Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development- House

We we do it all we'll seven to microbial susceptibility testing resistance monitoring as well as other schemes like poultry improvement plan so let's dive straight a in and to say that we do impact Arkansas or in a major way was very proud of that we have no fewer than five hundred and eighty six state sponsored students these are the ones for whom you pay the difference between the resident or nonresident fees that enables them to be considered like our own resident Louisiana students there a mole that want to come and simply pay the out of state fees they want to come to us and if they don't make it on the contract seats then they'll just pay for example the cost of twenty six we have nine am originally eight one decided they didn't want to be a veterinarian but nine and now seven nine in the contract seats and seven who've just said you know what I want to be at Ellis you that made I'm gonna pay the nonresident fees regardless and thirty four percent of your own veterinarians are alumni of all school that's the third. Which is a pretty impressive figure and that amounts to three hundred forty four of our graduates and the map at the bottom right shows where that located in Arkansas in other words all over the state and in many of the county's representative there each of those little pauses one veterinarian there all over the place we have expertise in equine and food animal I'm very proud of that we have a very very large equine program in medicine surgery sports medicine rehabilitation and critical care will one of the few schools that has a good Keita co hold off clinicians with expertise in each of those areas food item we've just hired a fifth food animal clinician making it one of the largest food animal teams in the nation and they have expertise in preventive health in reproductive science their agent ology in medicine and surgery production health and we run an ambulatory oilfield service so these are all skills and and experiences that are unique fairly unique to office and that would be of benefit to our accounts and students. Now it's true it's a sad statistic I was very surprised but you have as a state the fewest number of veterinarians by head of captives of fourteen hundred thousand population in the nation which is a bit pretty stock reality and therefore there is a distinct need for more veterinarians this is true across the whole world across the US across each state but certainly here we have the fewest in the nation and we're able to help we have always taken you'll students we love them and we're able to help and and we used to have up to twenty five contract sponsored students in eighty nine is twenty two hovered around that it's now nine if we had to the seats we take them usually fifty plus students from Arkansas apply and we take well nine of them plus plus others who make it just want to pay the out of out of state fees about one in three of our applicants get seats at the moment and we could we could accommodate more if we had the the sponsorship we could certainly accommodate more and they represent the largest cohort of out of state students of any of of the states from which students applying to all school which is again a distinguishing fact and we have many many alumni from Arkansas who all really distinguished who fled distinguished careers so Alex Dunlop for example was the NASA chief veterinarian from two thousand one two thousand seventeen Robert o'connor who is in Mountain View he runs a very successful practice and during COVID started a mosque company believe it or not manufacturing mas to meet demand amazing and then Joe nails you'll be very familiar is just state veterinarian since last year he's an alumnus hours from nineteen eighty eight so a lot. The making big contributions to the state of Arkansas and indeed the nation and world. We teach so we do a teacher in a distinctive way experience aligning is key and your students have exposure to all of the species with very one of the very few schools that has expertise in small animals and large animals in wildlife and zoo an exotic they have a hole and and we're also developing collaborations with poultry especially is knowing that it's such a big agricultural commodity in the State of Arkansas so what you're seeing that ASA models in on you clinical skills facility on the second floor of on you outpatient clinic where the students will practice on low and high fidelity models blood does some playing aspiration all sorts of skills they will need before they get into the clinics and actually do it on live animals at what you see there is blood sampling horses from the facial nasal sinuses and also whose cat there's also an intravenous placement cast the placement in a dog there and the people who run this of the associate dean for educational strategy at the top that Heidi bouncy and then Kate Jackson and bass grounds at the bottom sorry best first and then Kate who run the small and large animal respectively clinical skills lab so really a lot of experience aligning both outside and in the clinics which gives you all students the very best practical skills that they need before they actually get out into the world. And by the way we are doubling our co hold by twenty twenty four so we'll be able to state mall on cans and students as well as Louisiana and other state representative students and we're in the middle of a curricular reform redesign which is going to make us number one in the nation in terms of our curricula delivery and that will be unrolled rolled out in the fall of this year we're undergoing the final voting on that right now we also Hill so we have clinics both small and large with very mindful of the need for line general food animal and equine veterinarian says a national shortage of all veterinarians but particularly acute in those sectors of the top there is the