The Subscription Revolution — Why Wellness Plans Are the Recession Lifeline Practice Owners Aren't Building Fast Enough

Dr. Shadi Ireifej is a board-certified veterinary surgeon (DACVS) and the founder, owner, and Chief Medical Officer of VetTriage, the veterinary telehealth service he created in 2017. A Cornell-trained DVM, he spent nearly two decades operating across multispecialty and emergency hospitals as a surgeon, hospital owner, and CMO before building VetTriage to extend teletriage, telemedicine, and telementoring into partner clinics. His work centers on how digital access strengthens continuity of care, eases work-life imbalance for veterinary teams, and serves as an extension of the in-person practice. A widely published author and sought-after speaker, he brings a practical view on where virtual services fit inside a membership model and how to set clinical boundaries that protect quality.

Dr. Richard Gebhart founded West Los Angeles Veterinary Medical Group, which grew into a VCA flagship practice. He later merged five practices in Chico, CA into what is now VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Center, and founded Vertex Systems, an AI company building several veterinary platforms. He brings decades of practice-ownership, consolidation, and financial-analytics experience to conversations on veterinary profitability.