VIN Foundation announces Solutions for the Profession Competition winnersJune 28, 2018The VIN Foundation, a nonprofit that provides tools and resources to support veterinary students and veterinarians throughout their careers, has announced the results of its second annual Solutions for the Profession Competition. This year's competition asked veterinary students to share in essay form what information would have been helpful to know before applying to veterinary school. It also asked applicants to suggest ways veterinary schools could better communicate the realities and challenges veterinary students face. Veterinary student debt and mental health were among the most common problems addressed. "This essay competition provided an opportunity for veterinary students to suggest ways pre-veterinary and veterinary students can be better prepared, which will help future colleagues, and therefore the veterinary profession as a whole," said Richard Headly, DVM, VIN Foundation board chairman. More than 100 entries were submitted from around the world. Three winners were awarded cash prizes to help with educational expenses. The winners of this year's essay competition are: Paige Livingston won first place for her essay on ways to improve student debt education. Livingston is entering her fourth year as a student at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Cheyenne Cannarozzo …
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Western Veterinary Conference welcomes new board president, membersJune 28, 2018Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) has announced three additions to the organization: 2018 incoming board president Darwin R. Yoder, MS, DVM, and new board members Travis McDermott, DVM, and Suzanne Russo, DVM, MS. Dr. Yoder, a Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences graduate, has held various positions, including working in private practice, as a veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health, as a full-tenured professor, and as a director in the veterinary technology program at Sul Ross State University. Now retired, Yoder acts as a veterinary medicine consultant to the range sheep industry in the western U.S. Dr. McDermott, a Texas A&M grad whose interests include dermatology, dentistry, internal medicine, surgery, and endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures. He served on the Nevada Veterinary Medical Association board of directors and the AVMA Political Action Committee prior to his election to the WVC board. Dr. Russo, who holds a DVM from The Ohio State University and a master of science in human resources management from Golden Gate University, has served in small animal private clinical practices for 13 years in Northern California and Connecticut and held multiple roles at Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis), thereafter. From 2016-2017, she was the vice president …
Patterson Veterinary, Cure Partners, launch NaVetor cloud-based PMSJune 28, 2018Patterson Veterinary and Cure Partners have formed a new business, Technology Partner Innovations LLC, which is launching a cloud-based practice management software, NaVetor. "NaVetor was designed to be beautifully easy," said Ali Hashmat, CEO of Cure Partners. "The software was created uniquely for veterinary practices to follow veterinary professionals' work day and workflow." NaVetor's features include: Quick-view dashboard – Important information consolidated into a single view Appointment calendar – Customizable display to quickly schedule or reschedule appointments Whiteboard – Snapshot view of everything happening in the veterinary practice Electronic medical records – Create and maintain paperless medical records for each patient Billing and financial management – Streamline administrative processes and easily manage the business side of practice Inventory – Manage inventory electronically to take the guesswork out of ordering and reordering Reporting – Manage the business and identify growth areas Conversion and training – Onboarding and support Visit navetor.com for more information.
AVMA launches online guide to support veterinary well-beingJune 28, 2018 The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is keeping veterinary health and well-being top of mind for veterinarians across the profession with its new guide, 100 Healthy Tips to Support a Culture of Wellbeing. The guide, available at the AVMA website, offers strategies and practical steps veterinary professionals can take at work and at home to support healthful living and create a positive work environment. It addresses each of the nine unique dimensions that contribute to well-being: creative, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. The guide also combines strategies for improvement both at the individual level and in the workplace. Sample tips from the guide: Creative well-being Workplace: Organize an employee poetry reading during lunch or after hours in a local coffeehouse. Individual: Seek out inspiration. Visit museums, attend live concerts, attend a book reading, or take in a sunset. Emotional well-being Workplace: Institute "feelings" rounds into your daily check-ins or weekly staff meetings. Encourage—but do not require—everyone to participate to the level they are comfortable. Individual: Actively seek out laughter. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Environmental well-being Workplace: Create a work environment that …
AVMA to host LGBTQ+ events, sessions at 2018 conventionJune 28, 2018In its ongoing effort to support LGBTQ+ veterinarians, students, and colleagues, and improve their well-being, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will be hosting events and a series of sessions at its 2018 convention next month in Denver. The Pride Veterinary Medical Community will host a town hall titled "Be Your Authentic Self." Group discussion will allow LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals to learn from their colleagues how they deal with stigma, barriers, and personal empowerment in practice. Pride VMC also will host its board meeting, as well as its annual meeting and networking reception, on Saturday, July 14, from 5 - 7 p.m., followed by AVMA's inaugural "Live Life, Love All" event from 7 - 11 p.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe Denver. "Revealing Hidden Biases: How It Can Impact Our Ability To Provide Successful Veterinary Care," a panel discussion presented by the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative and Pride Veterinary Medical Community, will help attendees identify personal biases that may hinder communication with a client regarding pet care and compliance, and find ways to increase understanding and foster empathy toward clients and coworkers. This session will be held Saturday, July 14. On Sunday, July 15, …
