Research results

Jeremy Kees, phd, assistant professor of marketing at Villanova School of Business, Villanova, Pa., participated in the partnership's benchmarking survey and discussed the results during the press conference.

The survey yielded responses from 708 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and practice or office managers. Although most respondents perceived a decline in pet veterinary visits, 41 percent believe that the causes are beyond their control and are not sure they can do much to reduce the trend.

Respondents cited causes such as the economic downturn, changes in the competitive landscape, and price increases by veterinarians. Eighty-eight percent also cited ineffective communication about the value of preventive care for pets, with 72 percent of respondents agreeing they should spend more time talking to pet owners about preventive care.

The recent Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study found that more than half of dog and cat owners would take their pet to the veterinarian more often if they knew they could prevent problems and expensive treatment later or if they were convinced doing so would help their pet live longer.

The partnership also arranged for a psychologist to conduct in-depth interviews with 10 veterinarians and 15 pet owners. Dr. Kees said the interviews revealed that many veterinarians and pet owners interact more on the basis of transactions than on the basis of a long-term relationship or a lifetime plan for each pet.

“We also found, through these indepth interviews, that veterinarians have trouble conveying the ‘ask,’” Dr. Kees said.

“They're not sure that they're clearly explaining what complete preventive care means and, more importantly, communicating the value of what preventive pet health care means—and convincing pet owners that they should be bringing their pets in for routine check-ups, for regular visits. And, also, a difficult economy just makes this even more challenging for the profession.”

View Full Size

Data from phase one of The Opportunity revealed that most pet owners were very satisfied with the overall service they received but were not aware of many of the specific services that practices performed, ranging from dietary recommendations to discussion of the follow-up plan.

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

The Opportunity

The partnership is developing The Opportunity as a program to help veterinarians and pet owners work together to enhance preventive care, Dr. Kees said. The program is a research tool for individual practices to assess perspectives on preventive care, with a survey for pet owners and a survey for the veterinary team.

“There's an emphasis on keeping The Opportunity easy—easy to administer, easy to use for the practitioner,” Dr. Kees noted.

The questions in both surveys cover the practice's staff, practice's services, value of services, importance of preventive care, meaning of preventive care, and communication between veterinary professionals and pet owners. Responses reveal areas of opportunity for practice enhancement.

In November and December 2011, 23 practices participated in phase one real-world testing of the Opportunity program, Dr. Kees said. At the AAHA annual meeting in mid-March, the partnership plans to introduce a larger pilot program with about 100 additional practices. The partnership plans to roll out The Opportunity to the entire profession later this year.

Data from phase one of The Opportunity revealed that most pet owners were very satisfied with the overall service they received but were not aware of many of the specific services that practices performed, ranging from dietary recommendations to discussion of the follow-up plan.

“If the clients don't recognize that these specific services are being performed during their preventive care visit, then it's very difficult for them to understand the value associated with preventive pet health care, routine visits,” Dr. Kees said.

Phase one also found that pet owners and veterinary professionals view the importance of various services differently.

Dr. Cavanaugh said The Opportunity is one of many initiatives that the partnership has been planning to achieve a mission “to ensure that pets receive the preventive health care they deserve through regular visits to a veterinarian” and to achieve a vision to improve pets' overall health.

“Veterinary professionals recognize there's an issue at hand and there is an opportunity for improvement, and pet owners are ready to embrace preventive health care if they know it will make a difference,” Dr. Cavanaugh said. “So I know we can bridge that gap.”

Among other initiatives, the partnership previously announced plans to launch an outreach campaign later this year or early next year to educate pet owners about the value of preventive care for pets.

Additional information about the partnership is available at www.pethealthpartnership.org.

Leadership conference inspires, informs members

View Full Size

Members of the House of Delegates socialize before their meeting convenes. (Photo by Malinda Larkin)

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

By R. Scott Nolen, Malinda Larkin, Susan C. Kahler

2011 saw the AVMA leadership redefine its goals and start to take action on one major initiative in particular—reversing the profession's economic decline. The Association, meanwhile, has also worked hard to maintain fiscal responsibility when it comes to budgeting and investing.

AVMA officers spoke about these accomplishments and more during the plenary session of the regular winter session of the House of Delegates, held Jan. 6–7 in Chicago.

Unseasonably warm weather greeted delegates and attendees of the 2012 AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, held Jan. 7–8. Both events took place at the Intercontinental Hotel. In all, 465 veterinary professionals and others enjoyed walks along Michigan Avenue in 50°F weather between listening to motivational speakers, learning about the latest AVMA initiatives, and taking part in governance activities.

More than 80 of those individuals were emerging veterinary leaders on hand for the abbreviated Veterinary Leadership Experience and a networking event.

Opening speaker

Astronaut Mike Mullane keynoted the conference with a “Countdown to teamwork.”

The West Point graduate flew 134 combat missions in Vietnam as a weapons system operator before being selected by NASA in 1978 as one of the first shuttle astronauts. Mullane completed three missions aboard the shuttles Discovery and Atlantis.

On a space mission, decision making and teamwork mean the difference between life and death. Mullane related stories and showed video clips to create a vicarious space experience and illustrate three leadership fundamentals.

Mullane described the first fundamental, “normalization of deviance,” as the natural human tendency, under budgeting and scheduling pressures, to rationalize shortcuts from established best practices. False feedback and the absence of something bad happening are taken to mean the shortcut is acceptable. Examples are the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia shuttle disasters.

Challenger disintegrated after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster failed at liftoff. “Fourteen of 24 inspections (of earlier flights) found the O-rings had been touched by fire; that was in the internal memos,” he said. “(NASA) had been blinded by a long-term normalization of deviance.”

NASA forgot the lessons of Challenger when 17 years later, Columbia was damaged during launch by foam insulation breaking loose and hitting the thermal protection system. On previous missions, they knew that foam had missed the tiles, so deviance became the norm.

