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Mark Cushing

Mark Cushing

JD

About the Author

Politics & Policy columnist Mark Cushing is a political strategist, lawyer, founding partner of the Animal Policy Group and founding member of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association. Since 2004, he has specialized in animal health, animal welfare, and veterinary educational issues and accreditation. He is the author of “Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals Are Transforming Our Homes, Culture and Economy.”

Written By This Author

Legal Issues

The Quiet Crisis

It’s time to reform pet euthanasia regulations nationwide by allowing supervised veterinary technicians to provide in-home end-of-life care.

Government/Regulations

So Near and Yet So Far

Veterinary practice has a bright future if we can align all the stakeholders to do what’s best for pets and the profession.

Government/Regulations

8 Calls to Action

Veterinary professionals, regulators and government leaders can work together or independently to solve multiple issues.

Government/Regulations

What Are We Doing About Access to Care?

Research into where pet owners seek services will help steer an industry dealing with not enough veterinary professionals.

Government/Regulations

A Meandering Path Forward

As the FDA stalls, Nevada and California take half steps in support of giving veterinarians a freer hand with cannabinoids.

Government/Regulations

Damage Control

As more states contemplate permitting non-economic compensation to aggrieved pet owners, the veterinary profession needs to step up in opposition.

Government/Regulations

Dogs, Shortages and Breeders

Humane standards and the formation of trusted relationships with suppliers will go a long way in satisfying America’s demand for affordable canine pets.

News

Midlevel Masters

Lincoln Memorial’s new online program is designed to propel veterinary technicians into greater management and clinical roles.

Practice Management

7 Ways to Alleviate the Veterinarian Shortage

The veterinary industry and profession should demand meaningful dialogue with the Council on Education on the needs of the marketplace and modern pet owners.

Legal Issues

A DVM’s Guide to Cannabinoid Supplements

Cannabinoids, because of their many positive physiologic properties, have numerous applications in enhancing the health and well-being of pets and humans.

Personal/Professional Development

Steering a Middle Course

The creation of a midlevel professional is a growing debate in veterinary medicine.

Patient Care

Breaking With Tradition

If the data does not back up predictions that a telemedicine VCPR leads to harm, then what is the basis for the arguments advanced by some veterinary organizations?

Veterinary Industry

4 Threats to Sustained Growth

Practice revenue is growing at an unprecedented pace, but the ranks of veterinarians and veterinary technicians are not keeping up.

Government/Regulations

The Price of Success

Don’t be surprised to see legislation addressing a number of topics of importance to the veterinary industry.

Veterinary Industry

Shortages and Excesses

Imagine the scale of human health professional shortages if we didn’t have nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Government/Regulations

What’s Next for Telemedicine?

The evidence shows there’s no reason for anyone to fret about veterinary virtual care. It’s safe, effective, in demand and here to stay.

Innovation/Technology

A Golden Opportunity

The human-animal bond has brought monumental change to the veterinary industry. You can run with the pack and enjoy the riches, or you can be a slow-to-react naysayer.

Government/Regulations

Why I Wrote ‘Pet Nation’

America’s love affair with companion animals is now ingrained in society. The millennial and Z generations have made sure of that.

Innovation/Technology

Viva VVCA!

The newly established Veterinary Virtual Care Association will develop best practices, define standards and protocols, and do so much more.

Government/Regulations

Step on Up — Now

The profession and industry need to support our underfunded state veterinary medical boards before they are pushed aside by politicians.

Government/Regulations

Opportunities and Challenges

Pet owners are lining up for services — great! — but what if we can’t meet the demand? Either way, we need to root out bad vets and figure out where we stand on CBD.

Government/Regulations

The Dog Shortage Is Real

The flourishing import market poses genuine health threats. Certifying large commercial U.S. breeders could be a worthwhile solution.

Government/Regulations

Looming battles

New York lawmakers approved the first statewide declaw ban and, along with New Jersey, is looking at imposing rules on groomers. Who’s next?

Innovation/Technology

Oh, how things have changed

The veterinary world looks a whole lot different than it did 15 years ago. That’s a very good thing.

Veterinary Industry

Telemedicine nears a crossroads

Much has been accomplished to this point. Now it’s time for lawmakers and state and national organizations to step up.

Legal Issues

Courtrooms and Exam Rooms

As legislators in three states ponder awarding non-economic damages to pet owners, the veterinary profession needs to get to the bottom of what is troubling nurses.

Veterinary Education

Let’s Get to Work

What does the pet health care industry want to do about acute shortages of veterinarians and nurses?

Government/Regulations

Duty bound

Many states have implemented specific requirements for safe handling, recordkeeping, abuse prevention and awareness continuing education as a result of the opioid crisis.

Government/Regulations

The winds of change

As 2019 approaches, several critical matters — from the Fairness to Pet Owners Act to opioid abuse to telemedicine — remain unresolved.

Innovation/Technology

The state of the VCPR

Veterinarians are not required to report to their state veterinary medical board when they’ve established a VCPR with a particular animal owner.

Government/Regulations

Of Nurses and Unions

Key questions in both initiatives are whether clinic morale and teamwork would be affected positively or negatively.

News

Kentucky approves veterinary services tax

Companion animal veterinary services will be subject to a 6 percent levy starting July 1.

Veterinary Industry

PetsPAC packs a political punch

A PAC has never represented companion animal interests in the states, despite thousands of bills of interest being introduced every year in legislatures around the United States.

Veterinary Industry

The looming dog shortage

The United States needs approximately 8.1 million dogs a year to meet current demand.

Government/Regulations

Great Expectations

Only a lawyer could figure out a veterinarian’s reporting duties when animal abuse is suspected.

Innovation/Technology

Veterinary Telemedicine: Are We Leading?

The profession must steer efforts to adapt digital tools to pet health care. Failure to do so will see clients choose pioneering practitioners.

Government/Regulations

Smartphones and Pets and Nurses … Oh, My!

Human medicine has embraced telemedicine, and younger pet owners favor it, so the future may be closer than you think.

Government/Regulations

Good Things Happen When You Fight Back

The veterinary profession scored two big victories thanks to old-fashioned lobbying and one company’s court battle.

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