*Northern NY Has the greatest shortage of Equine Veterinarians in New York State!
 *There are areas where there is NO equine or large animal vet service.
*In some places, an emergency call (If answered) will take a minimum of 6 hours response time!

 

Veterinarian Shortage:

USDA Addresses Veterinarian Shortages: USDA's Cooperative State 

Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has scheduled a public meeting for September 15, 2008 in Washington DC to solicit comments regarding implementation of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).  In exchange for providing veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations, USDA would help repay loans for participating vets.  

 

The shortage of large-animal veterinarians in rural areas is becoming an increasingly significant problem for cattle producers, who rely on veterinarians to ensure a healthy herd.  Long hours, significant travel, and high education debts all combine to reduce the number of students electing to serve large animals and rural areas.  

 

NCBA supports increased recruitment of veterinary students and an in-depth conversation of incentives to encourage students to enter rural practices.  

 

For more information, please visit:  

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/business/reporting/stakeholder/an_stakeholder_vmlrp.html

 

USAHA News Flash, January 9, 2008

CALL TO ACTION!

The Nation's Veterinary Workforce Needs

Addressed in the Senate Version of the 2007 Farm Bill

Section 11014 

THE VETERINARY WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM 

Section 7003 

THE VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAN REPAYMENT 

 

U.S. veterinary medicine needs can be resolved by including Sections 11014 and 7003 in the final version of the 2007 Farm Bill

Listed below is key information from the National Research Council of the National Academies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, American Veterinary Medical Association and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges that highlights the veterinary medicine needs. 

There are only 28 U.S. colleges of veterinary medicine; they graduated 2,478 veterinarians in 2007.  These colleges are at maximum capacity for students they can accept due to space limitations for diagnostics research, laboratories and teaching facilities.

There is currently an identified shortage of 1,500 veterinarians in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security and in national/local veterinary positions in biosecurity, domestic and foreign animal disease research, rural practice, wildlife disease control, animal care and welfare, and laboratory animal care and research.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2025 the human population will increase 15 percent.  Historically animal populations increase proportionally. With today's shortages combined with projected increases over the next 20 years, there will be a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians.

In order to provide the current level of veterinary medical services for society, in the next 40 years there will be an equivalent need of 9 veterinary medical colleges due to the projected increase in population.

43 % of veterinary pathology positions are unfilled today and many pathologists are nearing retirement. 

There is currently a shortage of 500 food animal private veterinarians and that number is increasing every year. 

In July 2005, the National Research Council of the National Academies called for the country to build veterinary capacity through both recruitment and preparation of additional veterinary graduates into careers of food systems, biomedical research, diagnostic laboratory investigation, pathology, epidemiology, ecosystem, and health and food animal practice.  In addition the National Academies called for competitive grants to be made available to scientists to upgrade equipment for animal disease research and to construct and maintain government and university biosafety facilities for livestock, poultry, and wildlife.

There is an Urgent Need for you to 

Contact Senators and House Members of Congress

These needs still exist. Please contact key House and Senate members of Congress to ensure these important Sections 11014 and 7003 are included in the final 2007 Farm Bill. The contact information for the members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and the House Committee on Agriculture is available (See List Below)

If you are unable to speak directly with the House or Senate member, ask to speak with the agriculture assistant in the office who is responsible for the Farm Bill.

USAHA.org

House of Representatives

AL: Rep. Jo Bonner 422 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4931 F:(202) 225-0562 bonner.house.gov

AL: Rep. Terry Everett 2312 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2901 F:(202) 225-8913 house.gov/everett

AL: Rep. Michael Rogers 324 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3261 F:(202) 226-8485 house.gov/mike-rogers

CA: Rep. Dennis Cardoza 435 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6131 F:(202) 225-0819 house.gov/cardoza

CA: Rep. Jim Costa 1314 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3341 F:(202) 225-9308 house.gov/costa

CA: Rep. Joe Baca 1527 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6161 F:(202) 225-8671 house.gov/baca

CO: Rep. John Salazar 1531 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4761 F:(202) 226-9669 house.gov/salazar

CO: Rep. Marilyn Musgrave 1507 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4676 F:(202) 225-5870 house.gov/musgrave

FL: Rep. Timothy Mahoney 1541 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5792 F:(202) 225-3132 mahoney.house.gov

GA: Rep. Jim Marshall 504 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6531 F:(202) 225-3013 house.gov/marhshall

GA: Rep. John Barrow 213 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2823 F:(202) 225-3377 house.gov/barrow

GA: Rep. David Scott 417 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2939 F:(202) 225-4628 davidscott.house.gov

IA: Rep. Leonard Boswell 1427 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3806 F:(202) 225-5608 house.gov/boswell

IA: Rep. Steve King 1609 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4426 F:(202) 225-3193 house.gov/steveking

IL: Rep. Timothy Johnson 1207 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2371 F:(202) 226-0791 house.gove/timjohnson

IN: Rep. Joe Donnelly 1218 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3915 F:(202) 225-6798 donnelly.house.gov

IN: Rep. Brad Ellsworth 513 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4636 F:(202) 225-3284 ellswork.house.gov

KS: Rep. Jerry Moran 2202 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2715 F:(202) 225-5124 house.gov/moranks01

