Business & Economics
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Does hot job market mean there's a veterinarian shortage?
12/5/2019
Profession grapples with responding to swings in demand
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Zoetis buys veterinary diagnostics company ZNLabs
11/22/2019
Independent laboratory sees deal as a way to compete with Antech, Idexx
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British veterinary practice chain CVS shuffles management
11/12/2019
Innes reign ends as consolidator slows pace of acquisitions
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Buyouts alter veterinary laboratory landscape
10/31/2019
Phoenix sells to Zoetis; Marshfield sells to Idexx
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Petco veterinary clinic expansion speeds up
10/8/2019
Retailer partners with three more clinic operators, bringing alliances to five
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Pet insurance for all: Sweden's experience
10/2/2019
Penetration rates 'still growing' in market where 90% of dogs have coverage
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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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Mars expands its international veterinary practice ownership
9/27/2019
Pet-care giant makes forays in Japan, Brazil; adds to holdings in UK
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Phoenix veterinary lab for sale following Idexx takeover bid
9/6/2019
Shareholders vote to solicit offers; sale could top $29 million
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Telemedicine proves a headache for Britain's Royal College
9/3/2019
Veterinarians challenge regulator over easing of online prescribing rules
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Trupanion fined $100,000 in Washington over sales tactics
6/26/2019
Pet insurer rewarded veterinary clinics for referrals
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Walk-in veterinary care proliferates inside Walmart Superstores
6/7/2019
Essentials PetCare, Vet IQ team with retail giant to open 100 clinics
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Idexx contract spurs lawsuit after veterinary clinic sale
5/21/2019
When VCA bought it, practice switched laboratory service providers
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Idexx drops suit against Vets First Choice
4/25/2019
Allegations of stolen trade secrets resolved in settlement talks
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Consolidation comes to veterinary group purchasing
4/22/2019
GPOs reflect new reality: bigger, broader, more diversified
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Veterinarians sue over noncompete clause
3/19/2019
Case draws attention to common provision in practice sales and acquisitions
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Petco closing Drs. Foster and Smith within days
2/7/2019
Veterinarian-founded mail-order, internet pharmacy to shutter after 36 years
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Schein Animal Health, Vets First Choice to complete merger
2/4/2019
New company claims a large footprint
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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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Ex-Banfield execs spin off from 'impersonal behemoth'
12/13/2018
Leaders say new veterinary company is 'completely different'; reviews mixed
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Pace of UK veterinary consolidation stutters
11/29/2018
Pets at Home hospital closures anticipated
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A controversial model of pet insurance lives on in Britain
11/14/2018
Three years in, insurer's 'preferred' network of specialists has grown
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Trupanion relationships with veterinarians under scrutiny
11/1/2018
Washington insurance regulators examine rewards program
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Veterinary technicians get boost from major employer
10/26/2018
Banfield, world's largest clinic chain, commits to elevating licensed support staff
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The dwindling supply of academic radiologists
9/6/2018
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Idexx sues Vets First Choice, alleging trade-secret theft
8/8/2018
Ex-employees accused of taking data just before leaving
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Startups seek to remodel veterinary house calls
7/25/2018
Latest Uber-style service recalibrates to attract veterinarians
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New veterinary school in Japan stirs debate
6/25/2018
Question of workforce demand echoes long-standing issue in U.S.
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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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Mars buys another European veterinary-practice group
6/12/2018
Conglomerate to acquire AniCura as well as Linnaeus Group
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Mars Inc. buys British veterinary-hospital chain
6/8/2018
Linnaeus Group adds 87 sites to Mars' spreading ownership
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British veterinary practices undergo rapid consolidation
5/1/2018
Trend similar to that in US
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Henry Schein, Vets First Choice to form new company
4/23/2018
Ongoing consolidations remake veterinary landscape
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Product rebates to veterinarians spur tax questions
4/9/2018
For honesty's sake, report the money, accountant advises
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How revised tax code treats veterinary practices
3/13/2018
VIN's general counsel demystifies new rules on pass-through deductions
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PetSmart looks beyond Banfield for veterinary-clinic operators
3/8/2018
Retailer lists 188 vacant clinic spaces available
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UK veterinarians cautious on plan for new school
2/16/2018
Low wages, long hours in profession a concern
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Attempt fails to change Washington law on nonprofit veterinary clinics
2/12/2018
Bill would have let humane societies, animal-control agencies broaden services
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Veterinarians form group dedicated to independent practice
2/1/2018
New association aims to help small businesses thrive
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Second veterinary business allies with Petco to run in-store clinics
1/18/2018
The Pet Vet plans operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
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Petco stores now house veterinary clinics
1/10/2018
Texas, California and Colorado are first
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In Britain, a shortage of veterinarians brews
12/12/2017
Brexit fallout already evident
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Banfield joins employer trend with offer to defray student debt
12/1/2017
Well-intentioned programs might be ill-advised for some borrowers, experts caution
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Mars antitrust remedy 'not even a drop in the bucket'?
