Veterinarians could lead sustainability efforts
Veterinarians have a new patient to look after: the planet.
Dr. Jonna Mazet, executive director of the University of California-Davis One Health Institute and a professor of epidemiology and disease ecology at the UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said she got into wildlife veterinary medicine to save species.
“It is not just the animals we need to save, it is really ourselves,” Dr. Mazet said. “We need you, we need the veterinarians. You are leaders in your community; you are some of the most valued and respected scientific resources in your communities. … That trusted voice can help make science respected across our country and the globe so we can make preparations to keep the planet healthy.”
Dr. Mazet spoke Aug. 21 during the AVMA Virtual Convention 2020 session “On the Front Lines of the Environmental Crisis: Veterinarians Leading Change to Improve Planetary Health,” which was about the COVID-19 pandemic, planetary health, and how veterinarians can build respect for science. This session and others were part of the annual Global Health Summit, which focused this year on environmental health and the veterinary profession.
“We are uniquely able to alter our environment,” Dr. Mazet said. “It is really human actions—on this Earth—that are causing the majority of all disturbances and changes to our ecosystem. We can't just think about the problems. We need to think about the drivers of these problems, like land use, climate change, economic development, globalization, energy extraction and use, and migration. How do we live the lifestyles we want, stay healthy, and protect biodiversity?”
Dr. Mazet said despite the veterinary community championing the one-health concept—that human, animal, and environmental health are intertwined—the environmental side has frequently been forgotten. Part of the reality right now is living in a pandemic, but the conversation must turn to the planet's health, she said.
“If a few years from now, we are speaking again and we are only talking about SARS-CoV-2 and not about the planet's health and how to keep the planet healthy so that we don't get the next one (pandemic), I will be devastated. Please join me, help me,” Dr. Mazet said, adding that the world needs to be and can be ready for the next one.
“There are likely half a million zoonotic viruses that have not been discovered that can spill over and make us sick. We can know about those, and if we keep the planet healthier, we will experience less of those spillovers,” Dr. Mazet said. “This is not rocket science anymore. It is not that hard to do. It is completely accessible, and then we can stop these outbreaks at the source before they become pandemics.”
Dr. Mazet is the implementation director on the board of directors of the Global Virome Project, a program at the forefront of research, policy, and capacity building relating to emerging infectious diseases. She said the program is a big endeavor.
“We need to test every mammalian and bird species in the world to discover these viruses with zoonotic potential and inform strategies for better vaccine pipelines and better diagnostic pipelines, but also to inform communities of their risk and risky behavior,” Dr. Mazet said.
Her advice for veterinarians is to build respect for science itself to build political will.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
One size doesn't fit all when it comes to paying veterinarians
Veterinarians can be compensated in a variety of ways. In more recent years, many clinics have shifted to models involving production-based pay.
Production is essentially the fees generated and collected for services when the doctor is formally involved in the delivery of those services. Production-based compensation includes ProSal, which has a guaranteed base salary, with associates receiving a certain monthly amount, while the production bonus is reconciled monthly, quarterly, or twice a year. Reconciliation can be with or without negative accrual. A negative accrual occurs when associates have been paid more in a certain time period than their calculated production earnings. In this case, they end up owing the practice money, which is typically deducted from future paychecks.
Drs. Joy Fuhrman and Wendy Hauser have proposed an alternative model with a living-wage salary plus a merit-based bonus plan.
“Rather than incentivizing veterinarians on their production alone, employ both a collective hospital-based revenue growth component and a merit-based bonus structure that rewards doctors based on goals that encourage professional and practice development,” they wrote in an article two years ago in Today's Veterinary Business.
“Within this model, veterinarians receive a living wage. The opportunity to earn additional income is based on a bonus structure that promotes the productivity and efficiency of the entire team by identifying categories, or buckets, that are defined by the hospital to align with organizational goals. The veterinarians and hospital leadership work together to define which goals are in each bucket, individualizing these objectives to what will motivate each associate.”
The buckets include business, community, financial, professional growth, and team development, but are limited only by imagination, Dr. Hauser said. Allowing employees to pick goals that motivate them makes them active participants in their development, resulting in increased personal growth and workplace engagement.
Condensed from Nov. 15, 2020, JAVMA News
AVMA offering retirement plan for veterinarians
The AVMA Trust has launched, beginning Oct. 1, a new retirement plan for AVMA members that will be available to practice owners, along with their eligible employees, and self-employed veterinarians.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized a new rule that allows for association retirement plans. Employers and working business owners without employees can participate.
According to an AVMA announcement, the AVMA Trust Retirement Plan features competitive investments, outstanding service, and greatly reduced plan maintenance fees. The plan is offered through Transamerica, in partnership with Tag Resources and Envestnet Retirement Solutions.