To guard against the normalization of deviance, Mullane said, one must recognize vulnerabilities, review practices and make sure there are no information silos, review and archive near-disasters, and be situationally aware. It's also important to listen to the people closest to the issue.

“(Morton) Thiokol pleaded with NASA hours before (the Challenger) launch to call it off because of the O-rings being less flexible in cold temperatures,” he said. “Nobody grounded the flight, because of scheduling pressures.”

The second leadership fundamental is responsibility. He was once on the crew of an F-111 fighter bomber that was running out of fuel. Mullane was distressed but said nothing, in retrospect because of his need for acceptance and reluctance to confront the pilot, who was experienced. The crew abandoned the plane moments before it crashed.

“Remain passionately engaged in the team,” Mullane said. The power of the team lies in the diversity of life experience and perspectives of its members.

Courageous self-leadership is Mullane's third leadership fundamental. The keys are to expand one's performance envelope and be tenacious, he said. Great self-leaders challenge themselves with lofty goals, make midcourse corrections, stay focused, advance their education, and constantly do their best.

Leaders must empower the team in this way.

There was a reason he and other astronauts didn't raise concerns with NASA managers about the danger of private citizens being on board, for example, or a system that would destroy an out-of-control shuttle. “We feared our leadership. Signals were sent that actions would be taken if we spoke up, that we'd find ourselves in a long line to go on a mission,” he said.

Veterinary economics committee members named

View Full Size

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

The Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee was created this past November to advise the AVMA Executive Board and develop plans addressing veterinary economic issues.

In January, the AVMA announced the committee members had been appointed. They are as follows: Dr. Link Welborn, Tampa, Fla., chair; Dr. Jane Brunt, Annapolis, Md; Dr. Margaret Coffey, Baton Rouge, La.; David Gersholowitz, New York, N.Y.; Dr. Jeff Klausner, Portland, Ore.; Dr. Roger Saltman, Cazenovia, N.Y.; Dr. Carin Smith, Peshastin, Wash.; Dr. Scott Spaulding, Milton, Wis.; and Dr. Mike Thomas, Indianapolis.

“You can have different leadership styles, but at the end of the day, people have to know you value them,” Mullane said.

Dollars and sense

Next up, data showing a chronic decline in the economic fortunes of the veterinary profession were presented along with an update on the AVMA's efforts to reverse that downward trend.

AVMA Executive Board Chair Ted Cohn, who led the ad hoc committee helping implement the initial stages of the Association's veterinary economic strategy, said the AVMA will soon commission a study of the U.S. veterinary workforce. (Publication of a National Academy of Sciences report on the topic was originally set for 2008 but, after four years, the NAS has yet to release its findings.) Dr. Cohn said the AVMA study will examine the relationship between the number of veterinarians and demand for veterinary services and make proposals about increasing the profession's profitability.

Other AVMA economic-related activities Dr. Cohn mentioned include a meeting between AVMA officials and veterinary college deans that started a dialogue about how, together, they can help make the veterinary profession economically sound again (see page 501). The AVMA is part of a coalition of veterinary and pet-related industries—the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare—devising strategies for expanding veterinary visits, especially among feline patients. The members of the recently formed AVMA Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee were announced (see page 485), and the search for the new AVMA Veterinary Economics Division director continues.

Dr. Karen Felsted presented data from several studies on the business of veterinary medicine. The consultant and former CEO of the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues said the numbers show veterinary usage softening prior to the recent recession—a trend that persists despite ever-growing numbers of pet owners. “We really ignored the trends because revenue and earnings were still increasing,” Dr. Felsted explained.

But that is no longer the case. Most companion animal practices continue to see only modest revenue growth. As a consequence, veterinary incomes either plateaued or fell slightly in recent years.

“I don't think anyone thinks 2012 is going to be a whole lot better,” Dr. Felsted said.

Inadequate business practices and fee increases have contributed to the current climate, according to Dr. Felsted, who believes an oversupply of veterinarians is also a factor. She cited AVMA data showing the total number of companion animal veterinarians grew from 30,255 in 1996/1997 to 44,785 in 2006/2007, a 48 percent increase. Pet ownership during the same period rose about 36 percent, Dr. Felsted noted. More data on the veterinary workforce is needed to better understand the problem, she said, adding that the economic impact of laypersons performing veterinary procedures also must be evaluated.

Another sign of the profession's financial woes is the widening gap between veterinary student debt and starting incomes. According to an AVMA survey of veterinary students graduating in spring 2011, mean educational debt among the approximately 90 percent of graduates with debt was $142,613—up 6.5 percent from 2010—while the mean full-time starting salary for veterinarians dropped 1.3 percent to just under $67,000.

For 2011 veterinary graduates with educational debt, almost all of the debt—91.2 percent—was incurred while students were in veterinary college. Eighteen percent of last year's veterinary graduates owed more than $200,000 in student loans. “I can't imagine starting a career with that much debt” she said. “It can't be paid off in any reasonable time frame.”

Studies show more and more new veterinarians are enrolling in internships to enhance their clinical competence. But unless the internship leads to a residency, there is no financial benefit associated with interning at a practice. “If you look at future earnings, internships don't do anything for it,” Dr. Felsted said. “It just puts you a year behind on lifetime earnings.”

Related to veterinary income, Dr. Felsted cited AVMA data indicating veterinary practice owners earn approximately $58,000 more annually than practice associates. An NCSU study, however, reported 74.2 percent of male first-year veterinary students were interested in eventually owning a practice as opposed to just 48.5 percent of female students being interested.

View Full Size

Dr. Ted Cohn, AVMA Executive Board chair, talks about the Association's work to reverse troubling economic trends seen throughout the veterinary profession. (Photo by R. Scott Nolen)

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Veterinarians continue to earn less than human physicians, dentists, and lawyers, and their practices are also less profitable, Dr. Felsted observed. She also pointed out that 62 percent of veterinary practice owners aren't using any financial concepts to monitor business growth.

