Page 5 - 21 Summer Newsletter

President’s Message: What If

There Were No NCVMA?

What does the NCVMA do for its Practice without licensure. Legislation was proposed to allow
members? Why join the NCVMA? healthcare groups to deliver services up to seven times a year
What will I get from being a in the state with the ability to bypass the professional
member? These are questions regulatory board in the absence of any emergency orders. In
veterinarians in North Carolina ask our case, groups would be able to practice without NCVMB
themselves when renewing their regulation implementing the NC veterinary practice act.
membership or registering for the NCVMA was able to strike veterinary medicine from this
first time. We take a lot of things legislation.
for granted in our lives, and in the The NCVMA is my voice and your voice in the government
past year, a lot of those things that regulates our profession. We have an outstanding
went away with days gone by. We lobbyist in Jon Carr who keeps the NCVMA executive board
are realizing “new normal” in our
apprised of any situation that could affect veterinary medicine
daily activities from grocery shopping to visiting amusement in North Carolina as well as national trends that may creep
parks.
our way. The aforementioned situations would not have been
Our profession has seen a lot of changes, as well, and what handled as quickly or as effectively without the NCVMA and
veterinarians do so well is adapt to current conditions to its PAC. Please contribute.
protect our profession, our practices, our lives. In order to The NCVMA also provides several outreach programs in the
keep our profession moving forward, we need to be informed
form of grants, scholarships, free continuing education, and
and educated of changes that affect the way we practice. professional marketing.
One of the most important actions that the NCVMA performs
for its members is advocacy. Advocacy is defined as the act or The College Sports PR Campaign is another program unique
process of supporting a cause or proposal. The NVCMA not to the NCVMA. Animal healthcare tips are shared in each
only supports its members, it also, most importantly, college’s pre and post game shows and their social media
advocates for our profession. The NCVMA is nothing without accounts. The video sends the message “Love your pet, see a
its members and vice versa. So, this brings up the questions, vet” and is played at NCSU and ECU football games, UNC‐W
“What if the NCVMA did not exist?” “What would be basketball and baseball games, and in all Appalachian State
happening in our profession?” University sports social media. The only one of its kind among
VMAs, it was recognized with the 2017 Best in the Business
Sales tax on services. Recently, I had my heat pump Award from the Veterinary Medical Association Executives.
maintained and I noticed that on the invoice, tax was applied
NCVMA also has active Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
to the labor. This could have happened to our profession, our accounts to share information on animal health, welfare, and
services would have been affected; examinations, heartworm to promote the profession.
testing, bloodwork, surgeries would potentially have been
taxable. Veterinary medicine was the ONLY medical The NCVMA also offers several scholarships (two are
profession included in that legislation. The NCVMA opposed endowed) for NCSU veterinary students and for veterinary
that legislation and successfully had veterinary services technician students at the accredited programs across NC.
removed from the legislation. Every little bit counts when it comes to paying tuition and the
NCVMA is proud to help.
Prescribing controlled substances. Although we are now
limited and regulated more closely on how we prescribe And speaking of NCSU‐CVM, the NCVMA played a critical role
controlled substances, imagine having to look up your client’s in successfully lobbying the legislature to make the CVM a
medical and pharmaceutical history and consult with them in reality on the Raleigh campus back in the 1980s.
order to dispense controlled substances for their animal Most recently, the NCVMA sponsored a pass‐through
companion. The NCVMA helped amend that legislation to veterinary diagnostic lab refrigerator at the DofAg’s new
exclude DVMs from that task, which was also a violation of
Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Building for drop off
HIPAA. Several other states were not as successful and must veterinary samples to be tested.
try to amend the legislation to exclude them from these
mandates. High Five grants of $5000/each are awarded each year to 5
qualified organizations who promote community service as
An E‐prescribing mandate for DVMs was stricken from well as compassion and health for the people and animals of
proposed legislation, as there is currently no software to North Carolina. Animal Welfare grants of up to $2500 are
support that service. Thank the NCVMA for that change.
awarded to shelters and rescues for improvements and to
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