9/26/2017
Deal puts 2,000 practices under one owner
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Publisher Time Inc. enters veterinary-discount realm
9/11/2017
Club gives pet owners 25 percent off medical services
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FTC to Mars: Divest 12 clinics in order to buy VCA
8/30/2017
Mars agrees to proposed antitrust settlement
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Burglar to veterinarians: Don’t display lavish stock of flea-tick products
7/13/2017
Prisoner shares his views in letter
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The dark side of modern X-ray equipment
6/8/2017
Veterinarians find digital radiography expensive, maddening
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‘Smart’ collars for animals proliferate
5/5/2017
Claims of health benefits as yet unproven
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Suspect admits to burglarizing veterinary clinics
4/18/2017
Lured by value of flea-and-tick products
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USDE seeks input on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
2/10/2017
Veterinarians asked to submit ideas to improve program
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Banfield CEO Vincent Bradley resigns
1/31/2017
Departure follows news of Mars-VCA deal; Brian Garish named successor
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Mars to buy VCA
1/9/2017
Largest veterinary hospital-chain merger in history under way
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Big gets bigger in 2016
12/29/2016
Year-end snapshot of noteworthy business deals in animal-health market
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Veterinary-drugs seller Sean Gerson arrested
12/16/2016
FDA agent tracked supplier for five years
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Ex-Banfield leaders buy practices as ‘LegacyVet’
10/18/2016
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Veterinary clinic opens at a Florida Wal-Mart
10/17/2016
Practice owners are first to lease space from retail giant
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Hemopet ‘1,000 percent going to stay in business’
9/21/2016
Failure of tax-exemption quest doesn’t doom canine blood bank
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Canine blood bank seeks sales-tax relief
8/12/2016
Proposed California law would exempt only nonprofits
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GL Advisor founder sentenced to nine years in prison
6/17/2016
Daniel Thibeault tearfully admits fault
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Make price paramount when choosing veterinary school, many advise
5/10/2016
Other considerations include campus culture, location, program emphases
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Veterinary prescription practices reviewed by House panel
4/29/2016
Lawmakers profess affection for pets, appreciation of veterinarians
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House subcommittee to consider pet-prescription rules
4/28/2016
Proposed ‘Fairness to Pet Owners Act’ a subtext of hearing Friday
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Zeuterin marketer falters two years after U.S. debut
4/22/2016
Sales of injectable sterilant for dogs come up short
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Pet insurer renounces controversial rate factor
3/24/2016
Trupanion cites poor execution after veterinarians object
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Jobs forecast for veterinarians better than average
12/22/2015
Labor economists predict 9 percent growth
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Report rekindles debate on rural veterinary workforce
12/21/2015
Methodology questioned in provocative study on Appalachia
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Educational debt debated in veterinary economic summit
11/5/2015
Growth in schools drives applicant-to-seat ratio to 1.6-to-1
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Mars Petcare wooed fast-growing BluePearl
10/29/2015
Veterinary company co-founder answers questions about sale
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Coming soon: credit-card security changes
9/18/2015
Merchants using outdated equipment may be on hook in fraud cases
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Veterinary generics squeezed by blocking agreements
9/8/2015
Zoetis, Merial bar big distributors from selling competing generic drugs
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New entrants to pet microchip market draw critics
7/29/2015
Are chips with ‘900’ codes unreliable or unfairly targeted?
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Entrepreneur finds pet microchip problem unsolvable
7/16/2015
Owner apathy, tangled industry leads Check the Chip to give up
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Idaho veterinarians make tentative peace
5/28/2015
Humane Society agrees to limit some services
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FTC: Pet-medications market could be more competitive
5/27/2015
Consumers would benefit from broader prescription portability, report says
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Washington law on veterinary nonprofits: model or muddle?
5/26/2015
Requiring income qualification not same as means testing
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Nonprofit veterinary care: for whom and how?