Delegates also act on rabies vaccine waivers, abuse reports

By Greg Cima

Recent revisions to the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act will help Wyoming develop standards on veterinary technician certification and supervision, Dr. Gary W. Norwood said.

The Wyoming Board of Veterinary Medicine and Wyoming VMA struggled in a December 2010 meeting to define the jobs and qualifications of veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists within the state's veterinary medical practice act, Dr. Norwood said. He is a member of the Wyoming VMA's Executive Board and is Wyoming's alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, which voted in January to approve a resolution implementing a series of revisions to the AVMA's Model Veterinary Practice Act. Some of the revisions address the AVMA's views of veterinary boards' authority over veterinary technicians and the credentials needed for such technicians.

View Full Size

Dr. H. Winston Pirtle, alternate delegate from Alabama, encouraged delegates to delay acting on changes to the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act until after evaluating changes to the definition of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. (Photos by Malinda Larkin)

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

The AVMA Executive Board also voted in favor of the changes this past November.

The model act revisions expand the definition of “animal” to include invertebrates and all vertebrates other than humans; clarify the definitions of “direct supervision” and “indirect supervision”; expand the term “patient” to include a group of animals; define complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies as those differing from conventional medicine rather than from current scientific knowledge and veterinary college instruction; and add prognosis of animal disease under the definition of the practice of veterinary medicine. The model act also encourages allowing veterinarians and technicians licensed in one state to practice in another when invited in response to emergencies, letting those working under veterinarian supervision to provide some care at animal shelters, and allowing some disclosure of client and patient information to third parties.

Delegates also voted during the meeting to approve two other resolutions that encourage states to accept a waiver when rabies vaccination could threaten an animal's life and to encourage prompt reporting of animal abuse and neglect.

The three resolutions considered by the House of Delegates passed with about 80 percent of votes in favor of each measure.

The House of Delegates session was part of the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, which includes AVMA entity meetings and continuing education on topics such as business operations and advocacy.

Defining the relationship

Prior to passing the model practice act changes, delegates debated whether the text was complete.

Dr. Billy Martindale, the delegate for Texas, proposed delaying updates to the Model Veterinary Practice Act until the body was able to consider an AVMA task force's then-pending recommendations on updates to the definition of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. After the HOD meeting, proposed changes were published at www.avma.org/issues/policy/mvpa.asp, where members and allied organizations could provide comments until March 1.

In the proposed update to the VCPR, the word “patient” would replace instances of the word “animal,” reflecting a change made elsewhere in the Model Veterinary Practice Act that defines a patient as a single animal or a group. Other changes would describe examinations needed to establish a diagnosis, and conditions for treatment of a patient by a second veterinarian.

Dr. H. Winston Pirtle, alternate delegate from Alabama, also encouraged fellow delegates to delay enacting the MVPA updates. He said the MVPA language has repercussions for the practice of veterinary medicine, and the House of Delegates must be able to say the model is the body's recommendation.

Dr. Susan B. Chadima, delegate from Maine and a member of the task force that examined the Model Veterinary Practice Act, urged colleagues not to refer the model back to the task force for further development during evaluation of the VCPR definition.

The model act is a resource for every state, veterinary association, and state board to use and modify as it needs in reviewing or updating veterinary practice acts, Dr. Chadima said.

View Full Size

Dr. Susan B. Chadima, delegate of Maine, encouraged delegates to implement changes to the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act, which she said is a resource that can be used during further consideration of proposed changes to the definition of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Joseph M. Esch, delegate from the Student AVMA, said the changes in the MVPA should be made available as soon as possible to states that need guidance as they edit their practice acts. He expressed doubt any state legislature would implement all of the changes in the model veterinary practice act before the AVMA finished evaluating changes to the VCPR definition. He also noted that the previous VCPR definition would remain in place until then.

Dr. Norwood also had spoken in favor of the House of Delegates approving the document.

“In my view, the practice act is always a fluid document that will be in constant flux and change for the rest of our lives,” Dr. Norwood said. “So, as long as we, on a national level, can keep a model practice act tuned as sharply as we can but know that it's always going to change, then we have that in front of our states.”

Advocating for rules on health, welfare

The House of Delegates also established the AVMA policy “Annual Rabies Vaccination Waiver.” The policy indicates waivers should be issued in limited circumstances, and it recognizes that vaccination is critical to protecting public and animal health.

“However, AVMA recognizes that some individual animals may have experienced a severe life-threatening adverse event to a previous rabies vaccination that may contra-indicate vaccination, or a waiver might be necessary for research purposes” the policy states in part. “If adequate steps can be taken to minimize the chance of exposure to rabies virus, the AVMA recommends that such animals be granted a waiver from mandatory rabies vaccination, upon recommendation of a licensed veterinarian and with the concurrence of the appropriate public health authorities.”

Changes to the AVMA policy “Animal Abuse and Animal Neglect” clarify that veterinarians should promptly report any animal abuse or neglect they observe. Background information given to delegates states that the Animal Welfare Committee was contacted by participants in an industry-supported farm animal care initiative, who had asked the committee to consider adding explicit statements about the need for prompt reporting. The statement was particularly desired in response to secretly recorded video that has appeared to show abuse that was not immediately reported.

New Jersey leaves delegate seats empty

The New Jersey VMA declined to send delegates to January's House of Delegates regular winter session.

Richard Alampi, executive director of the New Jersey VMA, said the organization's Executive Board is waiting for an AVMA task force's evaluation of AVMA governance before it decides whether to fill vacancies that were created when its delegate and alternate delegate left those positions in 2011.

“We are still supportive of AVMA, and all we're really looking for is to have the best AVMA that we can,” Alampi said. “And I think that, periodically, any entity needs to critically re-examine how it is put together and how it operates.”

Alampi noted that he, two New Jersey VMA Executive Board members, and an emerging leader from the state attended the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference connected with the January HOD session.

