Before anyone comments on this petition I would just like to say that it is not intended to allow ALL CE requirements to be filled by business courses.  Our neighboring states have adopted legislation such that Maryland accepts up to 6 of their 18 CE credits in business courses, and West Virginia accepts 4/18.  I think that a fair number for Virginia would be a maximum of 4 out of the 15 required CE credits, which would put us right in the middle of MD and WV percentage-wise.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing in favor of allowing non-clinical continuing education for licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians.  With the changing marketplace affecting the way small business is conducted in our state, it is imperative that professionals in veterinary medicine be allowed to pursue non-clinical CE in order to sustain and grow their businesses.  Veterinary and technician school curriculums in VA and across the United States have been updated in recent years to include non-clinical courses in business management, communications, and other soft skills.  These courses allow professionals to obtain skills that will benefit client and colleagial interactions, serve the community, and ultimately benefit their businesses.  Many practicing veterinarians and technicians graduated prior to the change in curriculum.  Allowing these individuals the opportunity to pursue continuing education credits will help develop this skillset.  It is well-documented that improving communication skills has a direct correlation to clinical outcome on a physiological and psychological level.  I urge that the Virginia Board make this change a priority in 2013. 

I would like to voice my strong support for changing the continuing education requirements for veterinarians.

Adding management continuing education will help existing practitioners as well as recent graduates to better serve their clients and patients.

As a frequent speaker at the Va/Md Veterinary School, the business topics are always extremely well attended.

Changing the current 15 hour requirement for CE to allow for 3-5 hours of management CE would be extremely helpful.

I am sure you have studied other state's CE requirements. Many require more than Va and most of those include a set number that can be management related. It will help our profession, its members, and especially the public that we serve.

Respectfully submitted,

Chuck Keiser, DVM

I support the proposed change for the VA state veterinary board to accept some (3-5 hours) of non-clinical CE courses for credit towards the annual requirement.  I am finding that more courses for practice management and client communication are offered at many conferences.  This important aspect of practice will allow us to better serve our clients and patients, while maintaining a sustainable business. 

Ben Halsey, DVM

I am writing to support the allowance of non clinical ce for veterinarians and technicans.  Most states allow this practice because of the value it brings to veterinarians and technicians.

Thank you for considering this change

Kaylyn Singleton

1st year LVT student BRCC

I do not think that management courses should count for CE for your LVT.  The requirment is already so low I'd hate to see real medical CE pushed out even further.  Jennifer Hagar, LVT, VTS (ECC)

I am also in support of allowing some Non-clinical CE hours to count towards fulfilling CE requirements.  As a business owner, I have come to understand how important practice management and client communication is in providing the highest quality of clinical care to our patients and clients.  This combined with the almost complete lack of practice management that is offered in veterinary school makes it essential for us to be able to have access to this information in a CE setting.  I urge the board to consider this proposal.

I am very much in favor of the allowance of a minimal number of CE credits to cover business management and finance classes.  As a practice owner/Doctor this is an everyday part of clinic life and very important subject to cover in order to be a better provider of services to our clientele and to be more effective administrators to our staff.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth D. Shuler, DVM

Powell Valley Animal Hospital

Big Stone Gap, VA

I am writing to encourage the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine to allow a set number of the 15 CE credits required to be filled by management/finance/business topics.  Veterinary practices continue to be one of the worst managed health-care based small businesses, based on profitability and staff turnover, and our veterinary schools are so overwhelmed with teaching medicine that they are unable to deliver the quality and volume of business knowledge necessary to be successful in today’s economy.  Given the steady increase in student debt and the number of older practitioners trying to retire and sell their practices, equipping the next generation of veterinarians with business/finance knowledge is critical to the health of the industry and to allowing our veterinarians to practice high quality medicine.

Sincerely,

Stith Keiser, Director of AAHA Career Development

I am in support of this change for the following reasons. 

1. Improved communication skills between veterinary staff and clients. This becomes even more important for non routine visits when client emotions are heightened by a sick or injured pet. 

2. Polling other states CE requirements, it is common practice to allow a part of the yearly CE requirements for veterinarians and technicians. 

3. Non clinical CE is not limited to veterinary business information, it also could include Personnel management, grief counseling, compassion fatigue, inventory management to name a few, which is a win win for the veterinary team and the public being served. 

I would purpose  2 CE credits allowed, per year.

Thank you for considering this change.

