Auditor General flags slow complaint handling, conflicts of interest; committee recommends 8‑year continuation for Veterinary Medical Examining Board

The Joint Natural Resources Committee heard on December 15 that the Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board has not consistently resolved complaints within required timeframes and fell short on some conflict‑of‑interest disclosure practices, according to a performance audit and sunset review presented by the Auditor General’s office.

Auditor General staffer Katie Ryzbowski summarized the review, saying the board met timelines for many licensing tasks but “of the board’s 159 complaints it received in fiscal year 2024 … the board took between 181 and 325 days to resolve these 49 complaints,” and cited an investigation that required 320 days to complete. The audit also found disclosure forms and public files did not include all statutorily required conflict‑of‑interest information. The contractor that performed the review, Sjoberg Evishen Consulting, made multiple recommendations; the report combined 10 primary recommendations addressing the two key problems with 11 further recommendations covering other deficiencies.

The audit warned that delayed complaint handling can allow licensees under investigation to continue practicing while allegations remain unresolved and can prolong unproven reputational harm for practitioners. It also recommended the board adopt a disclosure form that captures all substantial‑interest disclosures and keep those records in a single special file available for public inspection.

Victoria Whitmore, the board’s executive director, told the committee the board takes the findings seriously and has already started corrective steps. She described structural features of Arizona’s veterinary oversight that add time to investigation: an investigative committee of five volunteers reviews every case and the full board hears every case rather than delegating dismissal authority to staff or a single official — a process Whitmore said is more time‑consuming than many other health boards’ practices. Whitmore said the board has implemented a new disclosure form, plans conflict‑of‑interest training for staff and members, has added an investigator this year and is rolling out a new e‑licensing system intended to support continuing‑education audits.

Lawmakers pressed the board on workforce issues and enforcement capacity; committee members noted the state has about 3,685 licensed veterinarians and an estimated fewer than 50 large‑animal practitioners. Whitmore said the board’s authority is limited in recruitment but pointed to state loan‑assistance and other programs aimed at improving rural and agricultural veterinary capacity.

After the presentations and questions the joint committee voted by voice to recommend continuing the Arizona Veterinary Medical Examining Board for eight years, a standard legislative continuation that allows the agency to remain active while committing it to complete the corrective work outlined in the Auditor General’s report.

The next steps include the Auditor General’s scheduled follow‑up work to assess implementation of the recommendations and the board’s planned trainings and systems changes. The committee did not set additional conditions beyond the standard continuation recommendation.