Dr. Robert P. Gordon was New Jersey's most recent delegate, but he left the position following the July 2011 House of Delegates session. Dr. Mark P. Helfat was the state's alternate delegate, but he was elected to the AVMA Executive Board and also left the HOD following the July session.

At that session, the NJVMA had called for creation of a task force that would evaluate the role of the House of Delegates, its costs, and its benefits. The NJVMA's statement on the resolution maintained that the HOD was “increasingly ineffective” as a policymaking body, and the cost of the governing body's two annual sessions needed examination.

“A governance structure that includes a policy making body that meets twice a year is no longer relevant in the 21st Century” the resolution stated.

View Full Size

Photo by Malinda Larkin

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

The resolution also noted that the Association's other policymaking body, the AVMA Executive Board, could determine whether to implement HOD recommendations, and the lack of consensus has led to repetitive debate.

Delegates voted in July against the resolution but in favor of creating a task force that would evaluate the AVMA's entire governance structure and the role of member participation. In August, the Executive Board approved a recommendation to form the AVMA Task Force on Governance and Member Participation and spend up to $45,000 for three meetings.

More graduates eligible to be AVMA members; bylaw on voting amended

A change to the AVMA Bylaws makes graduating veterinarians eligible for membership if they were members of any organization represented in the Student AVMA House of Delegates.

The AVMA House of Delegates approved the change at its regular winter session in January. Membership previously was offered automatically only to graduates who were members of student chapters of the AVMA, which are entities separate from SAVMA.

Eligible graduates pay no dues during their graduation year, and half the active-member dues rate for two years after graduation.

The change will immediately affect graduates from St. Matthew's University on Grand Cayman Island. Students there have representation in SAVMA but do not have an AVMA student chapter. When the bylaws change was first considered, it also would have affected graduates from the Caribbean schools at Ross University and St. George's University, which have since gained AVMA accreditation and student chapters.

Graduates from universities without SAVMA representation can apply for AVMA membership and pay a reduced dues rate during their graduation year and the following year.

Delegates also passed an AVMA Bylaws amendment that will require a two-thirds vote of the House of Delegates to approve all future bylaws amendments. The bylaws previously allowed a majority vote by delegates when the proposed changes had AVMA Executive Board approval.

AVMA to send FDA comments on new antimicrobial order

By Malinda Larkin

A revised policy approved by the AVMA Executive Board will be used to comment on the Food and Drug Administration's further restrictions on the use of cephalosporin-class antimicrobials in most food animals. Notably, discussion before the vote revealed ongoing frustration members of both the House of Delegates and board have with the Association's current governance structure.

The board amended and approved the AVMA's “Policy on Limited Prohibition on Extralabel Drug Use” at its Jan. 6 meeting prior to the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference in Chicago. The new version is available at www.avma.org by clicking on “Policy” under the “Reference” heading.

The vote came as a result of a joint policy recommendation by the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents, Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee, Animal Agriculture Liaison Committee, Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee, Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine, and Food Safety Advisory Committee.

View Full Size

Dr. Thomas F. Meyer, District XI Executive Board representative, discusses with fellow members the merits of referring a revised policy on limited prohibition of extralabel drug use to the AVMA House of Delegates. (Photo by R. Scott Nolen)

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Changes to the document reflect the AVMA's position that a science-based risk analysis should be performed by any regulatory authorities considering prohibitions on extralabel drug use and that any such prohibitions should be as narrow in scope as possible, consistent with protection of the food supply, public health, and animal welfare. These revisions also reflect the entities' desire for policy language that can be used by the AVMA whenever any type of extralabel drug use prohibition is under consideration, whether for antimicrobial or non-antimicrobial drug products and for food and non-food animal species.

As it so happened, the FDA issued an order two days earlier that limits, effective April 5, extralabel use of cephalosporin antimicrobials in cattle, chickens, swine, and turkeys by banning disease prevention uses and limiting prescription applications (see JAVMA, Feb. 15, 2012, page 362). The agency had opened the order for comments; the AVMA anticipated sending a letter to the FDA and including the revised policy for context.

At the same time, the House Advisory Committee had asked that the board refer the policy to the House of Delegates for consideration at its Jan. 7 session, in conjunction with the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, because under the AVMA Bylaws, the HOD is responsible for establishing policy for matters relating to veterinary medicine.

Dr. Stewart “Chip” Beckett, Connecticut delegate, told Executive Board members at the board meeting that delegates would like to feel their trip to Chicago is of value to the Association. Referring the new policy to the House, he said, was “the best way to not let them feel neglected.”

Dr. Thomas F. Meyer, District XI Executive Board representative, responded that he was surprised the HOD asked to see the policy at such a late stage, when the board was ready to make a decision on it. The policy had come before the board first in April 2011 and again in November 2011. Both times, it was referred to relevant AVMA entities such as COBTA and CPAC for their input. In December 2011, the respective entity chairs, Executive Board liaisons, and applicable AVMA staff held a joint conference call, during which the policy was reviewed and revised. Concurrence was eventually achieved within the full membership of all six entities.

“This is an area where we've been as open as we can be. There's been ample opportunity for the HOD to comment, and at the 18th hour, they want a few more months to look at this. Why? I would pass this (policy). Not to keep HOD out of this, but when do they step to the plate and get in the game?” Dr. Meyer asked.

Board Chair Ted Cohn added that the HOD can rework the policy whenever it wants, and ultimately, the board declined to refer the policy to the House.

Looking forward, work continues on analyzing the governance structure of the AVMA, including the Executive Board and HOD. The Task Force on Governance and Member Participation is charged with reviewing all entities and examining their purpose and effectiveness; member election or appointment method; and the quality, outcome, and satisfaction of membership involvement.

The 11-member task force was recently named (see sidebar above) and will soon determine the date of its first meeting.

Howe declared District VII winner, District IX undecided

By R. Scott Nolen

View Full Size

Dr. John A. Howe

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Three candidates have been nominated for two open seats on the AVMA Executive Board.