Taryn Singleton, LVT   VALVT member

As a doctor of 13 years experience I am against the acceptance of practice management CE to fulfill the VA DHP licensure requirements.  A doctor's focus needs to be primarily on the science of providing optimal care for their patients.  

Having attended myself many practice management lectures, I do not feel that many have added in any way to improve my clinical skills or provide better patient care.

The current number of CE hours required by the VA DHP is not exhaustive.  There is plenty of time for doctors who feel compelled to study as an elective practice management to do so, in addition to meeting their 'science' requirement.

Moreover, I feel that allowing practice management oriented courses as accepted CE is unwise in the court of public perception.  I prefer the DHP works to uphold the scientific standards of its licensees.

Sincerely,

Dr. Silverstone

I am signing the petition to accept continuing education courses in business management and finance to count in the annual continuing education requirements for veterinarians and LVT's. 

Business management is very important with respect to veterinary medicine.  Good management is crucial to have to create a good practice team which helps with client compliance and therefore patient care.  Financial matters are also important to know as well, since they can directly affect the outcome of the success of a practice - especially since most veterinary practices are small businesses and things are changing rapidly with small businesses.

I support the VA Board allowing a small portion (2 hours?) of non-clinical education hours be counting toward the yearly CE requirement.  Like it or not, the business of veterinary medicine is indeed a business. Like all businesses, trends in efficiency and information dissemination evolve (did any practioners who graduated 20 years ago envision Facebook or Twitter at all, let alone as a practice tool?).  Veterinarians' ability to learn our business better (including practice owners, associates, and technicians) will allow us to be better at what we ultimately strive to do--deliver high quality medical advice and services to our clients and patients.  If we do not care for our clients, we will not have the opportunity to care for their pets; if we do not care for ourselves by balancing our work and "other life", making a decent wage and managing debt, we can care for neither our clients nor their pets.

I strongly urge the Board to acknowledge the inclusion of non-clinical CE hours as an important step in furthering the overall fitness of Virginia veterinary professionals.

I am in support of the board allowing business CE to be recognized. As an associate I think it is important for us to understand the business side of veterinary medicine. By understanding changes or progresssions in the business it not only can benefit our clients but our businesses as well. 

Thank you, Christina Martin, DVM

As a LVT, I am in favor to approve non- clinical CE. In most clinics LVT's find themselves in management positions. I think this is a great asset to the practice and should be perceived of grave importance.  A LVT knows the ins and outs of the practice, and we should be given credit for learning the proper techniques to make our practices function more efficiently and productively.  

I am in support of allowing a limited number of CE credits (3-4) to apply toward the Virginia annnual requirement.   I support this for the following reasons.

1)  non clinical CE (business management topics) would not be a requirement for all practitioners but for those who are interested this they would have this option to attend non-clinical CE an have it count toward their annual requirement.

2)  Veterinary medicine is a sevice oriented business.  Having been a practice owner business management CE was critical in the success of our practice for the owner(s) and anyone involved in management.  In addition it is imporant for associates  to understand the basics of business management to understand the goals and mission of their practice.

3)  Non-clincial CE should include topics such as advances in IT and other technology, social media and electronic medical records.  The state of medical records in our profession is often despicable. Topics in the legal ramificaitons of incomplete or sparse medical records should be included.  Practitioners should have more exposure to what could be done with electronic medical records that would both protect them and improve efficiency  to allow more profitablility in practice.

4)  "Soft skills" are essential to the successful veterinarian whether anyone wants to admit this or not.  In my experience the most successful clinicans are those that not only have excellent clinical skills but also have exellent communication skills.  For some this is natural, but for others it is somethiing that requires work. I think wen should having CE count that would include communication style and skills, conflict management, leadership, etc.  

I am overwhelmingly in support of these changes.  As an LVT in a Large Animal Practice, I am involved with decisions which affect the overall management and finances of the clinic.  All members of the medical team in a veterinary clinic should be educated with the most current managerial and financial information available.  LVT's are the "Jack of all Trades" in most clinics and would be best used not only in medical positions but in management/financial positions.  LVT's should be and are the most valuable asset to the success of a clinic, please allow them the education (CE) in  financial and management practices which would benefit all clinics in Virginia.

