Looking across the week, the common themes were federal veterinary workforce advocacy, New World Screwworm response, NAFV organizational communications, legislative outreach, and development of educational resources.   

This week represented a significant advance in NAFV’s advocacy, communications, and policy development efforts. We produced a cohesive body of work that included member communications, educational materials, legislative proposals, technical analyses, and national media engagement, all centered on strengthening the federal veterinary workforce and protecting U.S. animal agriculture and public health.

Particularly noteworthy was the expansion of NAFV’s advocacy beyond internal communications to direct engagement with USDA leadership, the American Veterinary Medical Association, congressional policy development through proposed Farm Bill language, and national public education through FactCheck.org.

These efforts consistently emphasized the essential role of federal veterinarians in safeguarding animal health, public health, agriculture, food security, and national biosecurity while advancing implementation of the Rural Veterinary Action Plan and strengthening preparedness for emerging biological threats such as New World Screwworm.  Collectively, these accomplishments provide a strong foundation for continued engagement with members, policymakers, federal agencies, professional organizations, and the public in the months ahead.  

This was one of our most productive weeks for NAFV communications and strategic planning.   

Rural Veterinary Action Plan (RVAP)- The NAFV Board of Directors has prepared a comprehensive 45-minute AVMA presentation covering:  

• Implementation status, progress to date and remaining barriers
• Workforce shortages, federal salary issues, special salary rate proposals
• Lessons from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI),
• Implications of New World Screwworm, recommendations for USDA and Congress.

Agricultural Act (Farm Bill) Analysis - Our organization has conducted a detailed review of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s proposed Farm Bill with particular emphasis on:  

• Veterinary workforce provisions and  USDA staffing
• Rural Veterinary Action Plan implementation
• Veterinary recruitment and retention and federal veterinary salaries
• Special salary authorities
• Opportunities for additional congressional action.  

New World Screwworm (NWS)- NAFV has Completed several important projects related to the expanding New World Screwworm emergency.  Prepared a membership email introducing USDA’s New World Screwworm dashboard.  Includes the following: 

• explanation of the current situation, links for members to monitor spread themselves,
• current epidemiologic update, importance for federal veterinarians.

Publications and Major Documents Produced-  During the week, the NAFV has completed publication-ready drafts for:  

• NAFV Membership Letter
• NAFV New World Screwworm Update
• Farm Bill Veterinary Workforce Analysis
• GAO One Health Seminar Outline
• Biological Preparedness and Lessons Learned Policy Paper
• NAFV Leadership Recruitment Announcement
• Comprehensive technical responses supporting the FactCheck.org interview on New World Screwworm
• Draft legislative proposal to codify the Rural Veterinary Action Plan within the Farm Bill  Overall Themes  

Legislative and Stakeholder Outreach

Advanced NAFV’s advocacy for implementation of the Rural Veterinary Action Plan through direct engagement with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Government Relations Division.  Prepared and transmitted two substantive communications to Kevin Hartley of AVMA Government Relations.  

The first requested additional information regarding USDA’s implementation of the Rural Veterinary Action Plan and informed AVMA that NAFV had separately contacted Dr. Lauren Stump, Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE), who is leading USDA’s implementation of the Plan, encouraging continued progress and coordination.  The second communication transmitted draft legislative language for consideration during development of the next Farm Bill.

The proposal would codify the Rural Veterinary Action Plan by directing USDA to implement its own Plan as national policy and requiring the Department to report back to Congress within 180 days on implementation progress, accomplishments, remaining barriers, and future actions. This proposal would establish congressional oversight and accountability while helping ensure that implementation of the Plan remains a long-term departmental priority.

Strategic Policy Development- The NAFV developed several policy position papers regarding biological emergency preparedness and response.  Major themes included:  

• Lessons Learned:
  • Produced a comprehensive discussion explaining why:  
    • Hindsight is not an effective management tool,
    • Blame does not improve preparedness
    • Biological emergencies require different budgeting approaches than traditional government programs.
• Additional recommendations included:  
  • Making comprehensive national biological risk assessments routine
  • Aligning funding with biological realities rather than fiscal years
  • Creating more flexible emergency appropriations
  • Ensuring leadership acts upon scientific risk assessments,
  • Modernizing Executive Branch and Congressional budget processes for biological emergencies.