5/21/2015
Profession spars over income eligibility, means testing
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Facial-recognition apps scout lost pets
4/15/2015
Tool supplements tags, chips
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MWI sale reflects trend in pet-related industries
1/27/2015
Veterinarians wonder how service, prices will fare
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Sale of pet-supply company sign of changing times
12/17/2014
Petco purchase of Drs. Foster and Smith one of several industry shifts
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Web address extension .vet among hundreds rolling out
12/9/2014
Domain names first come, first served
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Ownership of Sentinel antiparasitic line poised to change
10/31/2014
Virbac seeks Novartis veterinary drugs in transaction with Eli Lilly
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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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Most veterinarians reduce prices so animals can get care, survey finds
7/16/2014
Few practices track discounts systematically
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VCA Inc.: Gentle giant or takeover threat?
7/11/2014
Views of chain veterinary hospital owner span the spectrum
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Fate of Novartis portfolio in question after sale to Eli Lilly
6/27/2014
Deal creates world's second-largest animal health business
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Pet treats: Does 'Made in USA' mean safe?
6/10/2014
Illness linked to Chinese-made jerky spurs label changes
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Pet store chains to drop China-made treats — eventually
5/21/2014
Petco, PetSmart bow to customer concerns
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Veterinary private-practice sector makes modest rebound
5/13/2014
Revenues rise, mostly through price increases
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Blue Buffalo advertising draws long history of complaints
5/9/2014
In latest, Nestlé Purina sues for false advertising
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VCA Antech prevails in breach-of-contract suits
5/1/2014
Laboratory services provider continues suing veterinarians
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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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Equine hospital by New York racetrack revived
2/27/2014
Cornell University signs lease-buy agreement
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Veterinarians receiving loan repayment awards say program makes a difference
2/13/2014
But states have difficulty evaluating its effect on shortage areas
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Navigating student debt, income-based loan repayment
2/4/2014
Veterinarian shares experience, advice about dealing with government programs
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Demise of Partners in Wellness leaves some veterinarians in bind
10/14/2013
Program failed to catch on, Nestle PurinaCare says
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Veterinary clinics scrutinize CareCredit in wake of investigation
7/12/2013
Merchant expense, new rules, reputation questioned
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When dental schools closed: lessons for veterinary profession?
6/10/2013
Student applications, not practice economics, drove decisions
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Rise of veterinary chain ownership begets Canadian group purchasing
4/10/2013
Uniform pricing tradition gives way
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Banfield expansion brings new stand-alone clinics
3/28/2013
Eight in Portland, Ore.; other cities possible
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Group purchasing activity on upswing in veterinary medicine
2/28/2013
Organizations proffer bulk discounts to independent practices
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Is the doctor in?
12/5/2012
Veterinarians grapple with demand for extended hours
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Ultrasound machine salesman pleads guilty to theft
11/8/2012
Plea follows indictment of Patrick Jackson
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Satellite practices: academic evolution or unfair competition?
10/26/2012
OSU to open emergency, specialty practice in Columbus suburb
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Insiders lift veil off veterinary drug distribution practices
9/25/2012
Upcoming FTC meeting prompts disclosures
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Veterinarians recount ordeals with major lender
9/6/2012
Wells Fargo strives to 'serve as a trusted advisor to veterinarians'
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FTC eyes distribution of pet medications
7/11/2012
Workshop discussion could encompass diversion
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Hospital chain headhunts for talent among veterinary practice staff
7/3/2012
Veterinarians debate ethics of Banfield's recruiting methods
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No simple answers on supply and demand in veterinary profession
5/29/2012
Workforce data outdated, conflicting
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Veterinarian opens up about going undercover
5/22/2012
Flea-product diversion adventure twisted, turned
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Veterinarian investigates illicit diversion of flea products
5/8/2012
Gray-market sales veiled by deception, intrigue
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‘Why are vets so expensive?’
