The app for independent voices
BREAKING: This is a recording and transcript of a webinar with Dr. Bob Murtaugh about some of the changes he’d like to see for the profession, particularly Veterinary Professional Associates (VPAs). In it, he goes far beyond even the spay/neuter advocates and argues VPAs should be able to perform complicated surgeries such as splenectomies (removing the spleen) and limb amputations! He also says they would start making $100k a year, which is about 15% less than the median salary for a vet.
He gives away the game at 41:17 (bold emphasis mine):
“…in my opinion, it's something that we can leverage and share and increase livelihood, increase longevity in the profession, increase well-being, increase profitability, increase access to care.”
That’s what this is all about: improving profit margins. 15% lower salary is not going to save pet owners much money, but it will make investors quite happy by reducing labor costs, both directly from paying VPAs less, as well as putting a ceiling on the earning potential of credentialed VTSs and a drag on pay for DVMs.
Who does Dr. Murtaugh work for? Currently, he is the founding dean at the newly formed—and for-profit—vet school Rocky Vista University in Colorado. I’ve written previously about the problems with these newly proposed vet schools (see article below), and how much do you want to bet that they will ALSO be offering an online VPA program???
Before that, he was a C-suite executive at Thrive Pet Healthcare and Pathway Vet Alliance, both owned by the private equity firm TSG. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Thrive is in financial trouble due to issues with their profit margins and labor costs, and was recently downgraded by analysts to near junk bond status (see comment chain for source).
I would encourage everyone to watch this interview and be informed about the people who are pushing the VPA, new vet schools, and other radical changes to the profession. They do NOT have your best interests at heart as a pet owner or veterinary employee.
