Associations & Organizations
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Veterinarians resist pressure to advocate for pet insurance
9/30/2019
AVMA policy asks practitioners to discuss third-party payers with clients
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AVMA veterinary euthanasia guidance open for comment
8/13/2019
Comment period ends Aug. 31
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AVMA alters model veterinary practice act, passes proposals
8/8/2019
Delegates debate pet insurance, sexual harassment, governance
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COE seeks to retain authority over U.S. veterinary schools
7/29/2019
Hearing before federal panel scheduled Tuesday
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September opening of LIU Post veterinary college in doubt
7/19/2019
Proposed program's quest for accreditation from AVMA COE continues
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AVMA survey: 2018 graduates earn more, owe more
5/9/2019
Education debt outpaces earnings; questions about data persist
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AVMA guidelines call for compassion in depopulating animals
4/12/2019
Document offers best practices for culling animals during times of crisis
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AVMA Life health insurance kicks off July 1
1/17/2019
Program will be accessible to members in most states
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LMU veterinary college earns full accreditation
1/15/2019
Number of accredited programs in U.S. climbs to 30
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Veterinary telemedicine poised to headline AVMA meeting
1/9/2019
Model practice act revisions, dues increase to be debated
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Veterinary student business group seeks former members
12/26/2018
Veterinary Business Management Association establishes alumni branch
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AVMA plans re-entry into group health insurance arena
10/24/2018
Government stance that ended AVMA Life medical coverage is reversed
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LIU accreditation decision slated for spring
10/8/2018
Controversy surrounds veterinary college proposed in New York
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S. Dakota-Minnesota veterinary school plan advances
9/19/2018
South Dakota VMA lauds goal of enhancing rural veterinary education
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AVMA to members: Enlarge global footprint?
7/30/2018
Veterinarians debate merits of devoting resources to international activities
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Veterinarians split on anti-debarking policy
7/16/2018
AVMA resolutions pass on foot-and-mouth disease, responsible breeding
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Support staff unionize at two veterinary hospitals
6/21/2018
Pro-union votes are a first for Mars-owned VCA and BluePearl
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Louisiana bill caused certifiable confusion
5/16/2018
Veterinarians opposed regulating word used to describe specialists
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Veterinary student essay contest seeks 'solutions for the profession'
1/24/2018
Last year's winners tackled school debt, mental health, leadership gender imbalance
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Proliferation of corporate practice at forefront of veterinary meeting
1/8/2018
AVMA delegates discuss the changing veterinary landscape
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COE amends standards to address veterinary student well-being, debt
1/4/2018
Jan. 31 deadline to comment on revisions to standard 11
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AVMA Life might reinstate group medical insurance
10/23/2017
Trump executive order opens door, but process is lengthy
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Labor union for veterinary workforce makes national push
9/21/2017
Associates, technicians, support staff would be represented
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Should botanical medicine be a formal veterinary specialty?
8/25/2017
As Sept. 1 deadline for comments nears, practitioners debate
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Veterinarians implore AVMA to address marijuana in animals
7/25/2017
Delegates enact telemedicine policy requiring in-person VCPR
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Veterinary herbal medicine supporters seek recognition
7/18/2017
ABVS invites feedback; comment period ends Sept. 1
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Veterinary leaders to debate telemedicine
7/12/2017
Remote care, marijuana therapy and stem cells top House agenda
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COE seeks veterinarian input on accreditation changes
6/21/2017
Comparison: Does COE independence match that of accreditor for human medicine?
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Push underway to adopt ‘nurse’ title for vet techs
6/15/2017
Some question plan’s feasibility, effectiveness
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What role does accreditor play in protecting students?
4/11/2017
Q&A with CVTEA on veterinary-technology program closures
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AVMA enacts policy on responsible breeding
1/25/2017
Policy makes no mention of specific breeds or medical conditions
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Aggressive pets adopted out in quest to save animals’ lives
11/17/2016
Has no-kill philosophy gone too far?
