Responding to Veterinary Workplace Violence
From anywhere in the world, join & learn with colleagues - learn safety concepts, de-escalation techniques & team-focused, actionable responses.
As a special event within the 2025 World Congress
During June 16 - 22 2025, our global community hosts the second annual World Congress on Planetary Health, focusing on education and community-led action that has deep and positive cascading effects throughout our planet.
On June 21st 2025 - our community discusses the rising rates of violence within veterinary medical workplace settings. Together, we acknowledge escalating trends and create actionable and community-based plans for keeping ourselves and our teams safe.
Veterinary medical professionals face the threat of physical and virtual abuse and violence, daily. And yet continue to show up in the face of such threats to serve their patients, clients, and teammates.
Tackling the discussion of workplace violence, emergency and conflict management, and team preparedness is challenging. However, when presented in an audience-focused way, a healthy discussion results and action-based plans emerge.
This June 21st workshop within our week long conference event aims to facilitate a discussion on how to respond to violence in the veterinary workplace. The event continues to build on our community’s discussion earlier this year, and is motivated by the growing risk of physical harm to health professionals, such as the devastating and violent loss of Dr. Héctor Hernández Cañas.
The goal of this community discussion is to support ourselves with information, gain knowledge of how to keep ourselves, team, and patients safe, and continue to serve even in the face of constantly evolving challenges.
Saturday June 21st | 4:00 - 6:00pm MT
Join us in our virtual meeting space (Zoom) for this community event.
Through the support of the Care for the Healer nonprofit - this event is free to the community. There is no cost for this event.
Set the sliding payscale to $0 when registering.
Our facilitator, Mike Hemond, brings his 20+ years as a law enforcement officer with assignments in uniform patrol, crime scene processing, major vehicle crash reconstruction, major crimes investigation, fugitive apprehension, and other high-school resource assignments to our community discussion.
This workshop will include scenario-based exchanges, open community dialogue, and actionable steps for participants to engage with after the event.Please bring your questions and experiences to discuss with the community during this event.
As a community, this June, we will tackle this difficult discussion together.
Preparedness can feel overwhelming - that’s why we do it together.
Connect. Prepare. Survive. Thrive.
About the Facilitator | Mike Hemond
BS (Biology), MS (Human Relations and Organizational Design), GC (Conflict Resolution)
Mike retired from his first career in 2020, and is currently a criminal investigator focusing on healthcare investigations of abuse, neglect, exploitation and fraud.
Mike Hemond currently reside in northern Vermont with his incredibly intelligent and dedicated wife. He works full time in human healthcare investigations, part time as an adjunct professor at a local college, and a few hobbies to keep busy in his spare time.