QUARTERLY BEAT / DECEMBER 2025
PREPARE ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORKS IF YOU THINK YOU WILL INCORPORATE THIS ROLE INTO YOUR PRACTICE MODEL • Define how a future VPA role would integrate into your staffing model: what tasks will be delegated, under what supervision, with what oversight. • Design protocols for supervision, referral, handoff, escalation, and quality assurance (QA). • Engage with your malpractice insurance carrier: discuss how coverage will respond to VPA-performed tasks, required oversight, and any changes in liability premium. TEAM DEVELOPMENT & TRANSITION PLANNING • Identify high-performing experienced vet techs or technicians with leadership ambition — they may be candidates to transition toward VPA pathways. • Explore how continuing education, mentorship, and cross-training might bridge parts of the knowledge gap. • Communicate transparently with your team about potential role changes, expectations, and career paths. CLINICAL RISK MITIGATION • For any delegated case or procedure, ensure that escalation triggers are clearly defined (when a supervising veterinarian must intervene, or a case must be referred). • Maintain rigorous QA and case review systems, particularly in surgical or diagnostic tasks newly delegated. • Meticulously document supervision, oversight, and outcomes (this will help support confidence, safety, and regulatory compliance). PUBLIC & CLIENT COMMUNICATION • Be proactive in educating clients: explain what a VPA is, how it differs from a veterinarian or veterinary technician, who supervises, and how quality is ensured. • Emphasize how integration of VPAs might help reduce wait times, expand access, and allow veterinarians to focus on more complex care. MONITOR OUTCOMES AND METRICS Once VPAs begin practicing, track key outcomes: • Complication and adverse event rates for procedures done by VPAs vs. veterinarians. • Referral, reintervention, or revision rates. • Client satisfaction, cost per case, and revenue impact. • Team member turnover and job satisfaction — does the VPA role relieve burnout or introduce friction? Sharing data transparently (within legal/regulatory bounds) with colleagues, associations, and state boards can help calibrate safe scope over time.
WHAT TO WATCH OVER THE NEXT 12–24 MONTHS As we head toward the 2026 rollout (and beyond), here are major inflection points to track:
1. Release of draft rules for public comment — expect any unclear or overreaching language about supervision, scope, or oversight to come to light during this stage. This will be your chance to share feedback before the rules become final. 2. First class of VPA students / graduates — their training programs, clinical performance, and job placement will set the precedent for how this role is viewed. 3. Initial licensure and real-world practice — early cases will test whether the framework holds up in practice. 4. Outcome reporting & audits — the first sets of QA data will inform whether the VPA scope needs adjustment, tightening, or expansion. 5. Interstate interest / imitation — if Colorado’s model succeeds (or fails), other states will mimic, reject, or adapt similar approaches to the mid- level veterinary provider role. 6. Legal or regulatory challenges — petitions or litigation may arise if disputes over VPA scope or patient safety emerge. 7. Insurance / payer adaptation — how commercial pet insurance, indemnity plans, or government
programs reimburse for VPA-delivered medical and surgical care may shape this role’s sustainability.
FINAL THOUGHTS FOR VETGIRL READERS Colorado’s Prop 129 could become a watershed moment in veterinary workforce restructuring — but the real test lies in implementation. The promise is compelling: new career pathways, improved access, lowered stress for veterinarians, and more capacity for primary and preventive care. But success will hinge on how carefully we define scope, supervision, training, and accountability. For practicing veterinarians and veterinary technicians, this is a moment to stay informed, engage actively, and prepare strategically. The development of the VPA role is not merely a legislative experiment — it will ripple into workflows, liability, mentoring models, team dynamics, and clinical safety. If you’re based in Colorado (or really anywhere), keep watching the State Board’s rule proposals, participate in public comment, think ahead about how a VPA might integrate into your team, and commit now to rigorous QA. The coming years will reveal whether Prop 129 becomes a model for transformative, safe expansion of veterinary care — or a cautionary tale.
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VETGIRL BEAT EMAGAZINE | VETGIRLONTHERUN.COM
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