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AVMA opens top job to non-veterinarians
9/6/2016
DVM or VMD no longer required to run national organization
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Dr. Janet Donlin takes AVMA helm
8/16/2016
Replacing DeHaven, association appoints first female CEO
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Federal panel finds in veterinary accrediting body's favor
7/5/2016
Concerns linger as AVMA COE earns positive recommendation
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Petco grooming promotion hits snarl
6/9/2016
Retailer modifies advertising after veterinarians object
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Another review of AVMA COE nears
3/31/2016
Public comments due April 8
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Leininger wins appeal
8/5/2015
Embattled former COE member reinstated
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Leaders aim to end battle over veterinary accreditation
7/24/2015
House rejects bids to study or alter how COE functions
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Leininger appeal culminates without resolution
7/8/2015
Hearing kicks off days of debate on veterinary accreditation
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA status quo
7/3/2015
USDE taps COE to evaluate foreign schools amid calls to upend how the accrediting body operates
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Stakeholders urge veterinary accreditation overhaul
6/9/2015
Leininger appeal converges with bids to boost transparency, independence
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Veterinary internships lack uniform quality
2/24/2015
Concerned about exploitation, AAHA offers new accreditation option
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Veterinarians urge AVMA to spin off accrediting body
1/26/2015
COE hosts 'listening session' in Orlando
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AVMA president: Mistrust undermines health of veterinary community
1/16/2015
Dr. Ted Cohn calls for transparency, accountability
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Debate on AVMA governance to continue
1/8/2015
Accreditation a likely topic during House of Delegates meeting
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Million Cat Challenge aims to reform shelter methods
12/31/2014
Veterinarians leading campaign encourage shelters to share tactics
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USDE staff heeds 800-plus complaints against AVMA COE
12/4/2014
Report calls for significant change for accrediting agency
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New veterinary degrees may not pay off, economists find
10/29/2014
AVMA conference highlights debt, salary issues
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Veterinarians, schools emphasize yearly pet checkups
8/15/2014
Survey finds more pet owners concerned about cost of care
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Attempt to reorganize AVMA governance fails — again
7/30/2014
Changes urged to retain, attract members
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Cohn poised for AVMA presidency
7/22/2014
Kinnarney, Dee campaign for president-elect during House of Delegates meeting
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Dueling legislation a sore spot in horse community
4/10/2014
Bills tackle pain as training technique
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Surveys yield conflicting trends in U.S. pet ownership
3/31/2014
Counts of dogs and cats differ by millions
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Lawmaker behind proposed Fairness to Pet Owners Act aims to inform consumers
3/14/2014
Congressman heading toward retirement reintroduces bill
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Help exists for those struggling to pay veterinary bills
3/4/2014
Charitable groups offer to defray expenses
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Boyce ushers major changes to NAVLE while eyeing retirement
3/3/2014
Partnership with human medicine poised to modernize veterinary exam
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Judging merits of veterinary homeopathy not an AVMA objective
1/23/2014
Delegates defeat resolution to discourage controversial modality
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Bid to end foreign veterinary accreditation dies at AVMA meeting
1/16/2014
House of Delegates votes to continue spreading U.S. standards internationally
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AVMA to debate homeopathy, jerky, foreign accreditation
1/6/2014
House of Delegates meets this week in Chicago
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Focus on members
10/28/2013
Debate to alter mission statement slated for January
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Veterinarians grapple with end to GHLIT health insurance
8/16/2013
GHLIT opens private exchange to all AVMA members
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Veterinarian targets shortage of women among profession’s leaders
8/7/2013
Men top hierarchy, yet women are majority
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Veterinary group pumps new blood into leadership
4/22/2013
Ethics society chooses Petco doctor as president
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Task force to alter AVMA governance regroups after backlash
1/16/2013