Dr. John A. Howe of Grand Rapids, Minn., was the sole nominee for District VII board representative, while the District IX seat is in contention between Drs. Billy R. Clay of Stillwater, Okla., and Michael L. Whitehair of Abilene, Kan.

Facing no challengers, Dr. Howe was declared elected to a six-year term on the Executive Board following the Feb. 1 nomination deadline. He will succeed Dr. Clark K. Fobian this August as board representative for AVMA members residing in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Dr. Howe started, developed, and now manages a four-doctor mixed animal practice in Grand Rapids and is a former president of the Minnesota VMA, which nominated him to the AVMA board. He has served on several MVMA committees and currently holds the vice chair seat on both the AVMA Council on Veterinary Service and Governance Performance Review Committee.

A 1977 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Howe is a state-certified fish health inspector. He was appointed twice by the governor to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, for which he served a term as president, and he was a member of the Minnesota Veterinary Reserve Corps Advisory Committee.

Dr. Howe says the challenges facing the veterinary profession are considerable, and he looks forward to using his Executive Board office to identify and implement solutions. “My lifetime experiences give me a perspective to face the challenges ahead and help shape the future of our profession,” he said.

Areas of interest to Dr. Howe include scope-of-practice issues, animal welfare issues, changing philosophies of veterinary education, and national and state legislative issues affecting veterinary medicine and small business.

“Helping the general practitioner realize the value of AVMA membership and the importance of involvement in organized veterinary medicine is also important to me,” he said.

Auxiliary promotes pet health for National Pet Week

“Healthy Pets Make Happy Homes” is the message that the Auxiliary to the AVMA will be spreading for National Pet Week 2012, May 6–12.

The AVMA and the Auxiliary created National Pet Week in 1981 to foster responsible pet ownership, recognize the human-animal bond, and increase public awareness of veterinary medicine.

The Auxiliary held its annual poster and writing contests in early 2011 to generate promotional materials for National Pet Week 2012. The winner of each contest received $300.

Stephanie Jensen, a stay-at-home mother from Grantsville, Utah, submitted the painting that won the poster contest. Her seven children and many pets provided inspiration for the painting.

Emma Jewell of Lincoln, Neb., was a fifth-grader when she submitted the poem that won the writing contest.

The Happy Home Recipe

A healthy pet is a happy pet;

That means that they don't

rip up curtains,

Or “go” in the house,

Or decide to raid the fridge.

A healthy pet is a happy pet;

And when they're happy,

They usually behave.

That makes their owners happy, too.

A healthy pet is a happy pet;

So their owners don't mind

If (once and a while)

They decide to chase a squirrel on

the evening walk.

A healthy pet is a happy pet;

Paradise is a nap in the sun,

A favorite squeaky toy,

Not an “all you can eat of your

owner's chocolate stash” buffet!

The recipe:

Happy, healthy pets +

Nice owners =

A happy home.

View Full Size

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Program offers educational resources, certification at silver or gold level

By Katie Burns

The American Association of Feline Practitioners has launched the Cat Friendly Practice Program to help veterinary practices become more accommodating of the distinct needs of cats.

Dr. Elizabeth J. Colleran, 2011 AAFP president, said cat owners love their cats but often do not visit a veterinarian because of the stress of the experience. She said the CFP Program “has the potential to transform the delivery of feline veterinary care and to increase veterinary visits.”

The AAFP introduced the CFP Program, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and Ceva Animal Health, during a Jan. 16 press conference at the North American Veterinary Conference. The primary program materials are educational resources, including “A Guide to Creating a Cat Friendly Practice” and a practice assessment checklist.

To participate in the CFP Program, practices must have at least one AAFP member. Practices may earn a certificate as a cat-friendly practice at the silver or gold level. The AAFP plans to list cat-friendly practices in an online directory for cat owners.

Program development

The AAFP has been developing the CFP Program in consultation with the International Society of Feline Medicine. The ISFM is the veterinary division of the United Kingdom's Feline Advisory Bureau, which pioneered the concept of cat-friendly clinics.

Dr. Andrew H. Sparkes of the ISFM said the efforts to promote cat-friendly clinics in the United Kingdom started as a competition in 2006 and included some tools to help clinics.

“It really caught the imagination of veterinary clinics,” Dr. Sparkes said. “And the clinics that participated saw a massive difference, both in the willingness of clients to come back again but also in the behavior of the cats within the clinics”

View Full Size

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

This year, the Feline Advisory Bureau and the ISFM will be launching a comprehensive program to promote cat-friendly clinics in Europe.

Dr. Nona Rodan chaired the task force that developed the CFP Program for the United States and Canada. She said the program will help “cat owners and veterinary practices to get cats back into practices.”

Dr. Rodan said she started her feline practice 25 years ago because of her love of cats, but not because of an understanding of cats.

“In 2000, I started work on behavior, and I recognized that cats need much more than we are giving them,” and so do cat owners, Dr. Rodan said.

Dr. Donna Stephens Manley, 2012 AAFP president, said the CFP Program will allow her as a shelter veterinarian to recommend cat-friendly practices to people who adopt cats—particularly first-time cat owners.

“That first impression is so critical,” Dr. Manley said. “Getting into a practice where they're welcoming, warm, and it's a good positive experience is nothing but a win-win situation for everyone.”

Dr. Kari D. Mundschenk, an AAFP board member, said she has applied many of the approaches of the CFP Program in her feline practice.

“Owners appreciate the fact that they know somebody cares enough about their cat to understand how a cat behaves, how a cat thinks,” Dr. Mundschenk said. “And they come back.”

Academic, veterinary leaders discuss potential solutions

View Full Size

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

By Malinda Larkin

The nation's 28 veterinary colleges have been hit hard by steep reductions in state appropriations to higher education, leading to cuts in faculty, substantial tuition increases, and increased student debt, according to new data from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

Findings from the 2012 AAVMC Advocacy Survey were presented during a closed-door economic summit attended by AVMA and veterinary college officials this January in Orlando, Fla.

