April 2026 Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection
Creating a Foster-Centric Medical Clinic
In this discussion, we will review how animal shelters can shift from a kennel-centric medical model to a foster-centric clinic that effectively supports animals living in foster homes. As more shelters place 50% or more of animals in foster care, clinics must adapt their infrastructure, staffing, communication, and workflows to serve both people and pets. The discussion emphasizes guiding principles such as prioritizing quality of life, valuing foster caregivers as essential partners, transparency in decision-making, and treating foster care as a core organizational function.
Guest Speaker:
Jordana Moerbe, Director of Lifesaving Partnerships and Medical Care at Austin Pets Alive!
Jordana brings more than 19 years of experience in animal welfare and is a founding staff member of Austin Pets Alive!. During her tenure, she created
the Medical Triage and Wellness Clinic, which has grown into the largest foster-centric medical clinic in the country, treating more than 7,500 medical cases annually.
In 2017, Jordana expanded her work nationally, specializing in shelter clinic management, disease management, and outbreak response. She has partnered with shelters and rescues across the country to improve medical
practices, increase live outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency through innovative programming and practical solutions. She also served as an instructor for the American Pets Alive! Maddie’s Medical Program,
developing both in-person trainings and online coursework. Currently, Jordana is the Director of Lifesaving Partnerships and Medical Care at Austin Pets Alive!, where she oversees both the Medical Program
and the Austin Pets Alive! Transport Program. Her passion lies in outside- the-box problem-solving and equipping people with realistic tools and strategies to tackle complex industry challenges. Jordana lives just outside Austin, Texas, with her husband, daughter, five dogs, three barn cats, and a variety of farm animals.
About Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection:
Join us on the first Thursday of every month to discuss successful foster innovations and programs, collaborate with others in the field, answer questions and talk through complex foster-related issues.
Who should join: Foster managers, coordinators, volunteers and any staff who are interested in learning about what’s working in foster programs.
Register here: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyFosterRegistration
Can't attend live? Register anyway and you will get a link to the recording within a day or two after each meeting.
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available in the Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection group on Maddie's Pet Forum https://maddies.fund/monthlyfosterconnectionMPF
Maddie's Fund does not share registration information.
The opinions expressed by webinar presenters are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Maddie’s Fund.
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