I am writing in support for the non-clinical CE requirements amendment.  Business management is an integral part of the animal care industry, which is as inclusive of client education/communications as it is the actual care of our furred/feathered/scaled and shelled friends (hope that covers them all).  I can appreciate the concern for non-clinical CE consuming credits from the 15 required-I am a super proponent for wet labs/surgical/anesthetic protocol CE seminars wherever and whenever possible since that is the reason most of us have entered into this field.  With so many free CE webinars available to us now, however, I wonder if it’s not possible, down the road, to slightly increase the requirements allowing for more diversity (as I put my protective shield up).

 I support ammending Section 70 of the BVM Regulations to accept continuing education courses in business management and finance for the following reasons:

• Business management topics would include education in communication which could serve to enhance not only communication within the members of a practice team, but also communication with clients.  Good client communication has been shown to increase compliance and patient outcomes and decrease misunderstanding of anticipated medical outcomes and complaints by dissatisfied/upset pet owners.
• According to research from the Society for Human Resource Management [PDF], about 50 percent of hourly workers quit within the first four months of being hired, while half of senior-level hires resign within the first 18 months of taking a new position.  Additional education in practice management and human resource management could have a positive effect on turnover in practices and help retain experienced veterinary technicians and veterinarians in the profession.
• The topics of grief counseling, compassion fatigue and conflict resolution are not currently accepted as professional CE.  Inclusion of these topics and the subsequent increase in education on these topics has the potential to provide a significant resource to clients and empower veterinary team members with the tools needed to cope in the often high-pressure world of veterinary practice.
• Enhancing the business and financial skills of practice owners/managers allows them to stay competitive in the ever changing veterinary marketplace.  With the increase in corporate and non-profit veterinary service providers it becomes more and more difficult for small businesses to thrive. Small businesses have long been the backbone of the American economy, the mainstay of the veterinary profession and the place that most people choose to obtain care for their furred and feathered family members.

Thank you for your consideration of these points. 

As a clinical instructor, and a former private practitioner, I strongly support the inclusion of business management topics as a component of CE credits for maintaining licensure.  Graduates from a veterinary degree program are trained to be doctors, but rarely ever to be business owners/operators.  Understanding and incorporating good business skills is vital to success, especially as the competition for clients is ever increasing.

The importance of business and management skills for veterinary graduates are being increasingly recognized. This is particularly the case in our current economic environment and with the evolving business focus of veterinary practice.  We are placing increasing emphasis on development of these skills within the veterinary curricular, however, it is essential there are additional opportunities for veterinarians to contine to grow and expand these important skills after graduation.  I fully support the opportunity for veterinarians to obtain continuing education credit for non-clinical courses in these areas.     

I strongly oppose thiis amendment, clinical CE maintains the quality of the profession. Business management CE is a personal choice. 

Strong opposition in allowing a Virginia licensed veterinariian to earn CE in non-veterinary related topics. The quality of one's continuing education in the field of vet med will obviously decline. If one is allowed to earn CE's in business and finance, then what keeps the vet from earning CE's in liberal arts?

As a business person myself, time is very important. Continuing education is an effective tool for business owners, managers and employees to maintain there skill sets. Continuing Education courses and programs meet the schedule availability that we have.Traditional education programs often require times that are not practical for us.  I would ask the Board to amend section 70 of the Board of Veterinary Medicine regulations to accept continuing education courses in business management and finance. Please make this tool available to veterinarians.

Thank you.  Conrad Mehan

I am an LVT working in the Shenandoah valley and would be in favor of allowing a portion of our annual CE to be in approved Management and finance categories.  I feel this will make technicans more valuable to the practices we work in and give us the training and ability to advance our careers if desired.

Thank you,

Anne Lynch, LVT

 I think that having management/business (non-clinical) building CEs are important not only for those with licenses, but for the clients and patients as well. When I first graduated, I recall having all this medical knowledge, but no real people skills to speak of, and I believe my efficacy  in client education was negatively affected by it. Not everyone is born with customer service skills and even fewer know exactly what management is all about. I think making it part if the CE requirements is a very good idea

I support the change for the additional ce for non clinical studies.  This would benefit the entire veterinary field as one.

Please consider the change.

Thanks, Priscilla Flinn, LVT

As a student who has been to the National VBMA meeting at NAVC for the past two years, I have been exposed to how important being business competent is for advancing the profession.  In order for hospitals to provide the best quality of care, the finances and management must be in good order.  With rising student debt and decreased visits to the veterinarian's office by pet owners, I think educating veterinarians in business should not only be allowed but encouraged.

