A profession united: Opposing dangerous workforce proposals

AVMA President Dr. Sandra Faeh briefed the House of Delegates in January on the AVMA's work to oppose dangerous proposals for a veterinary midlevel practitioner, pointing to significant progress despite Colorado's recent election result approving creation of such a position there.

"The good news is that our profession is now more united than ever," Dr. Faeh said in opening remarks at the HOD's meeting.

"All 50 state veterinary medical associations, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico VMAs, have committed to opposing a midlevel practitioner," she said. "Key allied veterinary organizations in the HOD, key specialty organizations, and organizations like American Humane and the American Kennel Club, also stand opposed."

A fruitful collaboration

When the AVMA and Colorado Veterinary Medical Association joined together to oppose the referendum known as Colorado Proposition 129, "research showed those in favor of the measure heavily outnumbered those against it, in large part because of how the proposition was framed," Dr. Faeh said. "As we educated the public about the dangers … we saw a steady change in public opinion."

"While we are disappointed by the outcome of Proposition 129, it is important to note that the vote was close, with 52.7% in favor and 47.3% opposed," she said. "More than 1.3 million Coloradans voted against the proposition, and with such a narrow approval margin, it shows how organized advocacy efforts driven collaboratively by the AVMA and others can have a direct impact on public opinion."

"It also shows that the public recognizes the importance and complexity of the work that veterinarians and veterinary technicians do to care for their patients," she said, "and that they want only properly trained and competence-assessed individuals filling those roles.

Dr. Faeh also hailed the cooperation between the AVMA and Colorado VMA. "Our work with the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association and its leadership was a model of true collaboration," she said. "Colorado veterinarians mobilized and raised their voices across the state. The AVMA provided data and insights, serving as a trusted convenor to help organize the opposition."

More work to come

Looking ahead, Dr. Faeh promised continued vigilance and leadership from the AVMA. "It's critically important that we all stay alert and actively engaged on this topic, as we know there are efforts afoot to launch similar proposals in other states," she said.

"We made a lot of progress this past year and will put that to work going forward. The AVMA and our partners will continue to work with stakeholders across the nation to share our concerns about the dangers of an insufficiently trained midlevel practitioner; support appropriate recognition and leveraging the full skill sets of our already comprehensively trained and qualified veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician specialists; and do everything we can to ensure that our clients and the animals we serve continue to receive quality veterinary care, and that the nation's food supply and public health are protected."

Read the full text of Dr. Faeh's speech here.

For more information on the AVMA's work on this and related workforce issues, visit avma.org/Workforce.

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