KS: Rep. Nancy Boyda 1711 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6601 F:(202) 225-7986 boyda.house.gov

LA: Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. 1117 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2031 F:(202) 225-5724 house.gov/boustany

MI: Rep. Tim Walberg 325 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6276 F:(202) 225-6281 walberg.house.gov

MN: Rep. Tim Walz 1529 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2472 F:(202) 225-3433 walz.house.gov

MN: Rep. Collin Peterson 2211 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2165 F:(202) 225-1593 collinpeterson.house.gov

MO: Rep. Sam Graves 1415 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-7041 F:(202) 225-8221 house.gov/graves

NC: Rep. Bob Etheridge 1533 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4531 F:(202) 225-5662 house.gov/etheridge

NC: Rep. Virginia Foxx 430 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2071 F:(202) 225-2995 house.gov/foxx

NC: Rep. Mike McIntyre 2437 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2731 F:(202) 225-5773 house.gov/mcintyre

NC: Rep. Robin Hayes 130 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3715 F:(202) 225-4036 hayes.house.gov

ND: Rep. Earl Pomeroy 1501 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2611 F:(202) 226-0893 pomeroy.house.gov

NE: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4806 F:(202) 225-5686 house.gov/fortenberry

[Type text]

NE: Rep. Adrian Smith 503 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6435 F:(202) 225-0207 adriansmith.house.gov

NY: Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand 120 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5614 F:(202) 225-1168 gillibrand.house.gov

NY: Rep. Randy Kuhl 1505 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3161 F:(202) 226-6599 kuhl.house.gov

OH: Rep. Jean Schmidt 238 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3164 F:(202) 225-1992 house.gov/schmidt

OH: Rep. Robert Latta 1203 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6405 F:(202) 225-1985

OH: Rep. Zack Space 315 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6265 F:(202) 225-3394 space.house.gov

OK: Rep. Frank Lucas 2311 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5565 F:(202) 225-8698 house.gov/lucas

PA: Rep. Tim Holden 2417 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5546 F:(202) 226-0996 holden.house.gov

SD: Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin 331 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-2801 F:(202) 225-5823 house.gov/herseth

TN: Rep. Lincoln Davis 410 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-6831 F:(202) 226-5172 house.gov/lincolndavis

TX: Rep. Mike Conaway 511 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3605 F:(202) 225-1783 house.gov/conaway

TX: Rep. Randy Neugebauer 429 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4005 F:(202) 225-9615 randy.house.gov

TX: Rep. Nicholas Lampson 436 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5951 F:(202) 225-5241 lampson.house.gov

TX: Rep. Henry Cuellar 336 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-1640 F:(202) 225-1641 house.gov/cuellar

VA: Rep. Bob Goodlatte 2240 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5431 F:(202) 225-9681 house.gov/goodlatte

WI: Rep. Steve Kagen 1232 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5665 F:(202) 225-5729 kagen.house.gov

[Type text]

Senate

AR: Sen. Blanche Lincoln 355 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-4843 F:(202) 228-1371 Lincoln.senate.gov

CO: Sen. Ken Salazar 702 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-5852 F:(202) 228-5036 Salazar.senate.gov

GA: Sen. Saxby Chambliss 416 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-3521 F:(202) 224-0103 Chambliss.senate.gov

IA: Sen. Tom Harkin 731 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-3254 F:(202) 224-9369 Harkin.senate.gov

IA: Sen. Charles Grassley 135 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-3744 F:(202) 224-6020 Grassley.senate.gov

ID: Sen. Mike Crapo 239 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-6142 F:(202) 228-1375 Crapo.senate.gov

IN: Sen. Richard Lugar 306 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-4814 F:(202) 228-0360 Lugar.senate.gov

KS: Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-4774 F:(202) 224-3514 Roberts.senate.gov

KY: Sen. Mitch McConnell 0 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-2541 F:(202) 224-2499 McConnell.senate.gov

MI: Sen. Debbie Stabenow 133 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-4822 F:(202) 228-0325 Stabenow.senate.gov

MN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar 302 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-3244 F:(202) 228-2186 Klobuchar.senate.gov

MN: Sen. Norm Coleman 320 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-5641 F:(202) 224-1152 Coleman.senate.gov

MS: Sen. Thad Cochran 113 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-5054 F:(202) 224-9450 Cochran.senate.gov

MT: Sen. Max Baucus 511 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-2651 F:(202) 224-0515 Baucus.senate.gov

ND: Sen. Kent Conrad 530 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-2043 F:(202) 224-7776 Conrad.senate.gov

NE: Sen. Ben Nelson 720 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-6551 F:(202) 228-0012 Nelson.senate.gov

OH: Sen. Sherrod Brown 455 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-2315 F:(202) 228-6321 Brown.senate.gov

PA: Sen. Robert Casey Jr. 383 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-6324 F:(202) 228-0604 Casey.senate.gov

SC: Sen. Lindsey Graham 290 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-5972 F:(202) 224-3808 Graham.senate.gov

SD: Sen. John Thune 493 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-2321 F:(202) 228-5429 Thune.senate.gov

VT: Sen. Patrick Leahy 433 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 P:(202) 224-4242 F:(202) 224-3479 Leahy.senate.gov