The veterinary industry is here to serve the public and their pets.  The majority of  technicians are proivded NO business or managment skills before entering full time employement.  Many technicians are pressed into inventory managment, schedule writing, performing staff evaluations, and various other arenas.  Without training in inventory management - prices on goods and services may be higher than necessary due to having too much stock ordered (expires before use) or patients and clients might not get the medications or services needed in a timely manner because something runs out.   Prices may also rise if technicians leave the practice because they are performing skills with little to no support or training and become frustrated.  Turnover is incredibly costly for a business and those costs may get passed along to the public.  These skills also provide a way for technicians to increase skill set and salary which would lead to job satisfaction and in turn keep them in the practice for a longer time.   I'd like to see a small amount of non-clinical CE accepted ) so that technicins are able to attend lectures on a wide variety of subjects, get all the CE they need for the year, and return to the clinic with new ideas that benefit the entire practice.

As an LVT, I do find myself in a position from time to time needing to be more familiar with management and inventory.  I do feel that allowing a portion of CE for both LVTs and DVMs to be non-clinical is important because these are subjects that are not touched on very much during school and many of "us" come into the real world knowing the medical aspects, but failing in business aspects of veterinary medicine.  I feel that it would be beneficial to our patients, our clients, our businesses and ourselves if we were able to take a few sessions out of our  conferences, on line sessions and monthly group meetings to focus on these subjects! 

Valerie Tyree LVT

It would only benefit all of the veterinary world to be able to manage business better. Coming from a clinic that sees quite a number of patients as referrals etc our prices are extremely higher than most. To be able to manage this in terms of respecting clients and dealing with patients on a day to day basis, it would only help if we could explain how the business and finances of our world work. These education classes can only benefit us more. I am also dealing with a broken foot right now due to injury. I can tell you from my experience with HR, it doesn't seem like many people really know what is occurring. When the veterinary business cannot run one facility, or another facility or another.... we start to see our "building blocks" start to tumble down. We need to learn how to maintain our buisness, without it, the internet markets etc will continue to take over.

I think there should be an allowance of a certain number of hours for non clinical CE for vet techs. Many techs are practice managers or are in some sort of supervisory role and finance and/or management education is important. I do not think the board should allow the entire year of CE to be non clinical related, as the primary role of the technician is to focus on the clinical needs of our patients.

I believe that courses in business/management/finances/grief counseling/conflict resolution/compassion fatigue should all be excepted by the BVM as approved CE. 

Business management and finances are extremely important in the veterinary field.  Mangers in these fields require training in order to become effective team members.  Managers are the glue that help keep the veterinary team afloat.  By this I mean that they are the ones who are the leaders in the veterinary practice.  Without proper training they can create a high turnover rate for the business, they can cause a business to go under without proper financial training,  and marketing is a key to continue business growth.  Employees that have an effective leader will stay with that company longer...this takes skill and training in my opinion.  Conflict resolution is also a part of the job and if not handled correctly could cause loss of employees and possibly law suits.  Conflicts are not only between staff members but clients as well.  Proper training on how to handle conflict is essential in the veterinary industry in my opinion.

Grief counseling and compassion fatigue CE is essential for the veterinary staff.  The properly trained staff member(s) in these areas can help direct clients and employees to the correct resources available to help them.  We are not asking them to be counselors per say but advocates for the well being of others which includes staff and clientel. 

I believe that CE in these areas can only benefit the veterinary industry.  The more knowledge we have the more effective we can be to our communities.

Thank you,

Kathy Sullivan

To me, this is a no-brainer.  Good business sense is an important part of high-quality veterinary service to our clients and patients.

I think it is a good idea to allow LVT's to get CE in business management and communication courses if our jobs and practices would benefit from that knowledge. I don't feel a LVT should have to take those courses if it will not benefit their veterinary practice.  The CE education would allow us to be better equipped to foster good communication between fellow staff members as well as clients of the veterinary practice.  By developing better business practices and communication skills, we will provide better customer service and retain skilled employees to help the practice continue to flourish and grow.

I am in support for the following reasons: 

1. It will promote a better understanding of the overall management of the hospital and increased awareness of how to best serve and support clients and their pets. 

2.  It will allow DVMS and LVTs an opportunity to stay competitive in the every changing veterinary field.

3.  It should also include inventory management, personnel management and grief counseling.

4.  Consider at least 2 CE credits.

Thank you for considering this change.

