The issue:
California has an access to animal healthcare crisis and it is only going to get worse.
The California Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) added deleterious language to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act in January 2022 that essentially created a veterinary monopoly for animal rehab services.
As a result, this new regulation now limits Californian's access to qualified non-veterinarian professionals for their pets by putting up unnecessary barriers to care. Animal physical rehab clinics that were previously in compliance are now facing closure, further reducing access to care.
Though everyone who has animals are affected by these new regulations, the hardest hit are those seeking rehab services for their horses and those who live in more rural communities.
Simply put, California has an access to animal healthcare crisis and the ONLY way to help address it is through passing legislation.
ANIMAL PHYSICAL THERAPY COALITION:
We seek to take a leading role to increase access to care for animals in California. In response to the new, deleterious regulatory language that was enacted in January 2022, a legislative remedy is necessary to increase access to care for animal lovers seeking alternative therapies for their pets.
For many years, physical therapists have established collegial, successful relationships with veterinarians to provide the highest quality of physical therapy services to animals through veterinary referral and indirect veterinary supervision. This status quo has since changed in California, and now highly trained animal physical therapists are mandated to practice only under DIRECT veterinary supervision.
SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?
Answer: Legislation. Pass a legislative bill that will allow veterinarians to refer their animal patients to a qualified animal physical therapist AND provide indirect veterinary supervision at another location other than a vet hospital.
This will help to solve the access to care crisis for animal rehab services in California.
Other states (Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada to name a few) have already paved the way and have shown that this model works well to increase safe access to care so more animals can live their best lives with more mobility and less pain.
Honestly, California is WAY behind, so really, we are trying to play catch-up.
Additional Support Needed
We are seeking like-minded individuals and organizations to come alongside us as we lead the development of regulatory and/or legislative language that will protect consumers’ rights to choose their own qualified animal rehabilitation professional. In particular, we need funding to cover fees for lawyers and lobbyists, as well as travel expenses associated with attendance at political events and meetings.
We invite you to join us in our quest to do what is right for the animals and consumers of California. Please contact us to learn more.
Email: karen.atlas@yahoo.com