In 2021, Barham joined Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO), where she now serves as CEO.

As a veterinarian, project management professional, and MBA holder, Melanie Barham’s journey from veterinary medicine to community outreach exemplifies a life dedicated to holistic care.

Considering she grew up on a hobby farm in a farming community—a background rich with the sights and sounds of animals—one might assume veterinary medicine was a natural calling. However, despite this immersive childhood, Barham’s initial dream was to become a writer. “I was actually torn between being a writer or a veterinarian when I was in high school.  In my senior year, I was lucky to land a school co-op education placement at a local veterinary practice. It was driving around the Ottawa countryside, talking to farmers and spending time outdoors, that made me certain I wanted to be a vet,” she shares.

After her graduation from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 2007, she honed her skills through an equine sports medicine internship, followed by nearly a decade of service as an equine vet. Since then, she has diversified her career, and has served in surveillance, laboratory, consulting, entrepreneurship, not-for-profit, and charitable sectors.

As Barham explains, “I currently work as chief executive officer (CEO) of Vets: Stay, Go, Diversify (VSGD), a company I partly own. VSGD provides career support to veterinary professionals all over the world and represents 30,000 vet professionals. More recently, I have also been pleased to serve as the interim executive director for the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition. DVMC provides scholarships and support to BIPOC students in the U.S. to attend veterinary school.”

In 2021, Barham joined Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO), where she now serves as CEO. “My family was a foster family for 25 years, and so those values of working holistically to help support vulnerable people and pets were part of who I was. As a horse vet, I stay out of the clinical work and leave that to our experts. But, as my career shifted to become more about management and strategic leadership of organizations, that’s where I am lucky to lend value. Having the opportunity to work with Community Veterinary Outreach has been one of the greatest gifts of my career that came up at just the right time.”

Veterinary Practice News Canada caught up with Barham to learn more about the challenges homeless individuals and their pets face in accessing health care, the CVO’s strategic programming, and the organization’s One Health model of care.

1) What specific challenges do homeless individuals and their pets face in accessing health care?

People experiencing homelessness have challenges that are often not thought of by those of us with vehicles, homes, and other resources, and their challenges vary depending on various intersectional factors (geographic region, urban/city/rural/northern, physical disabilities, cognitive challenges, etc). Some to consider are:

• Distance or accessibility to get to health care for themselves or their pets. For example, there may be a pet and human food bank available, but pets are not allowed on all public transit, so it is difficult to access the resource if the location is not within walking distance to where the person is living. The clinic or food bank might also only be open on certain days at certain hours, and the timings may not intersect with public transit offerings.
• Requirements to access care. For instance, let’s consider the time when a COVID-19 vaccine appointment required online bookings. Booking online means you need a phone or some way
  to get online, and you need to be literate, have an email address, a home address, and identification—that is, unless you have a caseworker helping
  you navigate.
• Bringing their pet. If our clients are trying to access human care, they often can not bring their pet. Where do they leave them?
• Stigma and distrust. There is a persistent stigma around mental health and poverty, and many of our clients have experienced stigma when seeking care for themselves or their pets. This leads to a distrust of medical and health care systems.

2) How does CVO address these challenges through its programs and services?

CVO’s One Health Clinics offer a low barrier way to access both pet and human health care. We are always evolving based on the community and our clients’ needs. We host clinics in locations our clients can easily access, in existing spaces where our clients feel comfortable, and with community partners like shelters and social services. Case workers or support workers refer clients and offer support by helping fill intake forms. Clients’ pets receive a physical exam, vaccines if needed, and dewormer/flea/tick medications if needed. Wherever possible, they are referred for any additional medical care needed. Every client leaves with a bag of pet food and the option of a meal for themselves. They can also access human health services like vaccines—including influenza, pneumococcal, COVID-19, and TDAP vaccines—nursing care, dental hygiene, housing services, harm reduction. smoking cessation, and more.

We listen deeply to our clients about how to help them in a way that reduces barriers. For example, you might think: Let’s give clients the biggest bag of food so they are set for as long as possible! However, if you are walking a long distance from the clinic, or you’re in a wheelchair, a big bag is certainly not helpful. So, instead, we offer small bags (and big bags where helpful) and try to work with caseworkers to provide food in between clinics in as many regions as we can.

3) How does CVO approach its One Health model of care?

We believe in caring for both ends of the leash: the person and the pet. Improving the life of the pet makes the owner’s life better, and caring for both the client and the pet means that both parties are impacted positively. We offer human health care like a buffet—“We’ve got Fluffy’s vaccines up to date, now would you like to speak with the nurse about vaccines for you too?” or “We have a smoking cessation specialist here today if you’re interested.” We offer, but don’t push, because everyone has the right to make the best decision for their own health. It’s important to remember that those who have been stigmatized in the past might need time to trust that this experience is going to be different.

4) As CEO of CVO, what leadership principles guide your decision-making process and shape the organization’s strategic direction?

CVO has worked hard to develop its values, and they are embedded in every corner of the organization. CVO takes a servant leadership approach to all its relationships—including clients, volunteers, supporters, and community partners. As a result, decision-making and leadership are much easier. We are here as servant leaders to support the people and pets in communities across Canada in ways our clients want and need. That’s what I aim to live up to every day I work with CVO.

5) What are some long-term goals or aspirations that CVO is working towards,
and how do you envision the organization evolving to further its mission?

We at CVO are excited to be moving into our 21st year. We have planned, over the next 20 years, to deepen our services in the 11 communities we currently operate in now; increasing the training and capacity we offer already, and increasing relationships with partners who can help us serve more clients in a more meaningful way. Above all, we look to continue serving our clients in a way that respects them and the love they have for their pets—all the while remembering to keep an eye out for systems gaps and to help individual pets, their owners, as well as communities in Canada as a whole.

After gaining experience as an equine veterinarian, Barham served in surveillance, laboratory, consulting, entrepreneurship, not-for-profit, and charitable sectors.