TAHC Accepting Nominations for Areas Experiencing Veterinary Shortages

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is accepting nominations for geographic areas of Texas experiencing a shortage of veterinarians that work in food animal medicine, rural private practice, or public practice. The TAHC will accept nominations until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, 2019. 

As part of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) FY2020, individuals may submit nominations to the TAHC for areas they believe have a veterinary shortage. Areas selected as having a qualified veterinary shortage may benefit from the VMLRP by having a practicing veterinarian locate to the area or remain in the area in exchange for the opportunity to have up to $25,000 per year of student loan debt repaid for up to three years of service. 

The VMLRP focuses on three types of veterinary practice and will accept nominations in each category:

• Type I Shortage - a veterinarian is needed to spend at least an 80 percent time commitment to private practice food supply veterinary medicine.
• Type II Shortage – a veterinarian is needed to spend at least a 30 percent time commitment to private practice food supply veterinary medicine in a rural area (e.g., remote or economically depressed area).
• Type III Shortage – a veterinarian is needed to spend at least 49 percent time commitment to public practice settings (e.g., local, state, or federal governmental work), typically in public health, diagnostic laboratory, meat inspection, epidemiology, or regulatory veterinary medicine. 

The nomination form is available online. TAHC will also accept comments regarding the need to re-nominate previously designated areas. View the FY2019 designated areas [HERE]. 

The completed nomination form (Pages 1 and 2 only) and comments regarding re-nominations must be submitted to comments@tahc.texas.gov or faxed to 512-832-6803, attention Dr. Roger Parker. 

Please ensure good contact information for follow-up. Please do not send forms directly to the USDA. The USDA will only accept nominations that are reviewed, approved, and submitted by the TAHC Executive Director. Please note, TAHC will review all nominations and may combine geographic areas, if appropriate. 

For more information about the VMLRP and the process of shortage designation, visit the Notice in the Federal Register [HERE] or the VMLRP website [HERE] or contact Dr. Roger Parker at 512-832-6580.