Donna Walthall, LVT      VALVT member

I feel that a limited amount of Continuing Education should be in business management and finance even if this means increasing our required amount of credits.  I believe this will help the profession and the community. 

I am writing in support of allowing a small amount of non-clinical business management topics to count towards our yearly continuing education requirements.  Veterinary medicine is continuously evolving, not only on the clinical side, but also on the business management side.  Many veterinary technicians and veterinarians did not have much or any business management education when they were in school, and even if they did, things are constantly changing. 

In order to stay on top of the latest laws, technologies and procedures, along with learning better methods of personnel management, communication and conflict resolution, I feel it is important to allow veterinary technicians and veterinarians to use some of their yearly continuing education requirements on non-clinical business management topics (if they so choose), which in the end will benefit and protect our veterinary hospitals, co-workers, patients and clients. 

Thank you for your consideration of this proposed change.

Amanda Sontag, LVT

VALVT Tidewater Regional Director

Veterinarians who know the medical information but do not know how to communicate with their clients, work with their staff, or keep their practice financial viable are not going to be able to help the community they serve in the best way. 

It is important to encourage veterinarians to seek out these skills, many veterinarians do not have the financial resources to pursue CE opportunities that do not contribute toward their yearly requirement. 

I do not think ALL the CE credit should be allowed to be business based, but at least some of it should be. 

~ Cynthia Johnson, DVM - Ashburn VA

As a new graduate from veterinary school, I had the pleasure of attending the newly introduced business management lectures placed in our curriculum. Not only are these lectures fundamental for our curriculum, they are fundamental for the profession. Although clinical continuing education is incredibly important since medical knowledge improves by leaps and bounds each year, providing some form of business education is equally important if we are to survive the decline in the economy. Many veterinarians enter school knowing they love animals and they want to learn to treat them, but leave school without any business knowledge or capability to run a practice (hence corporate run firms like Banfield and VCA). If we expect to keep clinics in private hands, more CE is needed to help teach veterinarians how to run a successful business, excel in marketing, and continually grow in client numbers. Please add business education and management to the possible CE pool to allow us to become more well rounded practitioners and business owners. 

I am in support of changing the acceptance of CE courses in non-clinical courses and also support that the CE requirements for LVTs be increased to 8 CE hours per year. 

Allowing practice management CE courses be counted as CE hours will help to create strong, well-rounded professionals in Veterinary Medicine. These CE courses provide education and growth opportunites in very important aspects of the profession, from inter-team communication to inventory management. A team that is trained in these areas can provide great client service, effective communication and have a strong sense of the bigger "business" picture. This improves the client experience, patient care and makes for a rewarding career!

This being said, I still believe that LVTs need to provide a minimum of 6 hours of scientific hours. So ideally LVTs would have the opportunity to provide 6 hours scientific, 2 hours pracitce management.

Thank you for taking the time to review this petition and make the effort to improve Virginia's standard for Continuing Education!

I oppose the proposal as written.  Most vets are not business owners, but work for the veterinary hospital or clinic.  It is my opinion that vets are licensed to care for animals and to give medical care to animals and need to focus their continuing education on courses that will assist the vet in giving competent care to the animals.  Vets who choose to own the business, need to accept the responsibility that comes with owning a business in addition to the responsibility that comes with taking care of the animals.  They reap the benefits, and should accept that there are additional burdens with those benefits.  Pet owners should not have to bear the burden of the vet's education for business practice when it can impact the quality of care that our pets receive.

 As an owner of companion animals, I take my cats to the vets for their medical care.  I do not take my pets to the vets because of the vet’s business acumen.

 Based on experience, I believe that pet owners in VA need any and all protection that they can receive that will help vets be competent.  Continuing education can add a little assurance to pet owners that their vet is up to date on veterinary care.

It is my opinion, that VA does not require a vet to practice veterinary care with any degree of reasonable care.

Case in point:

            Molly Mittens a healthy kitten went to the vets for a routine spay.

            Her surgery ended at 1130 a.m.

            At 2:30 p.m. the vets told the owners that her surgery “went well” and “she was waking up fine”.

            At 4:40 p.m. the vet writes in the medical record that “Molly is non responsive.” The vet does nothing.  No VS were taken, no saturation was taken, NO call to the owners to all them to make an informed decision as to whether or not to transfer her to an overnight clinic.

            At 5 p.m., the vet locks the doors and turns off the lights.