4/13/2012
Practitioner tackles sensitive question
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Veterinary diagnostics giant sues multiple practitioners
3/9/2012
VCA Antech alleges breach of extended lab service contracts
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VCA Antech buys largest Canadian veterinary chain
1/26/2012
Associate Veterinary Clinics operates 44 clinics in three provinces
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Veterinarians confront Internet pharmacy PetMed Express
1/16/2012
Company acknowledges: ‘Some mistakes were made’
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Veterinary practices inch back to growth
1/1/2012
Surveys of third-quarter results show some improvement
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PetMed Express stumbles
12/8/2011
Competitive pressure up in veterinary-drug sales
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Credit card processors pass costs of IRS rule to merchants
12/2/2011
Negotiate to have fees waived, expert advises
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Loan broker accused of bilking veterinarians now sells wellness plans
11/10/2011
Ron Paterson draws more complaints
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Bid to bring veterinary education to Alaska stirs debate
11/9/2011
Fears of oversaturation weigh on need for more veterinarians
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Merial knows, diverting veterinarians assert
11/4/2011
Maker of Frontline denies the company condones, encourages diversion
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More veterinarians sue flea products broker WTF Wholesale
11/4/2011
Claims collectively top a half-million dollars
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Equipment dealer deludes some, aids others
11/2/2011
Ron Sassetti earns mixed reviews from veterinarians
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‘Free’ Hill’s cat food samples not exactly free
10/24/2011
Veterinary clinics report accepting samples triggers orders for more
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Subterfuge, confusion surround new credit, debit card rules
9/30/2011
Merchant savings on fees not automatic
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VCA's buy of Vetstreet raises worries about control of clinic data
9/1/2011
New owner says it will not inspect clinic information
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Complaints mount against gray-market broker WTF Wholesale
8/29/2011
Problems open view into world of flea product diversion
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Entest to use veterinary practices as revenue driver, research venue
8/23/2011
Concerns about setup point to potential conflicts of interest
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Amerisource Medical under investigation by police in two states
8/3/2011
Ultrasound-equipment vendor accused of cheating customers
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Out of the frying pan, veterinarians mix economic uptick with uncertainty
7/28/2011
Increased competition likely to blunt recovery for veterinary clinics
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New poll finds many clinics in flagging health
7/18/2011
Study: Advertising, communication, consistency key to boosting veterinary visits
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Pfizer seeks to unload animal health division
7/8/2011
Sale or spin-off expected
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Tight job market squeezes large-animal veterinarians
6/27/2011
Some say shortage of food-supply practitioners is over
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Gilded Lilly? Bayer challenges Elanco claims
6/24/2011
Bayer challenges Elanco claims about diversion, loyalty to veterinarians
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Veterinary technicians: Opportunities, but at what cost?
6/9/2011
Support staff cite low wages, spotty professional respect
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Tough job market compels dogged hunt by new veterinarians
5/19/2011
Fewer grads enjoy luxury of multiple offers
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Proposal for new Banfield hospital prevails over objections
5/6/2011
Veterinarians in California city seek to resist ‘Wal-Martization’
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ISU wins first round in litigation against veterinarians
5/3/2011
Specialists barred from competing with ISU hospitals fight back
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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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Thrift commerce meets veterinary medicine in GroupDVM
2/10/2011
Company uses 'power in numbers' to leverage deals for veterinarians
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Study: Veterinarians can reverse decline in visits
1/27/2011
Report identifies contributing factors and ways to counter the trend
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Price soars on popular antibiotic metronidazole
1/13/2011
Limited competition among manufacturers behind increase
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Target tests market for pet medications
12/22/2010
Trend in retail sales of veterinary drugs accelerating
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Veterinarian struggles to protect her online reputation
12/8/2010
Practitioner suspects Internet extortion is at play
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Canine Health Institute closing its doors
11/18/2010
Veterinary center for pain, rehab, imaging, neurosurgery was unique
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Clinic owner struggles with ultrasound-equipment vendor
11/17/2010
Amerisource Medical blames veterinarian’s location for shipment delay
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Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program gets off ground
11/9/2010
First USDA awards go to 62 recipients
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Frontline, ProMeris not going OTC, manufacturers say
11/8/2010
Veterinary market research survey gives confusing message
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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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Navigating credit card security requirements
10/21/2010
Compliance isn't cheap or easy
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PetMed Express reports slip in sales
10/19/2010
Ad costs rise as consumer spending falls with the online pharmacy
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Lawsuit raises questions about sale of drugs to non-veterinarian
10/13/2010
Case brought by Bayer against shelter rescheduled for Dec. 2 hearing
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Health credit programs: safety net or predatory lending?