A recent AVMA Trust survey found that 40% of independent practice owners do not currently offer a retirement plan to their employees, and those who do often have a plan with limited options. Single-employer plans—those available to small-business owners—are usually more costly, present more risk for the employer, and have limited portfolio options, in comparison with large-employer plans.
To address these issues, the new AVMA Trust Retirement Plan leverages the size of the AVMA membership to offer a 401(k) plan that will reduce the administrative burden of managing retirement plans while providing members with a product that meets the unique needs of veterinary small businesses and has lower management costs than single-employer plans.
AVMA members who want to learn more about the program or schedule a personal consultation can email AVMATrustRetirementPlan@transamerica.com or call 312-596-5336.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
Researchers training dogs to identify people with COVID-19
Research teams in multiple countries are attempting to train dogs to identify people infected with SARS-CoV-2.
At least three projects are ongoing. Investigators at the National Veterinary School of Alfort in France are leading an international partnership to train dogs, some of which are now being used at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. A project in Finland with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Helsinki has deployed dogs at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. And officials from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and U.S. Army are collaborating on a project with promising initial findings.
Results reported so far indicate dogs can be trained to detect volatile organic compounds produced by infected individuals, including those with asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infections.
This dog at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is training to detect changes in the human body in response to COVID-19. (Courtesy of Penn Vet)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 81, 12; 10.2460/ajvr.81.12.908
Dr. Anne-Lise Chaber, an epidemiologist and one-health lecturer at the University of Adelaide School of Animal and Veterinary Science in Australia, is leading a team that is a part of the international project coordinated by Alfort. As her team prepared to start training dogs in early October, she noted study results from the partnership already indicate trained dogs can identify scents produced by the human body during SARS-CoV-2 infection and distinguish them from scents produced during infections with other betacoronaviruses or influenzalike illnesses.
Dr. Chaber said the project's dogs seem to be able to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections earlier than polymerase chain reaction–based assays, starting as soon as virus replication begins.
Condensed from Nov. 15, 2020, JAVMA News
Veterinary organizations take diversity- and equity-related action
Several veterinary organizations and associations released statements in recent months in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as in response to the recent killings and shootings of Black individuals by police, including George Floyd, Jacob Blake, and Breonna Taylor, among many others, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Since then, several organizations have transformed those statements into action.
The AVMA was working to establish a diversity, equity, and inclusion commission as of press time in early October.
Banfield Pet Hospital focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion during its virtual Pet Healthcare Industry Summit, Sept. 14-15.
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 81, 12; 10.2460/ajvr.81.12.908
The Association is collaborating with key stakeholders to build a strategy and identify goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the veterinary profession.
“We have heard the voices of those who have been treated very differently and unfairly by society and its institutions, and we are taking action,” said Dr. Douglas Kratt, AVMA president. “The AVMA is committed to using our platform and voice to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the profession.”
The AVMA is in the process of hiring an outside consultant to support and advance its DEI initiatives. This summer, the AVMA created a new website, avma.org/diversity, to help members more easily access the organization's resources and policies regarding DEI.
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges announced it was establishing a working group to focus on strategies, such as scholarships or faculty and student exchange programs, to improve outreach and collaboration with minority-serving institutions. During its Pet Healthcare Industry Summit, held virtually Sept. 14-15, Banfield Pet Hospital announced the creation of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
Helping veterinary staff members cope with suicide
A new resource is available to help veterinary staff members cope with the aftermath of an employee's suicide.
“After a Suicide: A Guide for Veterinary Workplaces,” released in September during National Suicide Prevention Month, is the work of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the AVMA in partnership with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, and the Veterinary Medical Association Executives.
Developed by experts in veterinary medicine and suicide prevention and survivors of suicide loss in the veterinary medical community, the guide includes the following:
Best practices for how workplace leaders and staff members should respond in the immediate aftermath of a suicide.
Guidance on helping the workplace community grieve and cope in the short and long term.
Tips on working with the media and community partners.
Important information on how to safely memorialize employees and to identify and support members of the community who may be vulnerable and reduce the risk of suicide contagion.
“The guide will ensure that our members and their teams get the critical support they need in the event of a colleague's suicide death, and help to prevent future deaths by suicide,” AVMA President Dr. Douglas Kratt said in a press release.
“After a Suicide: A Guide for Veterinary Workplaces” is available at afsp.org/veterinarians.
Condensed from Nov. 15, 2020, JAVMA News
The virtual professor
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted most veterinary education to modified on-campus teaching that involves virtual components, but many of the people doing the teaching are learning themselves.
JAVMA News spoke with veterinary college faculty members about how they're working to overcome challenges during the pandemic, learning new technologies to facilitate virtual learning, and keeping students engaged online.
“The challenge of turning my course—which is so important and typically in person—online was difficult,” said Dr. Ariana Boltax, an instructor at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in the educational support department. She has been deeply involved in the transition to more online courses. Dr. Boltax designed and teaches the course Small Animal Euthanasia: Clinical Communication and Practice.