Throughout the week we consistently reinforced several strategic priorities.  

• Veterinary Workforce Continued emphasis on:  
  • Rural Veterinary Action Plan implementation
  • Federal veterinary shortages
  • Recruitment, retention, special salary authorities
  • Congressional engagement
• National Biosecurity  Continued focus on:  
  • New World Screwworm and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
  • Foot-and-Mouth Disease, lessons from the H1N1 influenza pandemic,
  • Strengthening national preparedness.
• One Health  Expanded educational efforts aimed at introducing One Health principles to new federal audiences while reinforcing their practical application to government decision-making and oversight.  

Membership Newsletter- Completed a comprehensive President/Executive Vice President letter to NAFV members that:  

• Reviewed the current status of the association.
• Discussed New World Screwworm (NWS) developments.
• Addressed Foot-and-Mouth Disease preparedness, including lessons from the United Kingdom outbreak.
• Included lessons learned from the H1N1 influenza pandemic.
• Highlighted the continuing importance of veterinary preparedness.
• Emphasized implementation of the Rural Veterinary Action Plan.
• Encouraged member participation in NAFV leadership.

Leadership Recruitment- Prepared a membership appeal encouraging veterinarians to seek election as:  

• President-Elect
• Treasurer
• Agency Board Representatives

Emphasized that leadership positions provide an opportunity to improve federal veterinary medicine while serving fellow members.  

NAFV Annual Accomplishments  

Developed a new presentation of NAFV accomplishments.  Rather than using the title “NAFV By the Numbers,” which did not accurately reflect the content, we shifted toward a more narrative presentation highlighting:

• NAFV  accomplishments and advocacy,
• influence of the NAFV  and organizational growth
• Expanding role of NAFV in advancing federal veterinary medicine.  

National Media Interview  (FactCheck.org)-  Participated in an extensive interview with Jessica McDonald, Science Editor at FactCheck.org, regarding the New World Screwworm outbreak and the federal response. In addition to the interview, prepared comprehensive written responses addressing numerous technical and policy questions concerning the history of the eradication program, the breakdown of the biological barrier in Panama, sterile insect production capacity, veterinary workforce limitations, funding challenges, and lessons learned from decades of federal animal disease response.  

The interview emphasized that the current situation cannot be understood through hindsight or blame alone, but rather through recognition of long-standing structural issues affecting preparedness, including inconsistent funding, declining veterinary capacity, delayed infrastructure investments, and budget processes that are poorly aligned with the rapid dynamics of biological emergencies. The responses also highlighted opportunities to strengthen future preparedness through sustained investments in veterinary expertise, surveillance, risk assessment, and eradication infrastructure.   

One Health Education-  The NAFV Executive Board of Directors has developed a complete outline for a 60-minute seminar introducing One Health to Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditors.  Topics included are:

• history of One Health, Origins of the concept
• Federal applications
• Practical case studies, examples where GAO reports would have benefited from a One Health framework (A Word version of the outline was also prepared)

Drawing upon experience directing USDA emergency management programs, these papers emphasized replacing reactive funding approaches with a sustained preparedness model capable of responding rapidly to emerging biological threats.   

New World Screwworm Preparedness - Researched and discussed:

• USDA APHIS protocols for changing sterile fly production strains
• Reasons the Panama biological barrier ultimately failed
• Why initial outbreaks north of Panama were not eliminated before widespread expansion
• Implications for future eradication strategy and workforce and infrastructure requirements needed to restore long-term North American protection. 

NAFV Growth and Advocacy  Strengthened:  

• Member communications and Leadership recruitment
• Policy development and legislative engagement
• Relationships with USDA and AVMA
• Organizational visibility and  influence on federal veterinary policy.