State Regulatory

09 April

State legislative update

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

This issue of the State Legislative Update includes select summaries of bills and regulations introduced in March and tracked by the AVMA Division of State Advocacy. Bills abound on declaw bans, liability, and licensure. Enactments The North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association championed ND SB 2140 which waives repayment requirements for individuals participating in the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) in veterinary medicine who entered an agreement with the state board of higher education during the biennium beginning July 1, 2019, and ending...

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02 April

Updated COVID-19 Reopening Guide for veterinary practices available now

wsvma   |   COVID-19, State Regulatory

In response to loosening restrictions, the WSVMA is releasing an updated version of COVID-19: A Guide to Reopening Veterinary Medicine in Washington – Phase 3 to give additional information for practices as more people become vaccinated and counties begin to allow more people to gather. The guide, written by well-known expert Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM in partnership with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, lays out a comprehensive plan to implement appropriate measures to continue ensuring the health and safety of both veterinary...

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02 April

The WA State Long Term Care Trust Act: If you are still working in 2022, how this will affect you…and it’s a great reminder to everyone to build an LTC strategy now!

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

Did you know that all employees in Washington state – all of them – will pay a new payroll tax starting on January 1st, 2022 to fund a long-term care trust?  Washington is the first state in the nation to create a publicly funded insurance program of this sort, and it’s going to be funded by you if you are a Washington W-2 wage-earning employee, which includes practice owners.  But will you benefit from your own contributions?  Perhaps, but this...

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19 March

Washington veterinarians and veterinary students as COVID-19 vaccine administrators

wsvma   |   COVID-19, State Regulatory

Due to dedicated efforts by the AVMA, veterinarians and veterinary students are now authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines to human patients in all 50 states under the PREP Act. As the federal government anticipates significantly ramping up vaccine allocation as additional vaccines become available, there is a need to have a cadre of authorized volunteers to assist with vaccine administration. The WSVMA has discussed this with the WA State Dept. of Health (DOH) and the following information is provided. Veterinarians (both with...

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12 March

FAQs about rabies vaccine administration

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The Veterinary Board of Governors (Board) periodically receives questions about rabies regulations and how to respond during different scenarios. The guidance below addresses rabies vaccine administration. What if the client refuses the rabies vaccine? The rabies rule (see (3)) requires animal owners, not veterinarians to ensure animals are appropriately vaccinated. If the client refuses to follow this requirement, you can: Make sure they understand that it is their responsibility to have their animals vaccinated under Washington law. Let them know that if their animal...

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13 November

Participants needed for Washington study to examine COVID-19 transmission between humans and their companion animals.

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The COVID-19 and Pets Study (CAPS) is recruiting participants for a study to sample companion animals of positive COVID-19 patients to learn more about the role animals play in the coronavirus outbreak. The University of Washington Center for One Health Research and Washington State University is conducting the pilot study of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their pets, in collaboration with the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Washington State University. What does the study involve? A one-time...

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06 November

Scammers pose as Department of Health officials in fraudulent schemes targeting medical providers

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

OLYMPIA – Warning to health care professionals with Washington licenses: Beware of scammers falsely claiming to represent the Washington State Department of Health – and don’t send money to anyone without being certain of the recipient’s identity. That comes in the wake of at least two apparent attempts to defraud Washington providers. One attempt failed, but the other proved costly to a dentist. In that case, the dentist received a call from someone spoofing the Department of Health’s telephone number, along with...

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30 October

Animal Disease Traceability program seeks feedback

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

The WSDA Animal Disease Traceability Program is asking for your feedback to help guide the program projects for the next three years. Please click here to complete this short survey. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes. Thank you for your time and giving us your invaluable ideas for how to use ADT funding to support all sectors of the cattle industry.   Posted October 30, 2020...

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16 October

Veterinary Board of Governors seeking large animal veterinarian from E. Wash. to serve on Board

wsvma   |   Professional News, State Regulatory

The Veterinary Board of Governors (board) is looking for a large animal (as the majority of your practice) veterinarian to apply to serve on the board. They are looking for public-spirited people willing to study the issues and to make decisions in the public’s best interest. The board operates under legislative mandate to: Protect the health and safety of the public. Promote the welfare of the state by regulating the competency and quality of health care providers under their authority. The board is...

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25 September

License expiration extension ending, renew by Sept. 30 to avoid late fee

wsvma   |   State Regulatory

To allow healthcare professionals the ability to focus on patient care during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Secretary of Health extended expiration dates for licenses due for renewal between April 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. All late fees were waived during this period. What does this mean for you? For health care professionals who took advantage of the extended time to renew, this is a reminder that you must renew your credential on or before September 30 in order for your credential to remain...

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