The course won first place in the COVID Educational Creations Contest, a competition run by the nonprofit VetMed Academy and sponsored by Merck Animal Health. A list of the 10 other winners and the educational resources can be found at jav.ma/COVIDcourse.
For her course, Dr. Boltax focused on good design principles and added things to help students navigate an online environment.
“On the first day of class, students don't know where to go on campus, and it is the same online,” she said. “You don't know where to click and what to do and how to navigate. I gave them an introduction video, and it included a screen-share of where to click and where things are.”
Dr. Perry J. Bain, an assistant professor and veterinary clinical pathologist at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, said social distancing has led the veterinary school to purchase microscopes with video cameras attached that can send live feeds of slides to faculty members and students. (Courtesy of Dr. Bain)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 81, 12; 10.2460/ajvr.81.12.908
Dr. Boltax suggests veterinary faculty members who are teaching online should be clear about deadlines, consistent about learning objectives, and engage students.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
Dentistry now required part of veterinary curriculum
Veterinary colleges accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must now include dentistry in their curricula.
The council approved revising Standard 9 (Curriculum) at its virtual fall meeting, Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The proposed change went out in June for public comment, which closed July 1.
The COE Academic Affairs Committee stated: “The council believes that dentistry is an integral part of veterinary medical practice and is a crucial component for the health and welfare of multiple animal species. It is essential that students are trained in dentistry.”
Previously, many veterinary colleges offered the topic as an elective course.
The field of veterinary dentistry has grown over the years. The American Veterinary Dental College was established in 1988; full recognition was granted in 1995 by the AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties. An equine dental specialty under the AVDC was added and recognized by the ABVS in 2014. The AVDC lists 185 active diplomates on its website.
According to the 2019 American Animal Hospital Association Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats: “It is well known that many pet owners use the internet as a default resource for pet healthcare information and home treatment. However, because of the specialized nature of dental procedures, including diagnosis and treatment, professional veterinary care is necessary for maintaining pet oral health. Therefore, veterinary dentistry represents an opportunity for a primary care practice to demonstrate a high level of service and professional expertise to its clients and to positively impact patient comfort and well-being.”
From Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
Texas Tech announces accreditation progress
Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine received a letter of reasonable assurance from the AVMA Council on Education, with regard to accreditation by the COE, after undergoing a comprehensive site visit this past summer and a vote by council members during their virtual meeting Aug. 30-Sept. 1.
Leadership for the university and veterinary school announced the accreditation decision at a news conference Sept. 22. The COE decision will allow the veterinary school to begin accepting students. Its inaugural class will start in the fall of 2021. The veterinary school is designed to enroll 60 students per year to reach a desired enrollment of 240 students for the four-year program. Annual tuition and fees will total $22,000 for in-state students; out-of-state tuition and fees will total $32,800 per year. That said, the veterinary school plans to only accept Texas residents, but will consider filling 10% or fewer of its seats from a pool of New Mexico residents, said Dr. Guy Loneragan, dean of the veterinary school.
Dr. Guy Loneragan, dean of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, speaks about receiving a letter of reasonable assurance from the AVMA Council on Education regarding accreditation by the COE. (Courtesy of Texas Tech)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 81, 12; 10.2460/ajvr.81.12.908
The program also would potentially include 150-200 graduate students who are not seeking a veterinary degree, as well as an academic staff of 90.
Dr. Loneragan said during the Sept. 22 news conference that the letter of reasonable assurance was the biggest academic milestone for the school to date.
A letter of reasonable assurance is not a pre-accreditation action but indicates there is reasonable assurance of future accreditation if the program continues on the path outlined to the council and if the institution is able to demonstrate a realistic plan to comply with the COE standards of accreditation.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, JAVMA News
Dean appointed at TAMU veterinary college
Dr. John August was appointed dean of Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in September, while the search for a long-term successor continues.
In 1986, Dr. August joined TAMU as a professor and head of the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. He has previously served as interim dean of the School of Public Health and three years as dean of faculties and associate provost for the university.
As the veterinary dean, Dr. August will use his experience to support faculty members, staff members, and students while developing operational procedures, degree programs, research initiatives, and service efforts, according to a press release.
Dr. August earned his veterinary degree in 1973 from the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London. He earned a master's of science from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he also completed an internship and residency in small animal surgery and medicine. Following his residency at Auburn, he remained there as a faculty member. He later joined the faculty at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine before moving to Texas A&M.
Dr. John August
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 81, 12; 10.2460/ajvr.81.12.908
Dr. August is interested in feline internal medicine, distance education, and educational technology. Dr. August was appointed the interim dean in May and is now officially stepping in for Dr. Eleanor M. Green, who joined the Animal Policy Group, a policy and lobbying firm, as a senior adviser and consultant. Dr. Green held the position at TAMU for 11 years.
Condensed from Nov. 1, 2020, online-only JAVMA News
