EXECUTIVE BOARD COVERAGE

A privately funded loan repayment program could help bring veterinarians to food animal practices in rural areas, particularly to communities with little or no access to veterinary services.

The AVMA Executive Board approved a proposal April 3 to initiate a privately funded rural veterinary loan repayment program that will be administered by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and AVMA staff.

Details of the proposal, including financial commitments from sponsors and the amount of money that would go to participants, were being worked out at press time. The program was scheduled to be presented April 30 at the Animal Health Institute's 2009 meeting.

AVMA CEO W. Ron DeHaven and Assistant Executive Vice President Lyle P. Vogel, as workforce strategic goal manager, recommended the program.

Veterinary students could be recruited for the program by spring 2010.