House delegates could be asked to vote on their own demise
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Veterinary prescription problems aired with regulators
1/12/2013
Pharmacy boards urge veterinarians to file complaints
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AVMA delegates to scrutinize veterinary homeopathy
1/3/2013
Debarking, stem cell policies among several up for debate
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GHLIT health insurance for veterinarians to end by 2014
12/26/2012
Obamacare killed association-based plans, officials say
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Government orders veterinary-school accreditor to correct problems
12/14/2012
Veterinarians air criticisms before education panel
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AVMA’s role as education accreditor scrutinized
12/11/2012
USDE addresses critics as scheduled review of COE draws near
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British veterinarians welcome advertising ban on antimicrobials
10/16/2012
Efforts made to curb antimicrobial resistance
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Welfare college receives provisional recognition
8/16/2012
Veterinarians eager to watch specialty group evolve
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AVMA proposed stance on raw diets draws critics
8/2/2012
Group stresses that policy — not law — is up for consideration today
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Veterinarians brainstorm to change AVMA governance
7/20/2012
Efforts to enhance democracy reflect ongoing transformation
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Helping Pets Fund closes
7/19/2012
AAHA cites decline in donations
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Ohio Veterinary Medical Association building burns
6/1/2012
Flames destroy more than half of structure
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Challenges face proposal to create welfare specialty
5/1/2012
Appeal to overturn COE's rejection of the group underway
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California veterinarians ready to testify against lay dentistry
4/16/2012
Scope-of-practice battle wages over teeth cleaning
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AVMA issues email fraud alert
4/6/2012
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Private university in Arizona plans new veterinary school
3/8/2012
Midwestern University cites shortage of rural practitioners
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AAVMC leadership change puts Osburn at helm
10/21/2011
Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou resigns to pursue work in public health
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AVMA challenges Wal-Mart’s push to make veterinarians script out
10/5/2011
Fairness to Pet Owners Act sits at controversy's center
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St. George’s veterinary school receives U.S. accreditation
9/23/2011
Roughly 90 percent of program's graduates draw from North America
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AVMA asked to acknowledge court ruling in compounding brochure
9/20/2011
Some celebrate while others downplay ruling's significance
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GAO calls for better data on antibiotic use in livestock
9/13/2011
Federal auditor finds little progress in past decade
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North Carolina veterinarians brace for Hurricane Irene
8/26/2011
NCVMA collects names of volunteers
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AVMA mulls governance overhaul
7/26/2011
Calls to upend entrenched bureaucracy surface at House session
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AVMA task force to review merits of foreign accreditation
7/20/2011
Resolution stripped of economic language on advice of AVMA lawyer
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Veterinarians challenge authority of AVMA Executive Board to make policy
6/16/2011
Calls for change prompted by controversial revision to Veterinarian's Oath
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Antibiotics: spinning the data from Denmark
5/27/2011
Antibiotics do little to enhance growth, yet producers still use them
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Antibiotics: precaution vs. proof
5/26/2011
Weighing risk to public health from antibiotics used in livestock
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FDA: Food-animal antibiotic consumption dwarfs human medical use
5/25/2011
New data reveal flaws in figures presented by AVMA, industry
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Scrutiny of livestock antibiotic use pressures veterinary profession
5/24/2011
AVMA negotiates shifting regulatory landscape
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Resolutions ask AVMA to explore foreign accreditation, globalization efforts
5/20/2011
Members seek greater transparency into AVMA's international activities
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Report: unprecedented change in store for AVMA, profession
4/28/2011
'Continuous improvement' prescribed for nation's largest veterinary association
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AVMA terminates online CE venture
4/22/2011
AVMA Ed to close by Dec. 31
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PLIT rolls back workers' comp advice for relief veterinarians