opening the grand opening by adult no less one of our technicians Jennifer bridges that have been Belgian Malinois while we do things differently Ellis you that made they actually that dog caught the ribbon not us and it was opened in June of twenty twenty two and is now fully functional for outpatient services so community practice the original G. reproductive sciences and dogs ophthalmology dermatology and unique against LSU that met a fully functional integrative medicine and rehabilitation clinic but we also are very proud of all the services that we're able to offer so on the bottom left you see on emergency service that's undergoing a complete refit with the space that's become available as services moved into the new clinic we've taken receipt of a of an outreach vehicle for community outreach echo Love funded so that will go into under represented communities and will ultimately have one health clinics where we not only address veterinary health but also human health the animals come with owners many of those owners haven't seen a doctor or dentist in years and then we're operating now you know grading you services for example code and. Number six there on the right who is on Yunior all existence and urology and ear surgery service but we have behavior we have dentistry and maxillofacial surgery and others besides. We're also very proud of the fact that we are undergoing which will be ready in the fall of this year a complete refit of all food animal hospital this is a three point five million dollars state sponsored renovation of all large animals that these capital launch Lee unit in the hospital and will then have state of the art facilities that a world class for your students very very soon this is a really great development we've also as a state said just hired another faculty member and food on that's and we take it very seriously Ellis you that bad many schools and colleges have none we have five and will be bolstering an augmenting officiel Services an ambulatory clinics which is a lot of what you'll food animal veterinarians need to do to serve the rural parts of your state. Equally we discover we have a seventy four million dollar footprint in federal funding we in the last six months accrued three point five million dollars and more funding for areas of expertise which include equine health and sports performance lung biology and disease cancer cancer biology counts therapies and now growing your biology and your sciences for in fact Humanite near psychiatric disorders like Alzheimer's like schizophrenia and others besides so we're research powerhouse with among the top three highest funded capture of faculty at an LSU and LSU is pretty distinguished institution so we're doing very well and we want to grow that this is one of the areas that you'll students have access to their able to get into those lap see those it does alternative career pathways in a way that they would not to in the more modern schools that don't have the infrastructure and the ability to give them those experiences finally we protect and we have a really excellent state lab it is the only state live in Louisiana and again your students will rotate through this for example in that pathology rotations they would see the sorts of diagnostic tests that are done for detecting chronic wasting disease which is now becoming more problem Louisiana I know it's from head to and so the people who run this is a big team who runs it of medical technologist but the Director shown at the top left the day any balance your right uh world famous equine virologist as recently for example given an overall talks initial lack of any medical association and a UC Davis and a sponsored program that and Mara and Mariana Characene a show at the top right an excellent anatomic pathologist one of five that we have again one of the largest crew of anatomic pathologists in the nation these are skills that. Your your graduates need they need to know how to do a post mortem exam on a farm and these of these folks who teach them and they're doing cutting edge research for example Mariani just going to ground to look at the development of a vaccine for rotavirus paid in horses. And what's the future will the future is bright we are growing as a school we've undergone a bold trajectory of growth in our people programs and facilities we're growing all costs on its way refashioning multiple of all teaching spaces we are re fashioning all surgical training center to be well Clawson and cutting edge as well as is say off food animal hospital which is is going to be one of a kind it's really fantastic. I'm just going to show you in conclusion of video that has several of your students speak about their experiences I think this speaks louder than anything I can say so here we go. Hello this is all of the dean of the school of veterinary medicine here at issue we could not be more grateful from wonderful students from the state of Arkansas we had a long association with Arkansas sponsored by since nineteen seventy seven your students of always brought wonderful contributions to all school that culture educators use the House And that Thailand's much appreciated everything that we do from the pre fight ical to clinical yes they play a large role. We love their enthusiasm we off that passion and we love that academic record. Long may this association continual warmly welcome here at an issue that matters and we are very pleased that you've chosen us as you educational destination of choice so for me to you a heartfelt thanks and an invitation to continue this wonderful collaboration for many years to come welcome to an issue that may Arkansas. But active means that LSU was the ability to have that out of state tuition waiver from the state of Arkansas and that was that's a really important reason for me to be able to pursue my career in veterinary medicine and a reasonable cost and to know that when I go out