Ryan Leech says 2026 vet med will hinge on affordability

Ryan Leech, founder of First 100 and host of The Bird Bath, returned to the Veterinary Innovation Podcast for episode 313, published March 5, 2026, to lay out what he sees as the defining business pressures for veterinary medicine in 2026: affordability concerns, rising salaries, corporate consolidation, and tighter operating margins. In the episode description, Leech argues the profession should stop looking for a “silver bullet” in AI or telehealth and focus instead on operational efficiency and the economics shaping care delivery. First 100 positions itself as a consulting, recruiting, and market intelligence firm serving veterinary groups, animal health companies, and startups, which gives Leech a vantage point across hiring, growth strategy, and deal activity. (podcasts.apple.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, Leech’s comments land in a market already grappling with cost-sensitive pet parents, higher labor expense, and pressure to preserve access to care without eroding profitability. Recent AAHA reporting has highlighted the same tension at practice level: hospitals are facing rising vendor, medication, lab, and payroll costs while clients are becoming more price-conscious, and industry research continues to frame compensation and retention as central operational issues. In that context, Leech’s message is less prediction than synthesis: practices may need stronger pricing discipline, clearer cost-of-care conversations, and more realistic expectations about what technology can and can’t fix on its own. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect this affordability-versus-access debate to keep surfacing through 2026 as payroll pressure, consolidation, and workflow tech adoption continue to reshape practice economics. (veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com)