As health care costs continue to rise, more American families face problems accessing quality health care. We need to do everything possible to make affordable health insurance options available to families and small businesses. We must also increase access to care and improve health care quality, including through advancements in information technology and special attention to the unique needs of rural areas.
I am particularly interested in promoting homeland security by increasing our capacity to deal with infectious diseases and bioterrorism. Veterinarians have a special expertise in preventing and controlling diseases such as anthrax, West Nile Virus, and bird flu. Yet, there is a critical shortage of veterinarians working in public health practice, and the nation’s veterinary medical colleges do not have the capacity to meet the need. I believe that we should assist them in expanding their training programs for public health professionals.
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