to practice that when I do graduate that that burden will be that much less because I was able to get in state tuition as I was going through underground once I've decided on that new medicine being from Arkansas there's always been a connection in knowing doctors from Arkansas that really tells you after visiting for sure and so on other options this is a place of business attracted to it's the community that was here that people that I was that I spoke to all visiting alone either I have known from here and just and the people in the Packers Committee as well everything about the people who is really what you're. I said I was you for that sense of community I found especially through my this is my third year our class has really banded together and I I don't think I would be where I am without them and I'm very glad that I chose unless you and I think it would have been very different anywhere else it was gone I wish you guys a lot of opportunities to Arkansas students by having nine seats the most in the country and I think that's really attractive because they're used to working with other states and I really like working with other states so they care about not only their Louisiana students but they also care about students from all over the country so it really helps build enacted by you that unless you have here most experience here that great it really is a family community here I'm a life long lasting of members my classmates and a classmate of in below me nearly as experienced I really enjoyed my time here LSU I've enjoyed the experiences that relationships I've made up of my classmates and my professors and Administration it's been a really welcoming environment and I'm excited that I spend this much time here and I'm looking forward to the last year. The juvenile issue experience of four when I think in June this is the community that has been brought to light here from fellow students to administrative members to clinicians faculty and other instructors is sincere constructed and an awesome experience everyone is. Willing to push you to be the best thing you can. That will support you and I really felt that in my time here. Douglas Parker out in Northwest Arkansas my entire life I was in four H. and FFA and didn't things all over the state and all over the country related opportunities that Arkansas gave me so it just really feels nice to be able to finally being almost physician where I can get back to the people who gave so much to me in this state you may need I am today my at long term plans for graduation I would like to go back into the smaller town or makes animal practice has been I will from Arkadelphia which is a smaller town and and we really appreciate the advice that is readily plan on returning Arkansas I'm only saying announce their loved over the opening day I would say I grew up on a farm what documents and groups ratio on all that a lot a large animal I also see myself to the animals well as of right now my postgraduate plans March first two small animal medicine for my opportunities for internship and residency Arkansas's officer tractive please come back to friends family still rocks I am thinking I want to return Arkansas I have a lot of friends there still and families there I really hope to do next animal practice there maybe in Little Rock maybe right outside Little Rock maybe Northwest Arkansas I'm still sucking air so there's still a lot of deciding to do a lot of experiences to be had all right now I'm really leaning towards going back to Arkansas and doing some sort production man may waive production company in Northwest Arkansas that's where I'm from so I'm really looking forward to going back to that location as my whole family being there just makes it that much better I want to thank the people that make this scholarship possible it's been a really great addition to my time here at Ellis you it's made the stress of school a little bit easier to know that. There's lots of the financial burden and allow me to focus on my studies and that shopper to these that have come with medications thank you I just like to thank take opportunity to thank anyone that was part of making the scholarship available Senator Mendez amount of alleviating stress the financial burden that this so many of us are aware of the school in my case specifically allow me to pursue other academic interest it's it's really want to allow me to pursue the master's of public delivery program here I just wanna say thank you to everyone who's donated money so that students can come here and be educated and I think it's a great opportunity the Arkansas provides the students that come from their state and I just really want to say thank you to everyone who has provided unsolicited thank you it's the scholarship will help you know I'm very grateful and appreciative of it thank you thanks so much for believing in us and continuing to offer these scholarships for us. Okay they have it I couldn't you know I don't think anyone can say it more powerfully than they can let's keep this going is forty five years old we love Arkansas and we want to continue welcoming students we love to welcome many more of them and maybe get back to the numbers that we had in the eighties of up to twenty five contract seats but wet poised and ready to take them we love them thank you very very much sponsoring them we really are grateful say it's been a very joyous forty five yes thank you. Thank you doctor Gardner thank you all for coming in I know it took an effort to get here we do appreciate it I want to thank the members of the act committee that showed up I appreciate you all coming in being here we have just a couple minutes for are you prepared to answer questions you bet absolutely and I've got the a team around me if I comments and they can does anybody have a question that you'd like to present to. Representative. Thank you Mr chair I'm not a member of this