3/29/2011
Broker Hub International issues clarification
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New blood challenges seasoned official for AVMA Executive Board seat
3/16/2011
Veterinarians urged to get ballots to AVMA headquarters by April 1
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NAVMEC addresses great challenges facing veterinary profession
3/8/2011
Economist's call for change goes beyond NAVMEC recommendations
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AVMA raises dues as membership numbers climb
1/25/2011
Incremental increases to generate $4 million in three years
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AVMA seeks members’ opinions on ‘critical initiatives’
1/19/2011
Critic says it is a start, but more conversation needed
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GHLIT ends endorsement of Pets Best while severing ties with Aetna
1/14/2011
Deal dies quietly as GHLIT exits pet health insurance arena
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AVMA delegates reject bid to add transparency to governing processes
1/11/2011
Delegates expressed fears of retribution by public on controversial issues
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Decision to alter Veterinarian's Oath strikes discord
1/6/2011
Faction of AVMA members report feeling disenfranchised
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Proposed welfare specialty college bends to veterinarians' concerns
12/16/2010
AVMA welfare principles no longer a point of contention
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California veterinarians target unlicensed care
12/14/2010
Conflict between profession, lay practitioners intensifies
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AVMA seeks third-party audit of accreditation program
12/10/2010
Voluntary review meant to allay scrutiny, concerns raised by veterinarians
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Texas veterinarians author legislation to bridle lay dentists
12/3/2010
Judge's order prompts end to regulatory crackdown on unlicensed teeth floating
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AVMA condemns activists targeting UC Davis researchers
12/1/2010
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AVMA solicits public input on model veterinary practice act
11/11/2010
Comment period begins in January
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NAS veterinary workforce study nears release
10/28/2010
Stakeholders expect report to shed light on supply and demand in America
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Calif. spay/neuter program breeds skepticism among veterinarians
9/23/2010
State attempts to tackle pet overpopulation by selling specialty license plates
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Veterinary regulators poised to define parameters of lay dentistry
9/9/2010
Stakeholders across America watch as Texas takes on controversial issue
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Texas veterinarians mull reviving bid to examine AVMA’s role in global accreditation
8/19/2010
Those calling for audit face accusations of racism; issue clouded by politics, some contend
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Proposed animal welfare college challenged by veterinarians
8/5/2010
Critics lambast mandate to sign AVMA welfare principles
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Veterinarians challenge AVMA’s governance in quest to be heard
7/30/2010
‘1 Member, 1 Vote’ drive kicks off at annual convention in Atlanta
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Foreign-school accreditation clash continues in JAVMA
7/21/2010
Editorial letters express concern in July 15 edition
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What's happening with accreditation of foreign health professional schools?
7/13/2010
Veterinarians in heated debate; dentists pushed to test water; physicians eye from a distance
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Veterinarians question AVMA's role in international accreditation
7/13/2010
Texas resolution calls for self-study
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Veterinarians to AVMA: Talk to us
7/6/2010
In VIN survey, group rates low on communication, high on leadership
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Western U receives full accreditation
3/5/2010
COE grants three-year window
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Accreditation under fire in veterinary medicine
2/26/2010
Concerns surface with the accreditation bids of two controversial programs
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Osburn resigns from Banfield board of directors
2/13/2010
UC Davis dean cites potential conflict of interest as impetus for decision
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AVMA seeks to deter news investigation
1/21/2010
Alleges reporter misappropriated confidential documents
-
Pets Best flap revives debate about merits of pet insurance
12/15/2009
DVMs concerned Aetna policy portends a future similar to human health insurance issues
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PAC pits school against school for donations
8/27/2009
Competition designed to spur fundraising surge
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Activists go after stores selling dogs from puppy mills
7/27/2009
Movement to stamp out large commercial breeders gains traction
-
Leaders ask California DVMs to watch for local ordinances