Results of the AAVMC survey show a 46 percent increase in median out-of-state veterinary tuition over a 10-year period, from $21,100 in 2000–2001 to $38,788 in 2010–2011. Median in-state tuition jumped 50 percent in that same time, from $9,134 to $18,316. In total, tuition revenue at the 28 veterinary institutions has more than doubled, going from $4 million in 2001–2002 to $8.7 million in 2011–2012.

Separate figures for Ross University in St. Kitts and St. George's University in Grenada place tuition at about $30,000 and $32,000, respectively, for two semesters.

As for student enrollment, the AAVMC projects a 3.6 percent increase at U.S. veterinary colleges, from 11,255 for the 2011–2012 school year to 11,677 for the 2012–2013 school year. It would be the second largest bump in a decade with the greatest increase coming from an addition of 512 students (a 4.6 percent increase) between 2008–2009 and 2009–2010. In the past 10 years, U.S. veterinary colleges will have added 2,314 seats, which is almost a 25 percent increase from total enrollment of 9,363 students for the 2002–2003 school year. Adding the two Caribbean veterinary colleges would increase the total enrollment for the 2012–2013 school year by about 1,500 more students.

Dr. Gerhardt G. Schurig, AAVMC president and dean of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, said in an AAVMC press release that even though tuition has gone up, the extra revenue barely begins to make up for more than $106 million in cuts in just the past two years, when total state appropriations for U.S. veterinary colleges dropped from $642 million to $536 million. In the past decade, student aid—that is, anything from scholarships to endowments to private donations—per DVM/VMD student has risen only 30 percent, from $2,371 in 2001 to $3,375 in 2011.

“These are challenging times for veterinary medical education and higher education in general. What's particularly alarming is how schools report that this is affecting their ability to hire and maintain faculty and provide students with the course offerings that they need,” Dr. Schurig said in the release.

According to the AAVMC Advocacy Survey, which received response from all but two U.S. veterinary colleges, more than half of respondents reported that cuts in state support for academic veterinary medicine, particularly over the past couple years, have seriously affected their ability to hire or retain faculty and staff, invest in new technology, maintain academic programs and course offerings, or provide extension and outreach services. Twenty-two veterinary colleges said state funding cuts have reduced their ability to update or maintain campus infrastructure.

“I think we need to fight to sustain and garner public support, but we will also have to start looking at alternative funding sources and educational models if we want to maintain quality,” Dr. Schurig said in the release. “We also need to work with other stakeholders of academic veterinary medicine to find ways to increase student financial aid.”

Dr. Schurig and nearly 70 other leaders representing all 28 U.S. veterinary colleges and seven foreign AVMA Council on Education-accredited colleges, the AAVMC, and the AVMA, met Jan. 15 in Orlando for the joint economic summit. The goal was to start a dialogue among the stakeholders and commit to working together on behalf of the broader profession. Attendees identified a range of economic issues and pressures they agreed were critical to the veterinary profession. They also determined that workforce concerns, educational debt, demand for clinical veterinary services, and public support of veterinary education were of high priority.

AVMA President-elect Douglas G. Aspros called the meeting a valuable and productive first step. “All of us came away from the meeting with a sense of relief that we got so many things out on the table and walked out of the room united as a profession,” he said.

The need to find and develop data sets on the demand for veterinary services that everyone can agree on became apparent at the meeting, he added, noting that such data sets currently don't exist.

“If we want to talk about solutions for veterinary medicine, we need to guide education and professional development with reliable and contemporary data.” The AVMA is already working in this area with the recent appointment of members to the Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee (see page 485) and with development under way on a Veterinary Economics Division within the AVMA.

Going forward, summit participants agreed to jointly review the anticipated National Academy of Sciences veterinary workforce study, when released, and committed to participating in additional meetings. The first will occur during the AAVMC's annual conference March 8–11 in Alexandria, Va., and will focus on identifying specific economic solutions. Progress reports will be jointly released periodically to AVMA and AAVMC members, and working committees could be established.

Animal disease researchers convene, honor their own

Approximately 450 people attended the 92nd annual meeting of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Dec. 4–6, 2011, in Chicago.

The meeting was dedicated to Dr. Donald G. Simmons, considered one of the founding fathers of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

After earning his DVM degree in 1967 and his doctorate from the University of Georgia, Dr. Simmons became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. Early in his career, he spent several years with the NCSU Department of Poultry Science researching viral and bacterial diseases of turkeys.

View Full Size

Dr. Donald G. Simmons

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

In the late 70s, Dr. Simmons joined the new Veterinary Science Department at NCSU, where he would be instrumental in helping start the College of Veterinary Medicine. He taught veterinary students while continuing to research turkey diseases.

Dr. Simmons left NCSU in 1988 to head the Department of Veterinary Science at Pennsylvania State University. There, he provided leadership for teaching, research, and extension programs and for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' diagnostic laboratory.

In 1996, Dr. Simmons was hired as director of the newly established AVMA Education and Research Division. For the next 11 years, he participated in the AVMA Council on Education accreditation process for U.S. and foreign veterinary colleges, the accreditation of domestic veterinary technology programs, and the certification of foreign veterinary graduates wanting to practice in the United States.

Dr. Simmons played a key role in the AVMA securing reciprocity agreements with Canada and Great Britain that allowed U.S.-trained veterinarians to practice abroad. He retired to North Carolina in 2007.

Life membership in CRWAD was awarded to Edmour F. Blouin, phd, Stillwater, Okla.

The 2012 CRWAD officers are Dr. Donald L. Reynolds, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, president; Dr. Rodney A. Moxley, Lincoln, Neb., vice president; and Robert P. Ellis, phd, Fort Collins, Colo., executive director.

