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Protecting Animal and Public Health: Homeland Security and the Federal Veterinarian Workforce, Testimony of Lisa R. Shames
testimony 1 of 8
Date:
February 26, 2009
Author:
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
Institution:
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
Bibliographic Entry:
“Protecting Animal and Public Health: Homeland Security and the Federal Veterinarian Workforce.” February 26, 2009. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. Witness testimony of Ms. Lisa R. Shames http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=c34dd856-a58a-4ab8-9588-258131fd817a (Accessed March 4, 2009)
Electronic Link:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/_files/TestimonyShames2009022600.pdf
Key Words:
federal veterinarian workforce, veterinarians, animal & public health, USDA
Summary of Key Points, Issues, Conclusions:
Although a large number of federal veterinarians work in the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), there is a growing shortage of veterinarians nationwide. Ms. Lisa R. Shames, Director of Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), focused her testimony on two key points: (1) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not conducted a government-wide effort to address current and future shortages of federal veterinarians; and (2) USDA and HHS have not assessed the sufficiency of their veterinarian workforces department-wide. Ms. Shames stated that “unless USDA and HHS conduct department-wide assessments of their veterinarian workforces, they will not fully understand the size and nature of the challenges they face in recruiting and retaining veterinarians with the appropriate skills.” She later added that “if the federal government as a whole does not proactively assess current and future veterinarian workforce needs-for both routine and catastrophic events-it will continue to undermine its ability to protect the health of people, animals, and the economy.”
Name of Researcher:
Ashanti Z. Corey
Institution:
Integrative Center for Homeland Security, Texas A&M University
Date Posted:
April 2, 2009