TECHNICIAN UPDATE
You Can Fight City Hall: ‘Will Never Happen,’ Happened By Marcia Cantrell, CVT
Courtesy of Marcia Cantrell
In 2021, Montana passed a law allowing the licensure of veterinary technicians. It was an accomplishment that took perseverance and patience, and I am very proud of the part I played in it. I was told over and over again from veterinarians, lobbyists, and even veterinary technicians, that legislation to license veterinary technicians “will never happen” in Montana. The Big Sky Veterinary Technician Association (BSVTA) was on the verge of collapse in 2014 due, I think, to burn out. Our association is small, and few volunteers were doing the work necessary to maintain certifications. I and some of my colleagues, both veterinary technicians and veterinarians, thought that being licensed under the Montana Veterinary Medical Board would standardize certifications and improve the process. In addition, we were hoping it would breathe some life into BSVTA and encourage technicians to seek certification, which in the end, would be better for our patients. In addition to carrying out the duties that assistants already were doing, we hoped the bill could expand the ability of Montana veterinarians to tap into a resource that veterinarians in other states rely on—educated and experienced veterinary techni-
I was there (right) when the bill was signed into law.
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Issue 2/2022 | ModernEquineVet.com
cians. A licensed veterinary technician requires less veterinarian supervision than an assistant, which can increase the veterinarian’s ability to care for more patients, while improving their care. At one time, Montana did license veterinary technicians, but the regulation lapsed in the early 1980s, due to vague language. The responsibility for credentialing reverted to the BSVTA with oversight by the Montana Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). Many veterinary leaders wanted to reinstate licensure, but there were many obstacles, including the difficulty of bringing a vet tech program to the state that was approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). But really, change—an ugly word—was the primary obstacle. So, how did I get involved? I was “volunteered” after opening my mouth. In 2014, my practice hired a certified veterinary technician from Colorado, who wanted to become certified in Montana after she started. But she found the process difficult. Even getting information about certification was challenging. Her experience got me thinking. At a continuing education event/BSVTA general membership meeting, I was “volunteered” to research what would be needed to obtain licensure after I asked why we didn’t pursue it. My efforts kept coming back to the same advice: “Will never happen.” From my first meeting with Rick Scherr, DVM, the chair of the MVMA Vet Tech Committee, to discussions with various state legislators, I was met with the same resistance. I’m not a lobbyist, in fact, I have very little interest in politics, but I do care about my profession, and I was determined to see this through. In 2015, I met with the MVMA’s executive officer and lobbyist Stuart Doggett, who was very nice. He met with me and the BSVTA’s secretary at the capitol, where we toured the building and sat in on a house hearing. When I told him that we were working toward licensure for veterinary technicians, he said: “Will never happen.” Our next move was to obtain the Veterinary Board of Governor’s support, which we were told was a necessary step for achieving our goal. Someone from BSVTA attended every meeting, even if we weren’t on the agenda. Our presence was met with suspicion and trepidation because we were new to the process and spoke openly about our goals. Eventually, how-
