and mutual support, we can ensure that we are well-equipped to meet the challenges that confront us and deliver the best possible care to our patients.

As I reflect on my experiences as an intern at Angell, I am struck by the profound impact this collaborative spirit has had on me as a veterinary professional and the knowledge I have gained. It has bolstered my confidence, imbued me with a sense of purpose, and instilled a deep appreciation for the value of teamwork in the medical field. As I embark on the next chapter of my career, I am confident that the bonds I have formed with my fellow interns and colleagues at Angell will continue to propel me forward, serving as a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. I believe that through these enduring connections formed at Angell, we will be able to achieve the greatest heights of success and fulfillment as veterinary professionals. In doing so, we can lay the foundation for a brighter, more prosperous future for the veterinary profession and the animals we serve.

2023 Graduation
Memorable Photos
Angell Intern Class of 2014 – Where are they now?
Future Plans: Class of 2023
Incoming Interns, Specialty Interns, and Residents