If you’re as comfortable seeing your nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant as you are with your doctor, this may resonate with you. We’ve not seen much recognition of this alternate concept to mid-level practitioners since April. See what you think.
Registered veterinary technician Jodi Belongié suggests that the debate over mid-level practitioners in veterinary medicine has reached a stalemate because it’s being looked at from the wrong angle. She suggests that the debate is stuck because we’re asking the wrong question(s).
The real gap in veterinary access isn’t clinical scope expansion. It’s community presence, says Belongié. She asserts the “public health nurse” role already fits within the existing credentialed veterinary technician scope. Referencing the community-based animal health worker model used in more than 25 countries, she says, “What’s missing is the infrastructure.”
Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, April 28, 2026. Link.
We need to change how we think about the problem. It’s not a scope problem; it’s a public health problem. It’s not a credentialing fight; it’s an infrastructure investment. It’s not a threat to the profession; it’s an expansion of the profession’s reach.” – Jodi Belongié, RVT
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