AVMA News (cont.)
Midlevel practitioner proposal secures enough votes in Colorado
AVMA News,November 07, 2024
Colorado voters have approved a new veterinary midlevel practitioner (MLP) position known as a veterinary professional associate (VPA). Te unprecedented method for introducing such a change to the veterinary—let alone any health care profession—came via a ballot measure called Proposition 129. It received 52.3% “yes” votes, with 78% of the vote tallied as of November 7, per the Associated Press.
All Pets Deserve Vet Care—supported by the Dumb Friends League (DFL), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Animal Welfare Association of Colorado, the Humane Society of the United States, and others—was behind the initiative. Te group had gathered enough citizen signatures to put the measure on Colorado’s November 5 general election ballot.
Colorado voters narrowly approved Proposition 129 this November, which establishes the position of veterinary professional associate. Tese professionals will hold a master’s degree and work under the supervision of licensed veterinarians in the state.
Te AVMA and Colorado VMA (CVMA) came out staunchly against the proposition, saying the new practitioner would have inadequate training for doing complex tasks, such as surgery, that should only be done by veterinarians who undergo years of rigorous education and training. Te VPA would be a master’s level-trained individual who would be allowed to practice veterinary medicine—including diagnosing, creating treatment plans, and performing surgery.
Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences is in the process of developing a degree program for this Master’s of Veterinary Clinical Care. Most of the program would be taught online, which opponents argued would not provide sufficient laboratory and clinical exposure, and would put the health and safety of Colorado’s pets and other animals at risk. Tere is currently no accreditation of the educational program, no comprehensive test required to determine the competence of program graduates, and no licensing of those who would fill this role.
A recent survey showed that 95% of Colorado veterinarians were opposed to creating this position.
Additional information provided with Proposition 129 indicated that the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine would oversee examination and qualification processes for this midlevel position, as well as issue and renew registrations and set fees. Tis would all take effect by January 15, 2027.
“We are disappointed with the outcome of Proposition 129 on the ballot in Colorado; however, rest assured that now, more than ever, we will continue our work to ensure that the health and safety of Colorado’s animals are protected,” said Dr. Sandra Faeh, AVMA president. “Tis includes pursuing all options to ensure that pets and other animals receive high-quality care led and delivered by comprehensively educated, proficient, and licensed veterinarians. We look forward to working collaboratively with stakeholders in pursuit of a regulatory framework that will protect Colorado’s animals, their owners, our food supply, and public health.”
Te AVMA and CVMA worked over the past several months to inform the profession and the public of the impacts of this ballot measure by establishing the Keep Our Pets Safe campaign, which provided resources for veterinarians to help them inform their clients, created advertising and social media messages about the dangers of Proposition 129, and executed significant outreach to media outlets across the state.
Continued on pg. 42 Winter 2025 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
