Eric Jayne, bush veterinarian, is alive and well and headed back to Alaska.
He will not be practicing medicine, however. He has taken over a business that to some, might be a dream job. Eric Jayne is next in line after a short line of dog mushers before him, and will be hauling climber supplies by dog team up Denali’s north slopes on the Muldrow Glacier.
He also is on a mission to see if he can help get better veterinary care to bush Alaska. He doesn’t want to practice vet care, but wants to see the system change. He is busy writing letters to editors of various news sources in Alaska. He says he wants to see if he can slowly make a difference in the way the State Veterinary Board works.
Jayne left the state late last year with an intention of making a living in his former career, carpentry and house-building, in the state of Iowa.
He has changed directions, is headed to Alaska and has taken over the climber supply-hauling business from Jeff Yanuchi of Healy. He will be busy through the month of March providing a service to climbers that either head up Denali via the northern routes or those that traverse the mountain and want supplies cached on the north side glacier.
Jaynes letter to the editor:
I am the veterinarian who recently left Alaska and has been in the news.
What happened to me can be best described by this: Imagine driving down the highway. Suddenly a state trooper comes up behind you and pulls you over. The officer charges up to your window and bangs on it loudly. You roll the window down and the officer shouts out that you were speeding and he is going to take your license from you- right then and there. You say,” Shouldn’t I just get a ticket?” The officer replies, “ I see you have an unauthorized dog in the truck with you so now I am taking your license and your truck. You reply, “ I didn’t know that dogs needed to be authorized and I didn’t see the speed limit posted. What is it?” The cop replies, “ I can’t tell you , that’s confidential information.” You say, “ I don’t think I was speeding , I am a careful driver.” You are then dragged from your car beaten up, your dog is shot, you get a kick in the backside and are told to get out of there and never come back. As you walk down the road you look back and a smiling cop is driving off in your truck, flipping his middle finger up at you.
This is exactly what happened to me. Not only was the largest veterinary clinic (client number and area- wise) stolen from me, the state’s single biggest non-profit benefactor was booted in the backside as well.
Like a mugging victim who doesn’t want his wallet back, I don’t want it back. I want to be left alone.
The scary thing is that there are no rules to keep the Alaskan Veterinary Board from doing this. It would be like setting up the State Troopers and saying, “Go do what you like.” Imagine.
What needs to happen is that rules need to be written for the Alaskan vet board. Look on line- even Wyoming has clearly defined rules. Alaska has virtually none. The rules should prohibit board members from participating in cases against competitors, there should be a clear and legal process for complaint cases to be heard, and complaints should only be allowed from clients- not competitor vets. All statements should be made under oath. The rules should state clear standards for clinics as well- if they want stainless steel surgery tables at every vet clinic say it. If they want an x-ray machine say that as well. Spell it out.
These rules also need to ensure that rural Alaska is included on the board. In addition, all meetings should be done transparently and with public input. Until that happens Alaska will continue to suffer in the state of veterinary failure that now exists.
Eric Jayne
Other articles on Jayne: KTVA
