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WSVMA Annual Conference
Changes to the National VeterinaryAccreditation Program
Spokane Convention CenterSpokane, Washington
October 1-3, 2010
Thomas Brignole, DVMArea Epidemiology Officer, USDA, APHIS, VS
Thomas Brignole, DVM Area Epidemiology Officer, USDA, APHIS, VS
Biography: Dr. Thomas Brignole has worked for the Veterinary Services Program of the USDA, APHIS since 1987. He is currently the Area Epidemiology Officer for Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific, coordinating official livestock disease control and eradication programs, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, pseudorabies, and scrapie. Prior to moving to Washington, he served as the Regional Epidemiology Officer for cattle diseases for APHIS Veterinary Services Eastern Region, and as a field veterinarian in Arizona. Before joining federal service, he worked for two years in a feedlot consulting practice. Contact Email: [email protected]
Question and Answers for the National Veterinary Accreditation Program 2010
Renewal/Supplemental Training 1. Question: How much APHIS‐approved supplemental training is required for each Accreditation Category?
Answer: Category I accredited veterinarians (AVs) are required to complete three (3) units of APHIS‐approved supplemental training. Category II AVs are required to complete six (6) units of APHIS‐approved supplemental training.
2. Question: How much time is a “unit” of APHIS‐approved supplemental training?
Answer: One “unit” is equal to approximately one (1) hour of APHIS‐approved supplemental training. 3. Question: How can I fulfill my requirements for APHIS‐approved supplemental training?
Answer: APHIS‐approved supplemental training for renewal of accreditation should be available December 2010. The availability of the training will be announced on the NVAP website and through major veterinary organizations. Instructions for accessing the supplemental training will be available through the NVAP website. You will use your assigned National Accreditation Number to access the training.
4. Question: How will the APHIS‐approved supplemental training be provided?
Answer: Web‐based, CD, paper, and lecture formats will be available. 5. Question: How much will the APHIS‐approved supplemental training cost?
Answer: Web‐based APHIS‐approved supplemental training is available free of charge. However, if you desire a CD or paper version of the training, there will be a cost for production and mailing.
6. Question: Are there any other options for APHIS‐approved supplemental training, i.e., attending
conferences? Answer: Organizations wishing to have their training considered as APHIS‐approved supplemental training must ensure a copy of the training syllabus, lecture notes, and any other instructional materials are received by the National Veterinary Accreditation Program Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 64, Riverdale, MD 20737 ninety (90) days before the training event. APHIS will review the submitted material to determine if this training qualifies. Supplemental training will not be accepted unless it is pre‐approved using the steps outlined above.
7. Question: Where and when do I submit my VS Form 1‐36A for accreditation renewal ?
Answer: Submit your completed VS Form 1‐36A to the National Veterinary Accreditation Program Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 64, Riverdale, MD 20737 before your accreditation renewal date but not prior to six (6) months before your assigned accreditation renewal date.
8. Question: Will I get a reminder that my accreditation needs to be renewed?
Answer: Yes. If you provided an e‐mail address, you will be sent e‐mail reminders at six (6), three (3), and one (1) month intervals before your expiration date. If you didn’t provide an e‐mail address, we will send you a reminder notice via USPS three (3) months before your expiration date.
Category I and II 9. Question: What are the definitions and examples of Category I and Category II animals?
Answer: Category I animals: All animals except: food and fiber species, horses, birds, farm‐raised aquatic animals, all other livestock species, and zoo animals that can transmit exotic animal diseases to livestock. Examples of Category I animals include dog, cat, laboratory animal (rat, mouse, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster), non‐human primate, rabbit, ferret, mink, gopher, amphibian/reptile, native non‐ruminant wildlife. Category II animals include all animals.
10. Question: If I want to work on dogs, cats, and horses, do I need to check both categories?
Answer: No, Category II covers all animals and horses are covered under Category II. 11. Question: How do I change my accreditation category?
Answer: Before the supplemental training is made available (December 2010), you should contact the NVAP Staff in Riverdale via e‐mail at [email protected] or by calling 301‐734‐NVAP (6827). After the supplemental training is available, you will need to complete the appropriate number of supplemental training units and submit your application to the Area Office. If you are a Category I AV and wish to change to a Category II AV, you will need to complete six (6) units of supplemental training and submit your application to the Area Office as a change in accreditation category. If you are a Category II AV and wish to change to a Category I AV, you will need to complete three (3) unites of supplemental training and submit your application to the Area Office as a change in accreditation category.