Blue Buffalo Clinical Trials Office celebrates second year of OSU partnershipJune 27, 2018The Blue Buffalo Veterinary Clinical Trials Office (BBVCTO) at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating its second year supporting studies to improve the animal and human health. In the past year, the BBVCTO assisted with the design and management of more than 30 clinical trials, enabling 300 client-owned pets to participate in studies that aim to extend the lives of dogs and cats through advanced treatments. "Our partnership with Blue Buffalo has made it possible for us to provide support for studies that test new diagnostic tests and treatments across a wide spectrum of pet health including cancer, renal failure, heart disease, and arthritis," said Cheryl London, DVM, Ph.D., director of the BBVCTO and professor of veterinary biosciences. "Clinical trials in veterinary medicine are critical for identifying new approaches to more effectively detect and treat diseases in the pets we love. They also have the added benefit of advancing outcomes for people with similar diseases." Providing hope to pet parents The BBVCTO supervises clinical trials involving client-owned dogs and cats. The pets continue to live with their families during these studies with the ultimate goal of finding new therapies, diagnostic tests, and medical devices that …
Veterinary Practice Partners celebrates hospital No. 50June 27, 2018Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP) veterinary group celebrated its 50th hospital partnership this week. Founded in 2011, VPP allows veterinarians to "continue practicing the excellent medicine they have become known for, while minimizing the headaches of managing a practice," the company said in a statement. "I'm tremendously proud of the fact that our 50 hospitals are still—and will continue to be—veterinarian co-owned, and that we get to work with such a great family of hospitals each and every day," said Rich Lester, VPP CEO. "It's very satisfying that VPP's partnership model is allowing our partners to enjoy the benefits of ownership without the headaches of running their businesses." VPP has 51 DVM co-owners of their 50 hospitals, 17 of which were previously associate DVMs. One thousand employees work at their partner hospitals, and 40 employees support the hospitals at VPP's headquarters in King of Prussia, Pa. The company oversees back-office operations, including marketing, finance, accounting, and human resources. "Not long after I partnered with VPP, I went away with my family on spring break for the first time in 10-plus years, which I was able to do because I knew I had a partner who had my …
Veterinary toxicologist warns of blue-green algae dangers to livestock, petsJune 27, 2018Steve Ensley, DVM, Ph.D., a clinical veterinary toxicologist at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, is warning pet and livestock owners about cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria, which grow and replicate rapidly in warm, sunny environments where agricultural runoff deposits nutrients into waterways that allow the algae to thrive, can pose a health hazard to animals and humans who come into contact with the various toxins it produces. The most prominent problem involves a toxin called microcystin, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver, according to Dr. Ensley. When animals are exposed to this toxin, they may experience vomiting or diarrhea; if the exposure is severe, it can be lethal and cause liver failure in animals, Ensley said. "If there is a bloom in a body of water that animals are drinking out of, then we need to move them away from it as fast as we can," Ensley said. "Fence off that water source if at all possible." If livestock and/or pet owners are worried that their animals could potentially be exposed to blue-green algae, then they should regularly check for signs of its development, Ensley said. …
Elanco PRRS vaccine licensed by USDAJune 27, 2018Prevacent PRRS vaccine, a modified-live respiratory vaccine effective in the reduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), respiratory form, in piglets aged 2 weeks or older, has been licensed by the USDA, reports Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Co. PRRS causes disease in two forms: a respiratory form that weakens young pigs' ability to breathe and a more severe reproductive form that causes mass deaths in pigs during late pregnancy. Since its emergence in the late 1980s, the virus has cost the swine industry millions annually in respiratory disease in piglets and reproductive failure in sows. Current estimates place the cost at $560 to $660 million annually. "PRRS has grown to be a costly and challenging disease that is difficult to control at the local, regional, and national levels," said Chris Chavis, senior director with Elanco North America Food Animal Business. "We are eager to bring producers a new product to tackle this devastating disease." The vaccine is part of Elanco's Full Value Pigs line, which includes a portfolio of products that help to control specific enteric and respiratory diseases. The viral strain in Prevacent PRRS is "highly relevant" to today's swine operations, Elanco …
AVMA salutes LGBTQ+ veterinarians, colleagues during Pride MonthJune 27, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is celebrating Pride Month by sharing stories of LGBTQ+ veterinarians and their colleagues, which can be viewed at AVMA's Facebook page. The AVMA and the Pride Veterinary Medical Community (formerly LGVMA) collaborate to support veterinary students and professionals who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as LGBTQ+ clients. "We believe diversity fosters a climate conducive to success for all members of the veterinary medical community and affirms the value of human diversity for the enrichment of our communities," said Janet Donlin, DVM, AVMA CEO. "The AVMA believes that diversity and inclusion make us stronger, which is why we stand up in support of our LGBTQ colleagues during the month of June." The effort to recognize LGBTQ+ veterinarians, students, and colleagues is an important step in improving their well-being, according to Melinda Merck, DVM, president of the Pride Veterinary Medical Community. "Being LGBTQ can create additional stressors, such as the inability to be authentic and to feel safe," said Dr. Merck. "If we can't be our authentic selves, or feel safe in that authenticity, it creates barriers that hinder our relationships with coworkers and clients, and can ultimately have a negative impact …