Accolades

Organizations

Dr. Joseph Gaydos has been elected chair of the Science Panel of the Puget Sound Partnership, part of a comprehensive effort to restore the nation's largest inland sea.

View Full Size

Dr. Joseph Gaydos (Courtesy of the SeaDoc Society)

Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 240, 5; 10.2460/javma.240.5.480

• Download Figure
• Download figure as PowerPoint slide

Washington state officials have launched a major initiative to restore the Puget Sound, where more than 100 species are listed as threatened or endangered, or are candidates for listing. Two years ago, the Washington Academy of Sciences named Dr. Gaydos to a panel providing expert advice on the project. In December 2011, he was elected panel chair.

Dr. Gaydos is a senior wildlife veterinarian at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Wildlife Health Center, where he serves as regional director and chief scientist for the SeaDoc Society. Dr. Gaydos has also been a member of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission since 2004.

A 1994 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Gaydos has studied marine wildlife and ecosystem health in Puget Sound for more than a decade, publishing articles on topics ranging from diseases of killer whales to major ecologic principles for designing healthy ecosystems.

Douglas M. Bengford

Dr. Bengford (COL ′86), 52, Lakewood, Colo., died July 27, 2011. A small animal veterinarian, he worked for Banfield Pet Hospital in Lakewood. Prior to that, Dr. Bengford practiced at Nelson Animal Hospital in Denver. His two sons survive him.

John M. Beverly

Dr. Beverly (MO ′81), 56, Myrtle Beach, S.C., died Nov. 19, 2011. An equine veterinarian, he practiced at Coastal Equine Clinic in Galivants Ferry, S.C. Dr. Beverly also consulted in Germany and Argentina. Earlier in his career, he worked in Cedarburg, Wis. Dr. Beverly was a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Memorials in his name may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

Edward H. Bohl

Dr. Bohl (OSU ′44), 89, Wooster, Ohio, died July 19, 2011. A charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, he was professor emeritus of veterinary microbiology at The Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Following graduation, Dr. Bohl served in the Army during World War II. From 1946–1947, he practiced in Mount Orab, Ohio. Dr. Bohl then returned to OSU, where he earned a master's in veterinary pathology in 1948 and obtained a doctorate in microbiology in 1952. During that time, he also served as an instructor in the Department of Microbiology at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, eventually becoming a professor. In 1963, Dr. Bohl was named professor in the Department of Veterinary Science at the OARDC, where he remained until retirement in 1982.

Known worldwide for his expertise in the enteric viruses of swine, he focused his research on leptospirosis in cattle and swine, porcine and bovine enteroviruses, germ-free pigs, viral abortion in cattle, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, mycoplasmosis in turkeys, colibacillosis in piglets, transmissible gastroenteritis of swine, and the mechanism of intestinal immunity. Dr. Bohl demonstrated the value of gnotobiotic pigs and used them in research on the purification and adaptation of a human rotavirus.

He was a member of the Ohio VMA, American Society for Microbiology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, United States Animal Health Association, World Association of Veterinary Microbiologists, Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, and Immunologists and Specialists in Infectious Diseases. In 1983, Dr. Bohl received an OSU Distinguished Alumnus Award. The 76th annual meeting of the CRWAD in 1995 was dedicated to him, and in 2002, the OARDC held the E.H. Bohl Honorary Symposium.

Dr. Bohl was a member of the Woosters Kiwanis Club. He is survived by three sons. One son, Dr. E. Eric Bohl (OSU ′75), is in mixed dairy practice in New Richmond, Wis. Memorials may be made to the Wooster United Methodist Church Sunday School Program, 243 N. Market St., Wooster, OH 44691.

Patricia O. Brackett

Dr. Brackett (CAL ′62), 87, Bluffton, S.C., died Oct. 17, 2011. An equine practitioner, she worked for the Maryland Racing Commission for 20 years prior to retirement. Earlier in her career, Dr. Brackett owned practices in Maryland and Virginia. Her husband, Bruce; a son; and a daughter survive her.

Jack R. Dinsmore

Dr. Dinsmore (OSU ′41), 93, Tulsa, Okla., died Nov. 18, 2011. A small animal practitioner, he owned Glenview Animal Hospital in Glenview, Ill., until 1980. During that time, Dr. Dinsmore also served as veterinarian for the Brookfield Zoo. He was a past president of the American Animal Hospital Association, American Veterinary Radiological Society, Chicago VMA, and Midwest Small Animal Association. Dr. Dinsmore served on the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust from 1968–1993. In 1997, he was appointed to the former AVMA Honor Roll Committee. He was a founding member of the American Veterinary Medical Law Association and Flying Veterinarians Association. Dr. Dinsmore served on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and was a past chairman of the group's subcommittee on preceptorships.

Dr. Dinsmore received several honors, including the Morris Animal Foundation Award in 1970; the UOI-CVM Alumni Association Service Award, given to a nonalumnus for contributions to the development of the college, in 1974; and the 1975 Illinois State VMA Veterinary Award for meritorious service to the profession. In 1982, he received an OSU Distinguished Alumnus Award, and, in 1991, the ISVMA 50-year Award.

Dr. Dinsmore is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; a son; and three daughters. Memorials in his name may be made to St. Simeon's, 3701 N. Cincinnati Ave., Tulsa, OK 74106.

James J. Dorman

Dr. Dorman (OSU ′40), 95, Leesburg, Fla., died Dec. 16, 2011. Prior to retirement in 1978, he worked for the Department of Agriculture in North Carolina and Tennessee. Earlier in his career, Dr. Dorman practiced mixed animal medicine in Argos, Ind., for 25 years. His wife, Nora, and three children survive him. Memorials may be made to Cornerstone Hospice of Tavares, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL 32778; or Lake Square Presbyterian Church, 10200 Morningside Drive, Leesburg, FL 34748.

Harold S. Gober

Dr. Gober (AUB ′40), 94, Aventura, Fla., died Oct. 28, 2011.