NOTE: To cut down on the paperwork process, NVAP recommends that if you wish to change from a Category II to a Category I, you wait until your renewal date; submit your VS Form 1‐36A to the NVAP Staff in Riverdale completing 3 units of training and selecting Category I at that time. Administrative Process 12. Question: As this is a “National” Program, may I conduct accredited work in any State in which I am
licensed or legally able to practice veterinary medicine? Answer: No. Once you have completed the accreditation process in one State, you must apply for authorization for each State in which you wish to conduct accredited duties. The program is administered nationally but is authorized State by State.
13. Question: What is the difference between accreditation and authorization?
Answer: Accreditation is a one‐time process which gives veterinarians the authority to administer APHIS regulations related to animal health in the State of application. Authorization is the process which follows accreditation and provides accredited veterinarians the opportunity to conduct accreditation duties in additional States.
14. Question: How do I become authorized in a new State?
Answer: Once you have been accredited by one State, you must apply for authorization in each State in which you wish to conduct accredited duties. You must be licensed or legally able to practice in the States in which you apply, complete a VS Form 1‐36A (Box 2), and submit the application to the Area Veterinarian in Charge. You may be required to complete a State specific orientation. You may not perform any accreditation duties until you receive written authorization from the Area Veterinarian in Charge of that State
15. Question: Where do I submit VS Form 1‐36A?
Answer: VS Form 1‐36A is multi‐functional. The box you select for your specific need will determine where you submit your form. The only time it will be sent to NVAP Staff in Riverdale will be for renewals. For all other circumstances, the form will be sent to the Area Office as outlined below: Box 1. Initial Accreditation should be sent to the appropriate area office in which you are applying for accreditation for the first time. This does not apply to you since you are already accredited Box 2. Authorization in a new State should be sent to the appropriate area office in which you are applying to do accredited work. You should be an accredited veterinarian to use this box. Box 3. Choose Accreditation Category should be submitted if you want to change your category. Vs Form 1‐36A should be sent to the area office where you are authorized to perform accreditation duties. If you are authorized in more than one State, you only need to submit the application to one of the Area Offices. Box 4. Contact Information Change. If you are changing any of your contact information (name, e‐mail address, etc), submit the application to the area office where you are authorized to perform accreditation duties. If you are authorized in more than one State, you need to submit the application to only one of the Area Offices. Box 5. Accreditation Renewal should be sent to the National Veterinary Accreditation Program Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 64, and Riverdale, MD 20737. This will be the only time you will send this form to the NVAP in Rivderale, MD. Box 6. Post Revocation Re‐accreditation should be submitted to the State where the action to revoke your accreditation took place.
16. Question: Does the VS Form 1‐36A require a signature and can I fax it?
Answer: All circumstances require your signature except when you Elected to Participate in the program. From now on, you submit a signed original VS Form 1‐36A (no faxes or photocopies.).
17. Question: When will I use the National Accreditation Number?
Answer: Your National Accreditation Number will be used to access the on‐line supplemental training and on all forms that require an accreditation number.
18. Question: Does the National Accreditation Number replace my State accreditation number
Answer: The National Accreditation Number is intended to replace the State specific accreditation number and to help bring more uniformity to the program.
19. Question: I noticed an error on the VS Form 1‐36A that was enclosed with my elect to participate letter. How do I make changes so your database has the correct information? Answer: If you have any changes, you may send an e‐mail to [email protected] and include your full name, your National Accreditation Number and the exact change you need made to the database.
APHIS FactsheetVeterinary Services January 2010
Update on the National Veterinary Accreditation ProgramThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estab-lished the veterinary accreditation program in 1921 so that accredited private practitioners could assist Federal veterinarians in controlling animal diseases and facilitating the movement of animals.
The mission of the National Veterinary Accredita-tion Program (NVAP) is to ensure the health of the Nation’s livestock and animal population and to protect the public health and well-being.