In the morning, this precious, innocent kitten is found dead.  No surprise since no treatment or care nor was a phone call made to the owners to give them the option of making an informed decision.

 The Veterinary Board of VA determined that this did not violate any regulations, despite the fact that VA does require that vets practice in a manner that is consistent with a reasonable standard of care.

Since this vet, per the Board, did not violate any regulations therefore this vet practiced a reasonable standard of care. Meaning in VA, a vet can leave a non responsive kitten who was waking up well 2 hours earlier all alone to die and not even call the owner.  This is what passes for a "reasonable standard of care" for veterinarians in VA.

I believe that this Board should have required this vet to take mandatory education regarding post op care of a patient and a course in veterinary ethics.  (If one exists. If one does not exist, that is a problem that this board needs to address.  Attorneys in VA are required to have 2 hours of Ethics each year, this should be a requirement for vets, in my opinoin.)  The owners should have been notified and should have been allowed to make an informed decision as to Molly’s care. Which I can assure you, would not have been to turn off the lights and allow Molly to suffer and die all alone in the dark.

Please protect the pets and the pet owners in VA and do not allow this proposal.  I have no doubt that this board will instead decide to protect the vets of VA.  Part of being able to call yourself a "professional" means that there is meaningful self-governance and Peer Review.  When the board fails in it's mandate to do adequate Peer Review, it lowers the standards for all veterinarians, and makes it difficult to see vets as anything other than technicians and not professionals.

 I am willing to share Molly Mittens’ medical record, my complaint to the Board and the Board’s decision, that Molly’s care was appropriate with anyone who is interested.  I can be contacted at mollymittens7@gmail.com. I have consulted many "neutral" vets and have yet to find one that can explain why this was appropriate care and met a reasonable standard of care for Molly. 

 Pet owners and their pets deserve a much higher reasonable standard of care from vets or in Molly's care a minimal standard of care.  Taking her VS, or calling the owner should have been the minimal that was done to help Molly.  However, in Virginia not even that is required of a vet.

Please, please protect our pets and not the vets.

Respectfully submitted,

Molly Mittens’ Mom.

Thank you Dr. Silverstone!!!!

I fully agreed that a limited number of business c.e. courses should be allowed. A maximum of 4 or 5 would be appropriate.Veterinarians always have the option to take as many business related courses as they want if they feel the need.

6-18-13

Dear Virginian Board of Veterinary Medicine,

As you may know, I am a veterinarian first and a lawyer second. As a veterinary practitioner in CA and now in PA for a total of 17 years and a speaker and author for 30 years, I am fully aware that veterinary licensees cannot practice contemporary medicine and surgery unless they own or work in a well managed, profitable and legally compliant business. That means that a knowledge of current business, marketing, information technology, practice management, pharmacy, financial and human resource  principles is essential. It is one thing to stay current with respect to the ever changing standards of care for the delivery of veterinary services; it is another to be able to generate sufficient revenue to do that. The two are totally linked, which is why most state veterinary boards accept up to a quarter or a third of mandatory CE on these subjects.

However, a contemporary knowledge of and exposure to a wide range of legal issues is equally important. These include:

1. Moral, ethical, legal decision making;

2. Ethical relationships with veterinary colleagues;

3. The legal use of veterinary drugs, biologicals and pesticides;

4. The rapidly changing precedents involving animal law;

5. The law of professional negligence including: a) the rapidly changing standards of care for the administration and monitoring of anesthesia,  the use of appropriate antibiotics and pain management drugs, effective low stress animal restraint and referrals of cases to specialists and emergency clinics, b)  risks that lead to state board and civil litigation complaints and c)  learning communication and medical competency skills that will minimize client lawsuits and state board allegations of negligence or incompetence;

6. Understanding and staying current with state board licensing regulations for veterinarians and technicians; and

7. State board requirements for properly maintained medical records and DEA rules for managing controlled drugs.

In summary, it is impossible to practice veterinary medicine in 2013 without a knowledge of far more expertise than the delivery of competent veterinary care. The Virgina Board is encouraged to join the vast majority of other Boards of Veterinary Medicine and include business and practice management as well as veterinary law and ethics as CE that meets the Commonwealth's regulatory requirements and protects its consumers of veterinary services.

Respectfully submitted,

James F. Wilson, DVM JD

Priority Veterinary Management Consultants

Yardley, PA 19067