We are thrilled to share that our founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shadi Ireifej, was recently featured in CanvasRebel Magazine!
In an in-depth interview, Dr. Shadi opens up about his journey from the operating room as a board-certified small animal surgeon to pioneering synchronous, video veterinary triage. He discusses the exact moments he realized the traditional veterinary hospital model was hitting a breaking point—overburdening staff, spiking turnover rates, and drowning emergency rooms in non-emergency cases.
“Many years ago it dawned on me that a business model could be created where veterinarians can answer the phone lines of concerned pet owners… That insight sparked an idea… In 2018, VetTriage was born.”
Beyond the origin story of VetTriage, Dr. Shadi tackles the complex “U-Turn” currently happening in veterinary telehealth regulations. He shares the challenges of advocating for modern, data-backed virtual care guidelines when up against antiquated regulatory frameworks, and why resilience is vital when you’re spearheading an industry movement.
From triaging over 250,000 animals to partnering with over 1,000 brick-and-mortar clinics to alleviate staff burnout, this interview captures the heart of why we do what we do.
