By G. Robert Weedon
Florida lawmakers in the 2024 Legislative Session have an opportunity to pass two bills that would increase access to veterinary care in the Sunshine State.
The Veterinary Workforce Innovation Act (SB 1038/HB 1245), which would create a veterinary professional associate position, and The Providing Equity in Telemedicine Services Act (HB 849/SB 1040) would update Florida law so that veterinarians like me can use telehealth effectively to treat more animal patients.
I’m grateful to Polk County Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Haven, who is one of the bill sponsors, along with Sen. Jen Bradley, R-Fleming Island, for filing this important and timely legislation.
As a semi-retired veterinarian and part-time spay/neuter surgeon with the Humane Society of Polk County, I see firsthand how many pet owners struggle to access veterinary care, especially during the ongoing critical workforce shortage of veterinarians. Many of the pets that I spay or neuter have never seen a veterinarian, and because of the veterinarian shortage, there is a serious backlog of spay/neuter surgeries across Florida.
The Veterinary Workforce Innovation Act will create a “PA” position, like a physician assistant in human health care, allowing individuals with a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care to work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian to extend affordable care to more patients, including performing pet sterilizations. The bill language mirrors Florida’s proven physician assistant statute to help bridge gaps in veterinary care the same way a physician assistant role has helped extend health care to more people.
The PETS Act likewise is modeled on Florida’s current human telehealth provider statute, enabling veterinarians to use virtual technology as an added tool to treat pets that may not have been seen in a clinic recently for any number of reasons, including a lack of available appointments, financial or transportation difficulties, or because they live in rural or underserved areas.
As any pet owner knows, there are times when a pet needs a veterinary consult on the weekends or evenings when most clinics are closed, and owners are left with one of two options: waiting until Monday to see if they can get an appointment — and taking time off work — or taking the pet to an expensive emergency hospital to be checked. Telemedicine is tailor-made to help pet-keeping families access care when their pet needs it most.
Unfortunately, Florida’s outdated regulations interfere with veterinarians’ ability to use telehealth technology as an additional tool to reach more patients. Florida law currently prevents veterinarians from practicing telemedicine for pet patients unless they have recently examined the animal in person — a burdensome and unnecessary requirement that subverts a veterinarian’s professional judgment.
According to recent polling, 90% of registered Florida voters support legislation to create a veterinary PA role, and 89% support expanding access to veterinary telemedicine. When the old ways of operating aren’t serving the public to the extent that more than one-third of our pets aren’t receiving regular veterinary care, it’s time for innovation.
I urge all of Polk County’s lawmakers to help ensure that The PETS Act and the Veterinary Workforce Innovation Act pass into law this session.
G. Robert Weedon is a semi-retired veterinarian and part-time spay-neuter surgeon with the Humane Society of Polk County. He’s also on the board of directors for the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs.