Welcome to the Spring edition of PetSure Press!
Dear Colleagues,
I’m pleased to share with you the 2022 Pet Health Monitor Report, an overview of insights collated from PetSure 2021 claims data. The report unearths insights and key trends about pet health and ownership across the country, including information on illnesses affecting Australia’s insured dogs and cats, plus fun facts like top 10 breeds and pet names.
In the community, PetSure’s philanthropic arm, For a Life With Pets, has made some incredible donations to charities doing meaningful work. Read more about it below.
This is my last edition of PetSure Press, as I am leaving PetSure to focus on expanding my clinical practice. This is a bittersweet moment as I’ve loved my time with PetSure and I’m proud to have been part of a company that is so passionate about pets and their people. I‘ll continue to support PetSure initiatives and their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of pets, vets, and pet parents.
Best,
Dr Dani Hoolahan
Incredible Charities Acknowledged with Acts of Kindness
Nominations came in thick and fast for our “Acts of Kindness” initiative, and it was both exciting and difficult to choose just two charities for a donation of $7,500 each. After much deliberation, two charities were selected:
Smart Pups, based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, provide assistance dogs to children with special needs.
Perth Rescue Angels changes the lives of homeless, neglected, surrendered and abused animals through foster care and adoption.
Know a wonderful charity who could benefit from a $7,500 donation? This campaign runs quarterly, so follow PetSure on Facebook and Instagram to keep an eye out for the next round of nominations which will be announced soon.
Veterinary Care for Remote Communities in the Northern Territory
The Canberra Mob – Indigenous Dog Health are a group of volunteer veterinarians, veterinary nurses and supporters who provide a dog health program to Utopia – a remote community about 300km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Every six months, the team heads to Utopia to provide veterinary care for the dogs living in these communities which includes de-sexing, parasite control, vaccinations and other healthcare treatments.
PetSure, through its ‘For A Life with Pets’ initiative recently donated $16,500 to this incredible cause to support the group in providing critical healthcare to dogs in the community. We’ll share updates with you when the Canberra Mob (Indigenous Dog Health team) makes their next journey to Utopia.
GapOnly® update
Dr Maria Neale joins the GapOnly® team
We recently welcomed Dr Maria Neale as General Manager of GapOnly®. Maria brings over 20 years experience as a vet, having worked in a small animal practice before moving to Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis).
Maria is excited to be working with GapOnly®, we continue to grow and improve our unique pet insurance claims service, and giving back to the community by investing in initiatives like GoWell™ to support the mental health and wellbeing of vets and professionals in the industry.
As of 16 November 2022, GapOnly® has now given $62,704 to GoWell™ and we’re excited to announce the first cause that GoWell™ will be supporting early in 2023.
Meeting the Next Generation of the Veterinary Industry
Our Provider Management Team have been busy meeting young vet and vet nursing students from around the country, including students from Melbourne, Townsville, Gatton, and Western Australia.
It’s exciting to meet so many enthusiastic future veterinary industry professionals who are truly passionate about improving the healthcare outcomes for pets and their families. It’s safe to say that the future is looking bright for this industry and the animals they will care for.
If you would like us to visit your campus to talk about the pet insurance industry as well as introduce PetSure and GapOnly®, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Provider Management.
Our growing PetSure Advisory Committee Grows
Establishing a committee of experienced veterinary industry professionals is key to understanding the dynamic needs of the veterinary industry and to respond accordingly.
We have previously introduced Committee members Dr Adrian Simon, Dr Michael Archinal, Nurse April Hedges, Dr Mark Booth, and Dr Simone Maher. This quarter, we introduce Dr Oliver Conradi and Nurse Cathy McAdie.
Dr Oliver Conradi:
Prior to joining PetSure, Dr Oliver Conradi worked as a small animal veterinarian in Sydney. He undertook his veterinary training at the University of Sydney. Feline medicine and infectious diseases are areas of veterinary medicine he finds fascinating. Dr Oliver’s interest led to research into novel feline herpesviruses and FIV, and he contributed to research published in the journal Virology. He enjoys all aspects of being a vet, but particularly acting as a steward for the health and welfare of all animals.
Oliver is PetSure’s Customer Relations Manager and brings extensive knowledge of pet insurance from his industry experience. Using his veterinary expertisee,he leads a team responsible for supporting vulnerable customers, managing complex claims and disputes and contributing to enhancing PetSure’s products and services. Working in clinical practice and seeing first-hand the significant benefits offered by pet insurance for animal welfare, pet owners and vets, he was drawn to the opportunity to work at PetSure.
Oliver and his wife Anh are proud pet parents to Jack, a very loved and spoilt five-year-old Chihuahua cross who they rescued from Blacktown pound.
Vet nurse Cathy McAdie:
Cathy McAdie has worked in the Veterinary industry for 20+ years in a broad range of veterinary aspects from mixed rural and regional practice to city general practice. Currently Cathy is employed in the emergency and referral space where she’s been for the last 18 yearsand also trains veterinary nursing students who are working towards their Certificate IV qualification.
Veterinary Student Internship Program
It’s wonderful to have our University of Sydney final year DVM students in our Chatswood office for their industry rotations as part of the internship program.
During the three week program, the students experience life at PetSure, and participate in projects with our Claims, Marketing, IT, GapOnly®, and Provider Management departments. Over July and August this year, we hosted Christabel and Natalie as part of the internship program. We would like to wish Christabel and Natalie all the very best for the rest of their studies, we are confident they will make an incredible contribution to Veterinary industry.
Christabel’s review of the student internship program:
“The student internship program was an excellent introduction to the world of pet insurance. Prior to the program, I had little knowledge of pet insurance but I now find myself well versed in different features of insurance like coverage levels, general exclusions and excesses. I would definitely recommend the program to other students who are eager to learn more about pet insurance and get an idea of how veterinarians play a role in pet insurance.”
Natalie’s feedback on the student internship program:
“The student internship program was very informative and enjoyable. During the program, not only did I gain great understanding on pet insurance policies, but I also acquired valuable insights on different fields such as Customer Service and IT by shadowing different teams. In terms of veterinary knowledge, the program equipped me with data analysing skills through which I learnt more about top common conditions of different breeds. The program also provided tremendous learning resources through Webinar and online courses including topics on basic animal first aid and principles of animal behaviour.. I strongly recommend the student internship program to vet students.”