Accredited veterinarians work cooperatively with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and State animal health officials to protect and improve the health, quality, productivity, and marketability of U.S. animals by preventing, controlling, and eradicating livestock diseases. Businesses that transport and export animals also rely on the exper-tise of accredited veterinarians to help ensure that exported animals will not introduce diseases into other States or countries.
The United States depends extensively on accred-ited veterinarians to carry out many of its animal health programs and services—including animal inspections, testing, and certifi cations. Accredited veterinarians serve as the fi rst line of defense in ensuring the health of the Nation’s livestock.
More than 80 percent of all U.S. veterinarians, or about 71,000, are accredited.
Working Together in Regulatory Medicine
The NVAP is a voluntary program. Participation is not mandated by the Federal government; however, accredited veterinarians who participate in the NVAP must work according to the standards for accredited veterinarian duties in Title 9, Code of Federal Regula-tions, Part 161.
The NVAP is based on the mutual respect and the professional partnership between APHIS, accredited veterinarians, and State animal health officials. With the development of a more global economy, these partners work increasingly closer to support American agriculture by:
Understanding the responsibilities of the program, • Administering the program uniformly and • consistently, Preserving the integrity of the program, • Keeping up-to-date with animal health issues, and• Mobilizing to assist APHIS with foreign animal • disease incursions.
Benefi ts of Accreditation
By becoming accredited, you can offer additional services to your clients. For example, large animal practitioners can certify animal and herd health, which facilitates producers’ access to domestic and interna-tional markets. Small animal practitioners can use their accreditation to certify companion animals for domestic and international movement. Important Changes in the National Veterinary
Accreditation Program
APHIS has changed the accreditation program to address the needs of the increasingly complex and fast-paced world of animal health, business, trade, and travel. Key components of the program, including important changes, are described below.
1. Election to Participate in the NVAP Under
the New Program
Veterinarians who are already accredited • as of February 1, 2010, must elect to par-ticipate in the NVAP as a Category I or Category II veterinarian (see number 4 below “Accreditation Categories”). Fail-ure to do so will result in the expiration of that veterinarian’s accreditation. Election to participate may only be accomplished by completing an application (VS Form 1-36A) and submitting the application to USDA, APHIS, VS, NVAP Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 64, Riverdale, MD 20737
Telephone: (301)-734-NVAP (6827) or Fax: (301)-734-3641 or E-mail: [email protected]
2. Initial Accreditation Requirements Before
July 1, 2011
Complete core orientation•
Complete the core orientation program presented by the APHIS Veterinary Services (VS) Area Office for the State in which an applicant wishes to perform
accredited duties. Contact information for the Area Office for each State can be found at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/• area_offices.
Be licensed or legally able to practice•
Graduate with a doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, and be licensed or legally able to practice veterinary medicine in one State.
Submit NVAP application (VS Form •
1-36A)
Complete the NVAP application (VS Form 1-36A), which is available through VS Area Offices and online at www.aphis.usda.gov/nvap/. Send the completed form to the VS Area Office for the State in which you wish to perform accredited duties. The form must include your original ink signature, so it may not be sent electronically. When complet-ing the application, you must certify that you are able to perform the necessary tasks for your chosen accreditation category. Tasks lists may be viewed at www.aphis.usda.gov/nvap/ and may also be found in the Code of Federal Regulations [9 CFR 161.1 (g).].
Complete State-specifi c training if •
required
You may be required to attend a State-specifi c orientation program about animal health issues that are important in the State of application.
Obtain written approval• Upon approval of your application, APHIS will send an approval letter that includes your renewal date and your National Accreditation Number. You may not perform accredited duties until you receive an approval letter. Your accreditation authorizes you to perform accredited duties only in the State in which you are accredited.
3. Issuance of Six-digit National Accredita-
tion Numbers for Accredited Veterinarians National Accreditation Numbers are randomly generated, and have no correlation to your State license number(s). Your National Accreditation Number will be required on all official documents that call for an “accreditation number.” For veterinarians accredited prior to February 2010, the new National Accreditation
Number will replace all accreditation numbers previously assigned by State or Federalauthorities.
