Pursuant to the Joint Resolutions, the Board of Veterinary Medicine (“Board") and the State Veterinarian convened a workgroup which met two times in 2025. The workgroup considered the required topics of the Joint Resolutions, which were as follows:

1. Identify ways to strengthen existing debt repayment programs for veterinarians, including making recommendations on how to simplify application criteria, explore state matching loan repayment programs, limit barriers for participation, and improve methods for consistent identification of veterinary shortage areas to better target rural communities in need.

2. Explore options for developing programs that offer business support to provide incentives or low-interest business loans for large animal private practices.

3. Identify programs that support a strong pipeline of veterinary students from rural backgrounds and help such students navigate post-secondary education to increase retention.

4. Consider other possible solutions for increasing the number of large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth, such as expanding veterinary technician-type or physician assistant-type programs to allow large animal veterinarians to expand their scope of practice in rural areas.

5. Reexamine the recommendations from the 2010 study on the shortage of large animal veterinarians published pursuant to House Joint Resolution 730 (2009).

During its first year, the workgroup identified four subgroups for areas deemed essential to this study: (1) supporting data; (2) financial resources; (3) licensed veterinary technician (“LVT") scope of practice; and (4) veterinary school class size. Each subgroup reported findings and recommendations to the workgroup, which adopted the recommendations as summarized below.

The workgroup, based on its first-year recommendations, pursued several actions to attract practitioners and support large animal veterinary practice in rural Virginia. Going forward, these actions require continuing support and funding to make a substantial and sustainable impact on the shortage. Although this report concludes the efforts produced by the workgroup, which has spanned two years, support of large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth is an ongoing endeavor that requires renewed commitment from public and private partners to remain successful.

Supporting data

Based on the supporting data subgroup’s first year recommendations, the workgroup directed surveys of stakeholders, including food animal producers, livestock market regions, and licensed veterinarians and LVTs. The workgroup then used that data to pinpoint shortage areas and assess ongoing needs.

Financial resources

As recommended by the financial resources subgroup, legislative bills and budget amendments were introduced during the 2025 General Assembly to establish and initially fund two separate grant programs, as well as a veterinary coordinator position through Virginia Tech’s Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (V-MCVM). These changes strategically support established and newly licensed large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

LVT scope of practice

Aligning with the LVT scope of practice subgroup first-year recommendations, the Board continues to expand educational outreach to advance awareness of the profession and opportunities that exist in large animal medicine. In August 2025, the Board initiated a regulatory action to create a pathway and requirements for haul-in(*1) large animal veterinary establishments, which will increase opportunities for LVTs to practice large animal medicine. The first step of that regulatory action, the notice of intended regulatory action (“NOIRA"), remains in the executive branch review process. The Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians is exploring legislation for title protection of LVTs to address the misidentification of veterinary assistants as “technicians"(*2) and to elevate the profile and compensation for this profession.

Veterinary medicine class size

As recommended by the veterinary medicine class size subgroup, a budget amendment was introduced during the 2025 General Assembly to fund an increase in the number of seats available to Virginia residents at V-MCVM. The amendment failed to pass and was not added to the final budget.
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(*1) Under current regulations, veterinary medicine may only be practiced out of a registered establishment categorized as stationary (“bricks and mortar") or ambulatory (generally house calls or farm visits). (See 18VAC150-20-180 and 18VAC150-20-201.) Large animal veterinarians often travel extensively to provide healthcare at animals’ locations, impacting patient safety and contributing to burnout and attrition. Haul-in facilities would enable veterinarians to treat more patients, would address environmental factors (inclement weather, poor barn lighting), and travel times without requiring the veterinarian to incur the financial burden of opening and maintaining a stationary establishment.
(*2) The Board of Veterinary Medicine routinely receives information through investigations, inspections and communication with the public that veterinarians, unlicensed veterinary assistants and the public use the term “veterinary technician" to describe all staff who assist the veterinarian, regardless of whether they are licensed. Unlicensed individuals have been identified as performing duties that require a licensed veterinary technician. This includes placing IV catheters, intubating surgical patients, and accessing or administering federally controlled drugs, all of which directly relate to patient and public safety.