7/22/2009
New law safeguards veterinary practice, but opens window for bans
-
Survey: Rescue organizations turning away 38 percent of unwanted horses
7/15/2009
Economic downturn highlight, exacerbates ongoing problem
-
Prop 2 rattles Calif., prompts welfare council
7/15/2009
Advisory group receives mixed reaction
-
AVMA town hall meeting skims tough issues facing profession
7/12/2009
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AVMA debates profession's role concerning antimicrobials in livestock
7/11/2009
Resolution gets pushed aside for further review
-
New AVMA president-elect calls diversifying profession a major priority
7/11/2009
Kornegay sails into top elected seat following uncontested presidential race
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MARKETLink proceeds help fuel AAHA PR campaign
7/1/2009
National groups freeze dues hikes
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Funding woes kill Fresno lab, haunt DVM program
6/26/2009
Calif. budget crisis wreaks havoc on veterinary medical education
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AVMA, GHLIT respond to VIN survey
5/7/2009
Neither group directly addresses objections to GHLIT-Pets Best partnership
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'Swine influenza' name sickens U.S. pork markets
4/29/2009
AVMA issues statement; efforts underway to rename virus
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Dr. Janis Audin dies
4/23/2009
Longtime JAVMA head leaves legacy, official says
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Veterinarians must comply with Red Flags Rule by May 1
4/22/2009
Most practice owners already meet requirements, AVMA official says
-
HSUS to take Prop 2-like action to Ohio
4/6/2009
Veterinarians gear up for talks to thwart high-stakes conflict with activists
-
Veterinary charity highlighted by economic woes
3/30/2009
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Survey shows veterinarians wary of AVMA GHLIT-Pets Best deal
3/23/2009
AVMA, GHLIT promise to respond soon
-
AVMA portfolio in the red
2/24/2009
Economy batters association’s investments; dues increase looms
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Off the table?
2/12/2009
Calif. sales tax on veterinary services loses steam
-
Veterinary Behaviorists Question Dominance Theory in Dogs
2/5/2009
Position Irks Some Trainers
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AVMA announces new strategy for annual meeting
1/22/2009
Are conferences in trouble?
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Consulting firm releases user guide that avows pet insurance merits
1/21/2009
AVMA issues policy shift as criticisms of GHLIT-Pets Best partnership ensue
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About-face by Florida regulators eases permit policy for DVMs
1/14/2009
Refunds are on the agenda, FVMA says
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MVMA pushes animal protection legislation
1/14/2009
Measure directs courts to consider pets when issuing domestic violence protective orders
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Application deadline nears to certify for exotic mammal specialty
12/16/2008
New group focuses on ferrets, rabbits and other small pets
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FDA puts cephalosporin ban in abeyance
12/11/2008
Veterinary medicine credited by some for pushing last-minute change
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AVMA unveils online CE
12/8/2008
Leadership confident state regulators will accept association-branded education
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AVMA investments take hit, treasurer says
10/21/2008
Market turmoil impacts veterinary medicine’s largest association
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AVMA leaders think like you do, survey reveals
10/17/2008
Group seeks to remain relevant to membership
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Internships, residencies skyrocket in popularity, AVMA says
10/17/2008
40 percent of 2008's graduating class to seek advanced training, report shows
-
AVMA falls short of $1 million goal for PAC
10/9/2008
Campaign for contributions underway
-
AVMA addresses Congress on antimicrobial resistance
9/26/2008
Delegates to challenge national association’s stance in January
-
Colorado to release welfare principles
9/25/2008
Association awaits leadership’s approval
-
Mexican university seeks AVMA accreditation
9/22/2008
COE nod could usher Mexican veterinarians into the United States
-
AVMA condemns alleged abuse at swine operation
9/17/2008
Undercover PETA video shows animals kicked, beaten and inhumanely slaughtered
-
NJVMA wins NPI exemption for veterinarians
9/9/2008
State backtracks on law designed to track Medicare/Medicaid fraud
-
AVMA to release economic data
9/9/2008
Biennial economic survey, starting salaries report set for publication
-
AVMA launches Web-based TV channel
9/3/2008
AVMAtv provides public information about veterinary medicine
-
CVMA mum as AVMA moves in on Prop 2
8/27/2008
Association sits quietly as AVMA adopts a contradictory stance on ballot state initiative
-
HSVMA to launch insurance options, recruitment campaign
8/25/2008
Membership drive markets group as a welfare-friendly alternative to AVMA
-
GHLIT tackles latest PR flap concerning Pets Best deal
8/22/2008
Promotional e-mail advertises AVMA’s endorsement of insurance agency
-
AVMA wants YOU!
