As we enter the 12th year of publishing this journal, a new era begins. Starting with the Winter 2027 issue, which will launch in December, we are changing the title to Today’s Veterinary Technician.
In our debut issue, back in 2016, founding Editor in Chief Lynne Johnson-Harris described the driving force behind our launch:
“The NAVC listened to veterinary technicians’ special needs for education, recognition, and career growth. The cornerstone of our response is this journal.” She made a commitment to be a voice for “an important community of veterinary healthcare providers who are arguably the backbone of the profession. You!”
We remain as committed to that promise today as we did on day 1.
As the producers of a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, we go to painstaking lengths to ensure that the information you receive is accurate, relevant, and worthy of trust. In that same spirit, we decided to update the name of this journal to more closely align with the predominant title of our readership.
We didn’t make this decision on a whim. We sought your feedback as readers (reviewing hundreds of comments), among others in the community. Advocates stated their case and beliefs in support of both journal titles. This topic involves professional identity and personal values. It elicits passion in both directions, and we hope to approach it in a way that respects everyone’s viewpoint.
But during this process, one thing became clear: There is so much more that ties our community together than the high-profile topics that seem to divide it. All of our readers want to emphasize the value of their training, advanced skills, and crucial role in educating pet owners as credentialed professionals. Know that we share that mission with you and this decision was made with the goal of supporting our readership rather than opposing any single title.
We promise to continue to highlight the value of our community. We hope this change will allow us to place even more emphasis on providing world-class clinical resources and focus our collective power on key issues, including:
- Increased utilization of credentialed staff
- Standardizing credentialing
- Creating a clearly defined scope of practice and title protection
- Establishing sustainable career paths for veterinary technicians
Yes, this may be the start of a new era. But once you take a closer look, you will find the same valuable resource that fulfills the mission set forth in these very pages on day 1.
—Kara Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition), VTS Hon (Internal Medicine, Dentistry), and the Editors of Today’s Veterinary Technician