4. Accreditation Categories
On the NVAP application (VS Form 1-36A), you must choose an accreditation category, based on the species on which you wish to perform accredited duties. Category I animals: All animals except: food and fi ber species, horses, birds, farm-raised aquatic animals, all other livestock species, and zoo animals that can transmit exotic animal diseases to livestock Category II animals: All animals
5. Accreditation Renewal
Your accreditation must be renewed every 3 years for as long as you wish to perform accredited duties. If you have provided an e-mail address on your most recent NVAP application (VS Form 1-36A), APHIS will e-mail you a reminder before your accreditation expires. If you did not provide an e-mail address, a reminder will be mailed to your home address. To renew your accreditation, you must complete the NVAP application to up-date all contact and State license information and to report all required APHIS-approved supple-mental training you have completed.
The form must be received on or before your renewal date or your accreditation will expire. Mail the completed NVAP application to: USDA, APHIS, VS, NVAP Staff, 4700 River Road, Unit 64, Riverdale, MD 20737. Do not send the form for renewal to your VS Area Office. Doing so may substantially delay the processing of your renewal, which may result in the expiration of your accreditation.
6. Supplemental Training Requirements
You must complete the APHIS-approved supple-mental training that is required for your ac-creditation category: three units of supplemental training per renewal period for Category I veteri-narians, and six units for Category II veterinar-ians. APHIS-approved supplemental training is available online at no charge. A list of APHIS-approved supplemental training units may be accessed at: www.aphis.usda.gov/nvap/. For vet-erinarians without Internet access, other training options (e.g., CD-ROM or paper) are available at a minimal cost to cover production, shipping, and handling. Requests for non-Web based supple-
mental training materials may be made by calling NVAP Headquarters at (301) 734–NVAP (6827).
Note: In 2012 organizations offering accred-itation-relevant training through meetings may apply to have such training added to the list of APHIS-approved supplemental training.
7. Authorization to Perform Accredited Duties
in Additional States
Once accredited in one State, you may apply for authorization to perform accredited duties in each additional State in which you are licensed or legally able to practice. Simply complete VS Form 1-36A and submit it to the VS Area Office servicing the State in which you wish to apply.8. Initial Accreditation Requirements After
July 1, 2011
Beginning July 1, 2011, applicants for accredi-tation will need to complete specifi c APHIS-approved initial accreditation training through a U.S. college of veterinary medicine or through the Association of American Veterinary Medical Col-leges. The training will need to be completed with a passing score of 80 percent or higher. A certifi -cate of completion of the training will be required to be admitted to a core orientation program. Information about the initial accreditation training is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/nvap/. The requirements for completing core orientation, being licensed or legally able to practice, sub-mitting the NVAP application (VS Form 1-36A), completing State-specifi c training if required, and obtaining written approval before beginning accredited duties are the same as before July 1, 2011.
Other Uses of VS Form 1-36A
VS Form is a multiple-use form. To update your contact information (name, address, telephone, etc.), request a change of accreditation category, request reinstatement after expiration, or to be reaccredited after revocation, you must complete a VS Form 1-36A and submit it to your local VS Area Office. As an accredited veterinarian, it is your responsibility to keep your contact information current.
Summary
This table below shows the basic requirements for ini-tial accreditation, authorization in different States, and renewing your accreditation.
Requirements
Initial
Accredi-
tation
Author-
ization
in addi-
tional
States
Accredi-
tation
3-year
Renewal
Have a DVM or equivalent degree from a college of veter-inary medicine
Yes Yes Yes
Submit a com-pleted VS Form 1-36A
Yes Yes Yes
Be licensed or legally able to practice in the State of applica-tion
Yes Yes Yes
Complete initial accreditationtraining
YesAppli-cants after July 1, 2011
No No
Complete a core orientation program
Yes No No
APHIS-approved supplemental training every 3 years: Category 1 = 3 Units, Category 2 = 6 Units
No No Yes
Notify the AVIC of each addi-tional State where seeking to do accredited work
N/A Yes No
To learn more about the NVAP, contact your local VS Area Office or NVAP headquarters staff:NVAP Headquarters Staff USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services4700 River Road, Unit 64Riverdale, MD 20737–1231Telephone: (301) 734–NVAP (6827)Fax: (301) 734–3641E-mail: [email protected] Site: www.aphis.usda.gov/nvap/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimina-tion in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communica-tion of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. , Washington , D.C. 20250–9410 , or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture
