When Disaster Strikes, Who Rescues the Pets?
When disaster strikes, first responders rush to save human lives—but who is there for the animals? This week on Oh Behave, Arden Moore welcomes Dr. Leigh Mack, Executive Director of the First Responders Veterinary Network (FRVN), an ambitious new effort to bring trained veterinary professionals directly to emergency scenes involving pets and other animals. From dogs and cats injured in car accidents and pets trapped in house fires to overturned horse trailers and livestock emergencies, Dr. Mack explains how veterinarians could become integrated with local fire departments and 911 response systems, arriving on scene with the training, medical equipment and expertise needed to care for animal victims while human first responders concentrate on people and the emergency itself. Arden and Dr. Mack also discuss pet first aid, disaster response, the growing role pets play as members of our families, and the nationwide challenge of building a veterinary emergency-response network. It's a fascinating look at a new kind of first responder—and the four-legged lives they hope to save.
Listen to Episode #578 Now:
BIO:
Founder of First Responders’ Veterinary Network (FRVN) is a nonprofit organization that provides veterinary support to first responders during emergencies involving animals. Its trained volunteer veterinarians assist fire, EMS, law enforcement, and emergency management teams with animal rescue, stabilization, and incident response. FRVN helps improve responder safety, streamline operations, and ensure animals receive appropriate care during disasters and emergency situations. Through partnerships with local agencies, the organization is building a nationwide network of veterinary professionals integrated into emergency response systems.
Automation Expertise in Healthcare
With extensive experience in AI architecture, robotic process automation (RPA), and ML/AI automation, I have made significant contributions to the US healthcare system and clinical research industries. My expertise lies in designing cutting-edge LLM/AI-based systems for commercial payor reimbursements, inpatient determination, and chronic care management.
Previously, I have developed an innovative RPA system for patient status determination and identifying potential clinical research participants. Additionally, I have worked extensively with automated task mining identification, enabling clients to automate human processes, resulting in up to 400% faster processing times with higher accuracy.
Ecosystem of Processes for Exceptional Efficiency
My deep understanding of healthcare systems, EHR companies, pharmaceutical companies, CROs, site networks, and other software systems has allowed me to create "ecosystems of processes" that enable clients to realize exceptional time savings. These ecosystems not only reduce overhead but also increase quality, making them invaluable assets in the healthcare industry.
Certified Principal Investigator
Complementing my technical expertise, I have been a Certified Principal Investigator (ACRP) since 2016, demonstrating my commitment to excellence in clinical research and patient care.
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