Weekend Rounds
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🤝 NAVTA and the AVMA get aligned

🤝 NAVTA and the AVMA get aligned

Plus: business updates from across the profession

Obi Veterinary Education
August 13, 2023

Hello 👋

Last week we came to you brimming with anticipation about the possibility of T. Swift tickets in Toronto. And this week we are here to let you know that despite everyone and their mother (literally) applying for a code… we didn’t get one. In fact, we don’t even know anyone who did. I guess that’s just the math when 31 million people want 300,000 tickets.

Speaking of which, if you have any extra seats, don’t forget your friends who write your favorite veterinary newsletter.

But, life goes on, and the veterinary world certainly didn’t stop to wallow in our self pity.

Here is what is on tap today:

🤝 NAVTA responds to the AVMA’s Scope of Practice Statement
🤖 AI solutions to help veterinarians practice more efficiently
💰From Series B to Sale: veterinary businesses continue to move
🚀 Quick Hits

🤝 NAVTA Responds

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) has responded to the recent AVMA statement on the scope of practice for veterinary technicians. We’ve covered the debate over the midlevel practitioner in recent issues.

For the most part, NAVTA is aligned with the AVMA on the majority of items in the statement, particularly as it relates to the underutilization of veterinary technicians in practice.

NAVTA has outlined 7 points of consideration for the AVMA:

Continue the conversation with NAVTA about allowing Veterinary Technicians to become voting members of AVMA.
Actively support NAVTA’s GRC to fill the gaps in legislative protection and require state practice act modifications to include credentialed staff title recognition and protection along with skill delineation.
Activate the Committee Advancing Veterinary Technicians and Technologists, which was formed earlier this year, so that it can begin to create recommendations for advancement of veterinary technology and begin to educate the AVMA membership on the breadth of knowledge and skills required to become a Credentialed Veterinary Technician.
Recommend continuing education for all DVMs on the CVTEA skills list for Veterinary Technicians, the AVMA standards for veterinary technology program accreditation, and the Veterinary Technician Specialty Academies.
Task the AVMA’s CVTEA with outlining specific standards for veterinary technologists and support recognition of the lower-case “g” (e.g. LVTg) used to identify those who have earned a Bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology.
Encourage AVMA members to complete NAVTA’s survey on Legislative Support for Veterinary Technicians.
Cease using the terms “paraprofessional” and “technician” when referring to Veterinary Technicians and use only “Veterinary Technician” or “Veterinary Nurse” (as appropriate).

While generally aligned, our read is that the NAVTA does see a larger role for technicians, even if the idea of a true mid level practitioner may be sidelined for now. The core underlying issues of how to best support veterinary practice are still on the table and the conversation is only just beginning.

🤖 AI products aimed at improving practice efficiency

This week, at least two artificial intelligence products were announced that are designed to support veterinary practice rather than making diagnosis.

Trupanion is leveraging AI to support claims and uses the tech to reportedly process over 60% of claims. The idea here is that AI systems can more efficiently process claims and in a few seconds allow the direct pay to practice system that Trupanion has become known for. If it truly works, and payments are made in seconds from an insurance company rather than the client, we think it’s a win for the profession. With direct pay in place, veterinary teams can focus on medicine rather than worry extensively about cost of care.

PetsApp, a UK based veterinary communication platform, has launched CoPilot, an AI based system to help veterinary teams respond to client communications. In a nut shell, this is a text-based generator like ChatGPT built in to the messaging platform. Veterinary teams will be offered preloaded responses which they can choose to send or edit to reply to client messages.

We’re here for this. Right now, the greatest promise of AI is in its ability to streamline work and create more effective workplaces, not in diagnosis.

💰️ From Series B to Sale: veterinary businesses continue to move

Early Stage: Native Pet, a veterinary supplement company, has finished a Series B funding round of $11 million, led by CAVU Consumer partners. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Native Pet brands itself as a “clean label supplement company” and the tap into the “popular demand for clean label, functional nutrition solutions for dogs”.

IPO: Inspire Vetetinary Partners (IVP) is set to go public and has upsized the IPO to $8 million. Inspire buys veterinary practices but offers opportunity for employee ownership which is a nice touch, and different than most veterinary consolidators in the space.

Consolidation: VetPartners, the owner of 267 clinics in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore is reportedly for sale. With revenue of $661 million in the last 12 months, it is the largest veterinary provider in the region and will likely fetch a huge sale. According to the Australian Financial Review, the large veterinary provider is owned by an even bigger fish, National Veterinary Associates (NVA) 🤯.

🚀 Quick Hits

Animal Personality Research Is on the Rise — But Does It Actually Help the Animals? [Sentient Media]

Stepping into the driver's seat: Empowering veterinary technicians through practice ownership [AAHA]

Environmental sustainability resources for veterinary workplaces sought by delegates [AVMA]

How climate change will affect your pet – and how to help them cope [The Conversation]

Vetster to provide telehealth nutrition consults [Benzinga]

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