Grassroots group aims to protect practitioners

Highland Park, N.J.-An East Coast veterinarian is rallying to ensure veterinarians are more prepared the next time magazines like Consumer Reports throws darts at the profession.

That's in part why Dr. Madan Kharé of New Jersey-based Highland Park Animal Clinic is organizing a grass-roots nonprofit group aptly titled, "Veterinarians for Veterinarians," which will be open to all veterinary graduates in the United States for no fee.

"I consider the Consumer Reports article a wake up call and the beginning of a long nightmare for veterinarians," says Kharé. "If measures are not taken, it will soon breed similar problems and disasters that are now experienced by human health care providers."

As an example, Kharé notes that in order to protect consumer rights, veterinarians are regulated through boards of veterinary medical examiners. A consumer can write a letter to the boards, and the boards are obligated to immediately investigate, regardless of whether the veterinarian has committed any wrongdoing.

"A veterinarian does not have this kind of luxury," argues Kharé. "He or she has to go through tremendous psychological stress and financial burden, and has no place to call." Their only recourse to date is counsel from insurance companies or civil courts.

Enter "Veterinarians for Veterinarians." The concept of the organization is to educate and consult the consumer and veterinarian for no fee. "We want to be a support group for those veterinarians and advise them or point to the proper resources," says Kharé.

Following are the goals and objectives of Veterinarians For Veterinarians:

• To educate consumers

• To educate veterinarians

• To maintain a database containing all practice acts from all 50 states for reference.

• To create a uniform "standard" for how to practice veterinary medicine.

• To maintain and provide information at one place to help veterinarians find the right resources.

• To maintain a Web site and toll-free number for communications.

• To provide an e-mail list forum to establish open dialogue among veterinarians.

• To seek and create an alliance with veterinary academia to obtain their input and cooperation.

• To seek advice and guidance from present and past members of boards of veterinary medical examiners.

• To collect and compile the nature and type of complaints filed by consumers with the various state boards of veterinary medical examiners. A study of these complaints will help educate veterinarians and develop solutions.

• To collect and compile case history data from agencies like AVMA-PLIT and other state and local professional liability insurance carriers to study the current trends.

• To seek active cooperation and input from pet insurance agencies.

• To seek guidance and input from various veterinary groups, like AVMLA, AVPMCA, etc.

Kharé hopes this organization can teach veterinarians the language of "PSL" (politics as a second language.) "If we unite, veterinarians will have the power to vote and to mobilize the strength of confidence and support of their clients, which they have earned while providing pet care services to them."

The organization invites financial and other support from veterinarians, organized veterinary medicine and industry.

To contact Kharé, call (877) 872-8393. The Web site, under development at press time, is at www.vetforvet.com.