Bob Murtaugh

DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVECC, FCCM

Veterinary Medicine is a great and giving profession, and I am grateful and proud to be a contributing member of the Profession, and our Society. Veterinary Medicine today faces significant challenges on several vital issues despite substantial efforts by many. I believe in the power of organized veterinary medicine and the responsibility of our associations to serve the interests of all constituents while moving the profession forward. The over-arching priority, in my view, is to meet the need for access and delivery of care in all facets of veterinary medicine. We need to be bold and change the paradigm in our approaches to increasing the numbers of veterinary health care providers, altering the definition of the veterinary client-patient relationship to enhance in-person and telehealth-based access to care, and eliminating artificial barriers to licensure for veterinarians across various States.

Most Outstanding Accomplishments

Bob has served as President of VECCS, President of ACVECC, and Chair of the ABVS. He has also trained over 40 residents, authored two veterinary text books and has had 30 plus peer-reviewed articles published. Bob is the Chair, Veterinary Medicine, National Academies of Practice.

While at Tufts University, Bob founded the School’s world-renowned emergency and critical care program, which spurred him to band with other like-minded internists, surgeons, and anesthesiologists to petition the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) in the late 1980s to provide provisional recognition for ACVECC. Bob was the Chair of the Organizing Committee for that effort. Additionally, Bob published one of the original veterinary textbooks devoted to the topic of veterinary emergency and critical care. Additionally, while at Tufts, Bob chaired a curricular revision that led to the pioneering introduction of experiential, case-based, and clinical exposures beginning with Year 1 in the curriculum. Bob also served as Hospital Director for both the Large and Small Animal Teaching Hospitals at Tufts. As a result of his accomplishments in the realm of emergency and critical care medicine, Bob was selected as the first veterinarian to be admitted to the ACCM; a physician organization focused on excellence in the specialty in the realm of human medicine. Bob was instrumental in positioning Dove Lewis to achieve its national prominence as a leading nonprofit emergency and critical care hospital, community service leader, and educational resource. During his time in coast-to-coast clinical practice and corporate practice ownership/operations, Bob has spearheaded collaborative efforts to enhance standards of care, access to care, mentoring of new graduates, and the educational externship opportunities for the increasing number of distributive model Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.

Sharing Great Time With My Family

Bob and Jill's Canine Crew

With the veterinary community's strength and resources, we can create and implement several vital initiatives for the 2030 year gap.

1) MEET THE STAFFING NEEDS OF ALL FACETS OF OUR PROFESSION.2) EVOLVE THE VCPR TO ENHANCE TELEHEALTH COVERAGE.3) MODIFY PRACTICE ACTS TO EXPAND THE ACTIVITIES ALLOWED FOR TRAINED SUPERVISED PARAPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS.

My broad-based background and myriad of influential relationships uniquely position me to understand and represent all facets of our profession well. I believe I possess the vision and a can-do history and makeup that will influence and steer our industry in the proper directions. Those who know me recognize that I am approachable, positive, empathetic, responsive, supportive, and collaborative. In my approach to individuals and issues, I have a ‘say what I do, and do what I say’ integrity. These are the qualities and substance that I have and will continue to apply toward making our profession better and stronger.