Implementing a future national center concept in veterinary education for the dairy industry

• The AAVMC needs to serve as a facilitator for planning centers of emphasis, including regional NVD-CEs, to address the rapidly changing needs of the dairy industry and, consequently, the profession. • Any regional NVDCE planning committee should include interested faculty, industry leaders, and regulatory agency representatives including USDA and DHS representatives. • Federal agencies and dairy industry representatives as well as politicians need to understand that funding for the centers is a national responsibility to help ensure safe, high-quality food products and environmentally friendly production units. • Federally funded competitive grants are required for NVDCEs to provide the needs of our animal product food systems.We are aware that this proposal could be difficult to implement, especially from a funding perspective; however, if the AAVMC and the AVMA, in association with other members of the Food Supply Veterinary Medical Coalition along with commodity organizations and the DHS, took steps to initially debate the advisability of implementing the concept and, if in accord, later worked with federal legislators to authorize, fund, and enable the concept, the veterinary profession will have taken a very positive first step to "assure the public that food continues to be abundant, safe and wholesome by ensuring that veterinarians are appropriately involved throughout the food supply system."²⁴.