committee representative brown and I'm not familiar with some of the things you mentioned like what are contract students or contract positions. Thank you very much representive said they are essentially it's a contract with the State of Arkansas that allows your students to to be out ofschool for resident fees tuition fees in other words the state pays the delta between a resident fees of twenty six twenty seven thousand six hundred and on nonresident fees of fifty six thousand five hundred so there is a big deal so that and it enables us to consider that that for them to pay in state tuition fees despite them being out of state students thank you and and there are currently nine positions that we fund help fund that's right in the past you funded up to twenty five. Thank you very much and and we do if I may add to that have an I'm going to also talk to BJ to speak to this if I may Mister chairman shore we do have plenty of very well qualified on cans and students supplies so if we had more we'd be able to sell them. Yes certainly as dean garden said some of our top students to come from the state of Arkansas because of the relationship that we have had for the last forty five years with students from the State of Arkansas so we do have especially as we expand class sized there will be lots of opportunities for the students to press to take more students from the state of Arkansas as as well which is important because a lot of them to come back to Arkansas and contribute back to the community here the one of the biggest factors that the students to look at give me when deciding where to go after graduation is the debt that they have to debt please an important role in a lot of the decision making and so if we can minimize the student debt it's a tremendous impact and allows them to come back home and maybe go to smaller towns for all practices where they may not otherwise be able to afford if they had to pay the full out of state tuition for the four years. Thank you represent Watson. Yes thank you for the collaboration lows in an Arkansas that's wonderful refresh my memory how many more of the that Neri programs we have in the state Louisiana from the different colleges and universities I've been away too long how many are there still in Louisiana. So there does anyone one veterinary school college in Louisiana about sauce nationwide there thirty three with about five now in various states of development and you'll be very familiar with to actually you know being proposed here in Arkansas one private one on one not. And there are others elsewhere university of Maryland Rowing Univest any etcetera there there there are several that that a sprouting up the difference being that to create a vet school as we have woods. Require an inordinate amount of money and not many not all but many if the new schools are privately funded does a company that owns Ross medical school in veterinary school Absalom and typically that students have debts of two hundred thousand plus. A lot higher than many some up to three hundred thousand or more and they they operate a distributive model of clinical education whereby they go out to pop in a practices to see that clinical experiences you know whether it's small or large now I don't want to knock that model but I would just pulls the consideration of what we offer which is experts in house in every discipline you could imagine including food animals and equine and these are people who are professional educators using state of the art equipment and they've been in the field you know we're able to offer a depth and a practice that most entities would not. Yes thus the. The the big need the big shortage of this not only Arkansas Louisiana across the United States so hopefully this will help. Fills in the void. We hope so and and the estimate is that if we did nothing by twenty thirty that would be at least fifteen thousand CFU that's in the US alone some of estimated in excess of forty thousand now you know you one argument would be will who casts you know we have a few we have we have then too few vets to deal with with fluffy and you know and whatever no when you realize that that there are literally areas of the country with notice that for hundreds of miles and when you realize that the rats of professions that all that often and I graduates go to not only small animal practice but crucially food animal practice and supporting animal agriculture and food security when you realize that they go into biomedical research to government relations to one health advocacy you name it the president then you appreciate the impact of that house it is all about supporting aus as a nation being of a fetal cells being able to. Advance biomedical research in a way that only veterinarians kind with that more broad view on the well it's not just one species but multiple and how they interact then that reality tones is a dia reality and so we amongst other schools are increasing our class size at LSU that made we have the oldest plan in the nation we will increase our prophesized by a hundred that's almost double hundred twenty to two hundred which allows us because the ten percent leeway to go to town and twenty and we'd like that to be more students from Arkansas if we get that which we will in twenty twenty four and beyond will be the largest factory school in the nation. Representative Lynch. just trying to run the math real quick on the contract students is that about a thirty thousand a year delta between the in state now state tuition yes it is so yes so for thirty students who were looking at a million dollars line item then that's right thanks. Okay we'll see no other questions I thank you again for coming we really do appreciate it and we look forward to working with you in the future and saying no other business before the committee will stand adjourned. Thank you very much representative phone or web very pleased to be a thank you.