In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis announced a plan on February 12 to have the state provide $50 million in funding toward Colorado State University (CSU)’s new Veterinary Health and Education Complex. The CSU System Board of Governors has already approved a $230 million upgrade and expansion of the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, allowing the university to add 30 veterinary students to its incoming class in the fall of 2026, increasing the class size from 138 to 168.

“I think the state’s vision to package this along with all these other health care activities really speaks to the growing importance of that One Health concept,” said CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank, a former professor of veterinary science at CSU and practicing veterinarian. “The health of humans, the health of animals — whether it’s zoonotic diseases, environmental factors, the health of our planet — these things are all linked together, and we’re really proud to be part of this. We’ll put it to good use.”

Colorado State University’s Livestock Veterinary Services will resume normal operations in a temporary building on Feb. 13.

“The reason we’re doing this is because it will really enable us to give the students training opportunities under supervision of our faculty,” Dean Sue VandeWoude said. “That should better equip them to start their jobs when they graduate more prepared to do the things they’re going to be called upon to do.”

One out of four households in the U.S. has experienced trouble accessing veterinary care, according to a 2018 report by the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition. Colorado State University’s Animal-Human Policy Center surveyed Colorado veterinary professionals to understand their perceptions of access-to-care and workforce challenges and potential solutions.

“One of the motivators is to create this enhanced space for research, education and service — service including being a hospital and serving our veterinary patients and their families — and how we really essentially leverage all of those together to advance what we do in veterinary medicine to continually get better,” said Dr. Kelly Hall-Wilke, associate professor of emergency and critical care and chair of the VHEC project planning team.