skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

AZ Governor Enacts Law Allowing Telemedicine for Pets

play audio
Play

Tuesday, June 6, 2023   

In Arizona, telemedicine is now not only available for humans but also for people's beloved animals. Last month Governor Katie Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1053 into law. It lets Arizona pet owners access virtual care instead of having to head into the veterinary clinic.

Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, sponsored the bill and said the state has a lack of veterinarians. According to a Mars Veterinary Health study, a shortage of nearly 15,000 veterinarians will likely still exist by 2030, and Shope hopes this bill can help mitigate some of the challenges Arizonans face when looking for animal care.

"Much of the state of Arizona consists of what is, I think, called a 'veterinary desert,' " he said.

The bill received bipartisan support. Just last year, Arizona lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1271 that created the Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Program. It allows veterinarians to receive up to one hundred thousand dollars in loan assistance for those who work in the state for at least four years.

Arizona is now one of a few states in the country taking action to better address the needs of rural pet owners by offering virtual consultations. Shope said he hopes the measure will let vets in the state assess animals remotely and also help owners determine the level of urgency on a case-by-case basis, and added in his jurisdiction of Coolidge, veterinarians are hard to come by.

"There is not a couple-day stretch that go by without -- we have a community chat on Facebook -- without somebody posting about, 'Oh, my dog this,' or 'My cat this.' Nobody is open," he explained. "Nobody can take anybody in right now. It's an hour to the closest 24/7 clinic."

In addition to providing virtual care to companion animals in the state, the law also allows veterinarians to provide short-term, non-controlled substance prescriptions.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021