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Board hears Department of Public Health update on practitioner investigations; staff to follow up on legal reviews
Summary
Department of Public Health manager Laura Morris told the Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine that caseloads have varied from 2022–2025, with most investigations closed without disciplinary action. Board members asked why several cases remain in legal review; Morris agreed to provide additional details to board staff.
The Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine on an unspecified fourth-quarter meeting heard an overview of practitioner investigations from the Department of Public Health and approved its meeting minutes and 2026 calendar.
Laura Morris, manager of the Department of Public Health’s practitioner investigations unit, told the board she "ran some numbers" covering 2022 through 2025 and gave counts for open and closed cases. Morris said that in 2022 there were three practitioners whose cases closed with disciplinary action; in 2023 there were 27 investigations and "27 of those were closed without disciplinary action." For 2024 she said there were 48 investigations: 44 closed without disciplinary action, one still under investigation and two in the legal department for review. For 2025, year-to-date, Morris reported 27 cases: seven closed without further action, 19 open and one in legal review, and she noted the year had not yet ended.
A board member asked why two 2024 cases remain in the legal unit and "what's taking so long." Morris said she could not provide specifics about individual files at the meeting but that the investigations unit refers files to the legal department, which then handles negotiation, possible consent orders or referral to the board for action. "I just will let you know. I cannot speak specifics about a case. I can just sort of give you general information," Morris said. She agreed to review the files and provide Nathan, the board staff member who circulated the 2026 calendar, with a brief update about the status of the cases and any apparent holdups.
Board members also approved the minutes from the Aug. 27 meeting and adopted the board’s 2026 meeting schedule, with proposed dates of Jan. 28, April 22, Aug. 26 and Oct. 28. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn and brief holiday well-wishes.
Morris emphasized that matters the investigations unit recommends for summary suspension or other urgent action are handled with priority by the legal department and said she would follow up with the board staff on outstanding legal reviews. "I can definitely get that information, to find out what why there's the 2 from 2024, what the issue is, if I can, and the 1 for 2025," she said.
The board did not take any enforcement decisions during this meeting; Morris’ update was informational and included a commitment to supply additional, non-case-specific status information to board staff ahead of future meetings.