10/4/2010
NY state investigation puts veterinarians on the defensive
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CEVA buys Summit VetPharm
9/2/2010
Plans to market Vectra parasiticides globally
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Just say 'no' to telephone solicitors
8/23/2010
Clinic owners describe latest scheme involving Discover, Legal Club of America
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PVP, subsidiaries seek bankruptcy protection
8/23/2010
Veterinarians dismayed by state of company
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PVP faces bankruptcy; veterinarian investors stand to lose
8/12/2010
SEC filings reveal distributor entered into forbearance with lender
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Economic recovery still bumpy for veterinarians
6/8/2010
After first-quarter gains, California veterinary practice revenues slip in April
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Bayer wins some, loses some
4/28/2010
New sales policy continues to reverberate
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Veterinary publishers mixed on future of print journals
4/23/2010
Amid advertising decline, MediMedia bets on online services; others say print runs far from over
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Veterinarians bear brunt of software shortfalls, vendor growing pains
4/12/2010
VIA asks for patience as company updates practice management software
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Businesses join veterinarian in Yelp class action lawsuit
4/1/2010
DVMs need guidance for dealing with online reviews
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PetSmart first retailer to carry Advantage under new Bayer policy
3/17/2010
Banfield and other clinics turn away
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Merial details company stance on product diversion
2/26/2010
Executives speak out after veterinarians question company loyalty
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Bayer opens flea product sales to retail outlets
2/10/2010
Citing diversion, company ends policy of selling only through veterinarians
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PM software maker ImproMed buys VETECH
1/16/2010
Second acquisition for ImproMed within six months
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2009 brought huge consolidations in animal health industry
12/21/2009
Butler and Schein merger latest in a series
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Assets of a slow economy
12/7/2009
Putting life back into the work-life balance equation
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Merial reports Immiticide, Heartgard shortages
12/5/2009
Rationing of Immiticide leaves some veterinarians in a lurch
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Regulatory fee increases raise veterinarians' hackles
10/29/2009
California board readies to impose stiff price increases
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Sidewiki hijacks sites, puts reputations at risk, critics say
10/2/2009
Dangers of Google review tool spark concerns from veterinarians
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Online directory earns mixed reviews from veterinarians
9/16/2009
VINners air grievances about LocalVets.com, now known as YextVets
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Survey suggests recession spares many veterinary practices
9/3/2009
Reports show specialty, emergency practices bear brunt of downturn
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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
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California tax officials target breeders via Internet
6/29/2009
Officials search for those who skirt tax obligations
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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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Advanta Bank to close all credit accounts this week
5/27/2009
Card issuer catered to small businesses
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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
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Veterinary charity highlighted by economic woes
3/30/2009
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VNN unveils online advice site for pet owners
3/17/2009
Project to generate financial support for media network
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Economic downturn hits veterinary practices
3/11/2009
New VIN survey results anticipated
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COBRA subsidy puts more onus on employers
3/3/2009
New rules likely burdensome, experts say
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Calif. veterinary service tax proposal dies
2/25/2009
Issue could re-emerge in future budgets
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Off the table?
2/12/2009
Calif. sales tax on veterinary services loses steam
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Tax experts stress the economy this year
2/3/2009
Pay attention to practice management, they say
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New center aspires to help dogs that might otherwise be euthanized
2/2/2009
Rehab, pain management and imaging under one roof in Houston
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Reports show veterinary practices hurting
12/24/2008
Veterinarians feeling nation's longest recession in a quarter century
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Fed adopts consumer credit-card protections
12/19/2008
VIN members wary of other finance deals
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Fuel prices drop, yet surcharges remain for diagnostic services
12/18/2008
DVMs push back; Antech drafts letter to explain fees
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Survey Finds Economy Eroding Revenues
12/5/2008
The present depression in the economy is starting to be felt now, according to a survey of Veterinary Information Network members.
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Dr. Tice's interest rates reversed and refunded
11/26/2008
In a classic case of oil going to the squeaky wheel, a veterinarian whose soaring credit card interest fees roused indignation has gotten a refund on excessive interest charges.
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Henry Schein Executive Says Privacy Rules Impede Inquiry Into Credit Card Rate Hikes
11/20/2008
Company says most cardholders are unaffected
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Soaring credit card rates raise eyebrows, hackles
11/14/2008
Dr. Tice warns colleagues to watch their credit card interest rate; Henry Schein offers to advocate on behalf of customers using their affinity card.
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Sales Tax on Veterinary Services
11/11/2008
California may impose a sales tax of as much as 10.25 percent on veterinary services if a proposed economic plan from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is passed.