8/20/2008
Volunteer opportunities abound; leaders welcome nominations
-
AAEP wants veterinarians to inspect shows for welfare violations
8/8/2008
Group issues white paper suggesting ways to end ‘soring’
-
Disgruntled CVMA members spin off with new group
8/5/2008
Association's support of Proposition 2 divides California veterinarians
-
GHLIT-pet insurance partnership raises red flags
7/28/2008
Competitors question ethics, legality of Trust’s newfound relationship
-
No dues increase — this time, AVMA reports
7/21/2008
$29.6 million budget detailed during annual convention
-
GHLIT rate increases slow
7/3/2008
Premiums jump 1.1 percent, compared to a 12.8-percent hike in November
-
UPDATE: FDA bans cephalosporin drugs in food animals
7/3/2008
Federal regulators issue change amid concerns about antimicrobial resistance
-
AAHA enters $10 million tentative deal to sell MARKETLink
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On the record
The VIN News Service recently conducted a Q&A session with the American Veterinary Medical Association and its indemnity arm, the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (AVMA-GHLIT). The discussion explores the controversial partnership that’s emerged between GHLIT and Pets Best Insurance, a private entity.
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Associations & Organizations
Survey finds more pet owners concerned about cost of care
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August 15, 2014
By Edie Lau
A campaign by a veterinary coalition to highlight the value of preventive health care for pets finds practitioners and veterinary schools giving more attention to the concept of wellness exams.
At the same time, the number of veterinary visits remains flat as more pet owners express worries about the cost of care and describe veterinary visits as stressful.
The findings are laid out in a new white paper, Reversing the Decline in Veterinary Care Utilization: Progress Made, Challenges Remain, from the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), leading members of a coalition called Partners for Healthy Pets.
The partnership — operating under the nonprofit American Veterinary Medical Foundation, the charitable arm of the AVMA — formed in 2011 in response to a decade of declines in visits to veterinarians, a trend made more troubling to the profession by the fact that pet ownership has been on a largely upward trajectory since at least 1995.
The coalition is focusing on the value of annual checkups to maintain pets’ good health and to catch brewing medical problems early, much in the same way the dental profession promotes regular twice-a-year cleanings and exams.
A public service announcement currently airing on television, including during the World Cup recently, makes the case that “a yearly checkup with your friendly vet is as essential as food and love.”
The message is a hit in the veterinary community, judging from a survey commissioned by the coalition and conducted by Jeremy Kees, an associate professor of marketing at Villanova University.
The survey involved 1,117 veterinary practice team members (veterinarians, technicians and office managers); 69 deans and faculty members at veterinary schools; and 28 representatives of Partners for Healthy Pets associate member organizations.
The survey found that among veterinary practice team members, more than 60 percent said their practices have increased the emphasis on preventive health care, including through more communications to pet owners about the value and benefit of preventive care. More than 70 percent said they increasingly underline the importance of the annual checkup instead of just recommending specific elements, such as vaccinations and heartworm prevention, to prevent disease.
In veterinary schools, the shift to promoting wellness checks is even more pronounced. The survey found:
• More than 90 percent of deans and 70 percent of faculty said their clinics are giving more emphasis to providing preventive health care. • More than 80 percent of deans and 70 percent of faculty reported an increase in changes to curriculum and clinical-service education related to preventive health care. • More than 80 percent of deans and 70 percent of faculty said their institutions have increased efforts to communicate the value and benefit of preventive health care, versus simply making a recommendation for preventive health-care services.
A separate survey conducted online with 1,100 owners of dogs and cats shows that the new attention on regular checkups isn’t having an effect with pet owners to date.