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Brokers say Economy Not Hindering Capital
10/28/2008
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Pet food prices squeeze owners, veterinarians
10/27/2008
Prescription diets costs skyrocket, setting off consumers
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Brakke to release economic downturn report
10/10/2008
Study to publish in mid-December
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AVMA to release economic data
9/9/2008
Biennial economic survey, starting salaries report set for publication
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Handshakes are history; read the fine print, consultant says
8/26/2008
Product purchase gone wrong burns veterinarian
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CPA accused of stealing $2.7 million from VPI
7/23/2008
Stephen Anthony Friekin faces 103 felony counts of money laundering
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Feeling the economic pinch? Stop giving away services, consultant says
7/22/2008
Dr. Thomas Catanzaro suggests ways to earn more income
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Landscape for business refinancing wide open, bankers say
Go local for low rates, veterinarian suggests
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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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Humane Society agrees to limit some services
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May 28, 2015
By Edie Lau
Photos by Pete Grady
The Idaho Humane Society’s existing facility (top) is near the Boise Airport in an out-of-the-way location that “nobody has ever just happened to come by,” whereas 35,000 vehicles a day pass its future location (bottom), said IHS Executive Director Dr. Jeff Rosenthal.
For 31 years, the Idaho Humane Society (IHS) has operated a full-service veterinary clinic open to the public, and for most of that time, the private-practice community paid little mind because the hospital was modest and located on the industrial outskirts of town.
That changed when the organization embarked on an ambitious expansion plan involving construction of a 6,000-square-foot animal hospital with teaching facilities for veterinary students on a 10-acre campus in central Boise that will encompass sheltering, adoption, public education in humane animal care and a public dog park.
Area private-practitioners perceived the new complex, scheduled to break ground in 2016, as a “university-type hospital,” and “freaked out,” said Dr. Robert Pierce, president of the Idaho Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA). “They feared they’d lose their life’s work.”
The prospect of having to compete against veterinary clinics run by nonprofit animal shelters and animal-welfare organizations — which are exempt from federal income taxes and benefit from donations and volunteer labor — is a simmering concern of private-practice veterinarians.
In Idaho, the conflict boiled over. The IVMA drafted legislation to circumscribe the scope of services provided by nonprofit clinics and limit them to tending animals belonging to low-income households. The negative attention came at the worst possible time for the humane society, in the midst of a $11.5 million fundraising campaign.
Both sides suffered, said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the humane society. “It was a terrible ordeal for the veterinary community,” he said. “A couple of years of hostility.”
Last month, the hostility came to a formal end when Rosenthal and Pierce signed an agreement under which the humane society voluntarily stopped providing wellness checkups and other non-emergency care to the public at large.
Those services now are available from the IHS only to pets whose owners’ incomes are at or below 75 percent of median income in the counties in which they live; and to active IHS employees and volunteers, as well as to animals in government service.
To the general public, the humane society clinic still provides spay and neuter surgeries, microchipping and treatment for urgent and emergency conditions.
Rosenthal said he would not have been able to accept the agreement otherwise. “There was no way — ethically, morally and practically — we would tell someone who’d come to us with a sick or injured or even dying animal that we couldn’t help them,” he said.
Pierce said the IVMA’s key interest was seeing the humane society focus its care on people who need charity.
“Charities need to operate in a charitable way,” he said. “Really, what we’re trying to do is make sure that the money going to a charity is actually used to help poor people. ... They shouldn't just operate a regular business.”
Ensuring this is in the interest of society as a whole, Pierce said, because taxpayers subsidize charitable organizations. Not only are such groups exempt from paying federal income taxes, he said, the donations they receive likewise are tax-exempt.
Rosenthal said the new limits will affect perhaps half of the people who brought their pets to the humane society clinic for routine wellness care in the past, and the organization will take a financial hit— how much, he said, he doesn’t know.
At the same time, Rosenthal allowed, “If it opens up slots to allow people to come to us who have no other options who have injured animals, then that’s a good thing. … Really, we’re in the business of urgent care.”
For those seeking preventive care, the IHS now asks them to sign a statement certifying their eligibility. They need not show proof.
“I know a lot of veterinarians will say that some people will cheat,” Rosenthal said. “But most nonprofit organizations in this country that are providing service, whether low-cost day care, Boys and Girls Clubs and so forth, nobody asks for documentation because it’s just a logistical nightmare. We’d have to hire a bunch of staff. …”
Moreover, Rosenthal said, many of the people most in need are the least likely to have the paperwork. “By requiring this sort of proof, you tend to shut out the people who most need the service,” he said. “The panhandler on the corner with a dog, we’re lucky if we can get an ID off of him.”
The IHS does ask low-income pet owners applying for reduced-fee services to prove their income status by showing pay stubs, Social Security statements or other documents.
Why, then, has the organization opted not to request income proof under its new policy restricting wellness services to low-income households? Or, conversely, why request it of those applying for discounted medical care?
Rosenthal said that asking for documentation from large numbers of people is impractical and potentially risky, owing to the need to keep the financial information confidential. “For a vaccine program, it seems like an overkill, frankly,” he said.
For access to discounted care, though, asking for documentation makes sense, he believes. “There’s an art to this, I suppose,” he mused. “… The donors expect us to be wise stewards of the resources.”
Still, if an applicant for reduced-fee care doesn’t produce the requested paperwork, the clinic will not refuse care. “You have to be flexible so that animals don’t leave here suffering,” Rosenthal said.
How conflict evolved
Rosenthal said it was important for the IHS to come to terms with the IVMA to the controversy, in light of its expansion plans. “This was a real headwind in our capital campaign,” he said.
The campaign has raised nearly 75 percent of its $11.5 million goal. The humane society already has acquired for $1.8 million the 10-acre site for its new campus. Although only about three miles from the existing location, the expansion will put the facility on a retail corridor at the geographic center of a region dubbed the Treasure Valley.
The existing hospital is cramped for the IHS veterinary team of eight doctors; at 2,000 square feet, Rosenthal said, it’s more appropriately sized for a practice of one full-time and one part-time veterinarian.
“We’re doing close to 10,000 spays and neuters a year, and lots of other stuff,” Rosenthal recounted. “We have a student program now with two resident students at all times from Washington State University. We’re a required rotation, kind of an adjunct teaching facility, so we needed room.”
He speculated, “Maybe it wouldn’t have raised as much concern if we’d decided to build on where we are right here behind the airport. Nobody would have known.”
But making do with the existing site wasn't a great option because expectations for humane societies have changed over the years, he said. The existing building was designed to house large numbers of animals for short periods of times. In the past, shelters were places where “the animals were not expected to come out on the other side,” Rosenthal said. “Now we’re under intense public pressure to save everything. The public is more and more demanding (that) from us.”
So the animals stay much longer as the staff works on saving not only the cream of the crop as in the past, but saving those with severe medical or behavioral issues, Rosenthal said. ”Veterinary hospitals are the tools we have to do that.”
Rosenthal said he understands why private practitioners might be unnerved by the prospect of a new, larger hospital closer to the heart of the city. He believes the wariness with which private-practice owners increasingly view nonprofit clinics is fueled at least in part by increased competition within the private sector.
“We’ve had a full-service hospital on the site since 1984,” Rosenthal said. “At that time, there were five other vet hospitals in the city of Boise in the Yellow Pages. Since that time, there’s been a huge number of vets that have come to this town. Even though we’ve been here longer than almost everybody else, as the pie gets cut into smaller slices, (and) as the economy tanked, people became increasingly sensitized. Every year, it seems more vets come to Boise and tap a shingle on the door.
“We got blamed, I think, for maybe some over-saturation.”
Rosenthal blamed himself for not developing relationships with the private-practice community after he joined the IHS in 2000. “I just kind of assumed everything was copacetic,” he said.
In accepting the agreement with the IVMA, the IHS headed off attempts to legislate the issue. Rosenthal is glad. “I don’t think that’s the answer to everyone doing a better job on getting along with each other,” he said.
One provision in the agreement has the IVMA and IHS meeting quarterly for the first two years and at least once a year from then on. The document states: “The purpose of these meetings is to review the means testing protocol, types and number of services being offered by the IHS, and to solicit suggested improvements to foster open communications and mutual support between the IVMA membership and the IHS …”
In perhaps a recognition that the new peace may be fragile, the agreement calls for meetings to be attended by two or more state legislators to serve as facilitators and mediators if disagreements arise.
In an opinion piece published in the Idaho Statesman newspaper explaining the original dispute and subsequent agreement, Pierce observed that IHS doctors are also members of the IVMA, “and thus, this was really a family quarrel.”
He concluded with optimism, “The family fight has ended and a needed precedent has been established; both sides are happy to move on.”
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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