The survey was conducted by Brakke Consulting, Inc. and builds on an analysis from 2010 during which 2,000 dog and cat owners were polled. The smaller number of respondents in the follow-up study came from the same pool of pet owners as the earlier study and matched that group demographically, according to Brakke consultant John Volk.
Viewing 2014 results against 2010 results, Brakke found the proportion of owners reporting having seen the veterinarian in the previous year essentially was flat:
• The share of dog owners who visited a veterinarian during the preceding 12 months slipped from 86 percent to 84 percent. • The share of cat owners who visited a veterinarian during the preceding 12 months slid from 66 percent to 64 percent.
The survey also found pet owners comfortable with longer periods between visits. In 2010, dog owners, for example, said they were comfortable waiting an average of 11.4 months between visits. In 2014, the interval had stretched to 16.9 months.
The proportion of pet owners who expressed the view that routine veterinary checkups are unnecessary dropped from 24 percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2014, which statistically amounts to “no appreciable change,” as the report puts it.
But significant shifts showed up when the survey plumbed the reasons pet owners may be visiting the veterinarian less frequently:
• 59 percent agreed with the statement that costs of routine visits are higher than expected, up from 53 percent in 2010. • 32 percent said they probably would switch veterinarians if they found one who was less expensive, up from 26 percent. • 51 percent said their pet dislikes going to the veterinarian, up from 45 percent. • 38 percent agreed with the sentiment, “Just thinking about taking my pet to the veterinarian is stressful,” up from 30 percent. • 48 percent said that the Internet is their first option when a pet is sick or injured, up from 39 percent.
AVMA CEO Dr. W. Ron DeHaven distributed the white paper with survey results at an industry gathering in Portland, Oregon, this week. DeHaven said he is “somewhat disappointed” that the downward trend in visits hasn’t reversed but that he is confident of a turnaround in five to 10 years.
The white paper suggests the same. “The history of fundamental change in health care tends to be incremental rather than abrupt,” it reads. “Smoking cessation in the U.S. was a generational transition, and the appropriate role of physicians in the process was not universally accepted. … The paradigm shift in dentistry from treating tooth decay to prophylaxis and periodontal care did not happen overnight … Evolutionary change will probably occur as well in the wider delivery of high-quality preventive pet health care care …”
Dr. Greg Nutt, co-owner of Riverstone Animal Hospital in Canton, Georgia, had a similar thought after reading the report online. “I think that we all realize that this is going to be a long, never-ending process of client/public education,” he said in a post on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), an online community for the profession.
“We as a profession have failed miserably in the past in educating the public on the importance of examinations and regular preventive care,” Nutt continued. “It will not happen soon, and we will need to focus a much greater percentage of our resources to public education. This is a start.”
Joining the message-board discussion, Dr. Shelby Riddle, co-owner of Southampton Pet Hospital in Benicia, California, said that clients’ growing concern about the cost of veterinary care is based on real increases in the cost of service. “Our capability to provide excellent care keeps getting better and better, and that excellent care costs lots of money that most people don’t have lying around,” Riddle said.
Describing one client who obtained a reverse mortgage on her house to pay bills, including for veterinary care, Riddle expressed empathy for pet owners’ position. “It’s very stressful for them,” she said. “… If they come in for a well-pet exam, who knows what we’ll find….”
At the same time, Riddle, Nutt and others observed, clients have multiple competing claims on their discretionary income, including costly monthly services such as mobile phone plans, data subscriptions for tablets and cable television.
“The ones that pay for the (veterinary) care know that it costs as much as a vacation, or as a cable-TV yearly subscription, or as much as the dentist,” Riddle said. “And those of us who are lucky to see those clients on a daily basis get an opportunity to not just educate them, but through them, their friends and family and kids (the next generation). I think it's an in-the-trenches education, one by one …”
VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.
Information and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are independent of the VIN News Service. Letters may be edited for style. We do not verify their content for accuracy.
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