Danielle N. Goldin-Munday

Dr. Goldin-Munday (TUF ′07), 45, Sutton, Mass., died Nov. 25, 2011. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at VCA Blackstone Valley Animal Hospital in Uxbridge, Mass. Dr. Goldin-Munday was an opera singer and served on the board of the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation, helping aspiring opera singers. Memorials may be made to the World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th St. N.W., P.O. Box 97180, Washington, DC 20090.

William C. Gross

Dr. Gross (KSU ′50), 84, Jacksonville, Ill., died July 21, 2011. He owned a practice in Winchester, Ill., and practiced mixed animal medicine across central Illinois for more than 55 years. During that time, Dr. Gross also worked with his siblings, Drs. Glen G. Gross (now deceased), Dean R. Gross (now deceased), Robert U. Gross (KSU ′54), and Joanne G. Pfeffer (now deceased), who were all practicing veterinarians in Jacksonville. He bred and raised Black Angus beefalo and traveled to South American countries to study cattle herds and to Poland to study the European bison bloodlines. Dr. Gross was a member of the Elks Club. He is survived by a daughter and two sons. Dr. Gross' nephew, Dr. Joseph M. Gross (KSU ′52), practices mixed animal medicine in Winchester. Memorials may be made to the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, KS 66506; or Mayo Clinic, c/o Barbara Flasch, Department of Development, 200 1st St. S.W., Rochester, MN 55905.

Charles D. Knecht

Dr. Knecht (UP ′56), 79, Opelika, Ala., died Sept. 20, 2011. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he was professor emeritus of small animal surgery and medicine at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and former head of the college's small animal clinic. Following graduation, Dr. Knecht was in private practice in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. He then served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps, attaining the rank of captain. Dr. Knecht began his academic career at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1964. From 1970–1972, he was a professor and chief of surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Knecht then moved to Purdue University, where he served as a professor and chief of surgery in the small animal clinic. He joined Auburn in 1979, retiring in 1997.

In 1971, Dr. Knecht invented a surgical device known as the Knecht Condyle Clamp. He also authored the textbook “Fundamental Techniques in Veterinary Surgery.” Dr. Knecht was a past president of the ACVS, American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, and American Neurology Association. He was elected to the AVMA Judicial Council in 2000.

Dr. Knecht received the Pfizer-Norden Distinguished Teaching Award in 1971 and was honored with an UG-CVM Faculty Adviser Award in 1972. He was the recipient of the AVMA Gaines Award in 1982 and the American Animal Hospital Association CYCLE Award in 1997. In 2001, the Veterinary Medical Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine honored Dr. Knecht with an Alumni Award of Merit. He is survived by two sons.

Herbert F. Lindsey

Dr. Lindsey (AUB ′46), 87, Griffin, Ga., died Aug. 25, 2011. He practiced mixed animal medicine for 52 years, retiring from what was known as Lindsey Smith Veterinary Clinic in Griffin. Dr. Lindsey was a member of the Georgia VMA. He is survived by a son and a daughter. Memorials may be made to Griffin Rotary Club, P.O. Box 473, Griffin, GA 30224.

Solomon S. Mirin

Dr. Mirin (OSU ′36), 100, Boca Raton, Fla., died Dec. 11, 2011. A small animal practitioner, he owned McKim Animal Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y., prior to retirement. Early in his career, Dr. Mirin was a federal animal inspector in the mid-Atlantic states. He served in the Army Veterinary Corps during World War II, attaining the rank of major. Memorials may be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.

George H. Muller

Dr. Muller (TEX ′43), 92, Concord, Calif, died Oct. 3, 2011. A diplomate and a past president of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he established Muller Veterinary Hospital in Walnut Creek, Calif, in 1956.

Following graduation, Dr. Muller served in the Army Veterinary Corps as a captain in the China-Burma-India theater for three years, receiving the China War Memorial Medal. He then owned Pittsburg Veterinary Hospital in Pittsburg, Calif, before establishing his practice in Walnut Creek. During his practice career, Dr. Muller simultaneously served as a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine for more than 30 years.

Known internationally for his work in veterinary dermatology, he co-authored “Small Animal Dermatology.” Dr. Muller served as chair of the American Animal Hospital Association's Dermatology Committee in 1959 and helped establish the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, later serving as its president. He was also an honorary charter member of the European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.

Dr. Muller established the Postgraduate Symposium of Veterinary Dermatology at Stanford University, which later became known as the George H. Muller Veterinary Dermatology Seminar and is now sponsored by the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He received an ACVD Award of Excellence in 1991. In 2008, Dr. Muller was the first recipient of the Hugo Schindelka Medal in recognition of excellence of scholarship and publication in the field of veterinary dermatology from the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology.

Dr. Muller is survived by his wife, Opal. Memorials (with the memo line of checks notated “in memory of Dr. George H. Muller”) may be made to UC Regents, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Office of the Dean-Development, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616.

John L. Noordsy

Dr. Noordsy (KSU ′46), 89, Marion, S.D., died Sept. 30, 2011. He retired in 1990 as a professor of large animal medicine and surgery and associate dean of academic affairs and alumni relations at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Noordsy began his career in Marion, where he practiced food animal medicine for 13 years. He joined the veterinary faculty of KSU in 1960. During his tenure, Dr. Noordsy also served as assistant head of the college's Department of Surgery and Medicine.

Known for his work in bovine surgery, he was a past president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and authored the text-book “Food Animal Surgery.” Dr. Noordsy was a member of the AVMA Council on Veterinary Service from 1975–1986, including service as chair. He was a member and a past secretary of the South Dakota VMA. Dr. Noordsy received several honors, including the AABP Amstutz-Williams Award in 2004, an AVMA President's Award in 2008, and the KSU-CVM Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2010. His wife, Pat; two sons; and a daughter survive him.

Alfred A. Reich

Dr. Reich (MSU 74), 62, Rumely, Mich., died July 18, 2011. He owned North Rumely Veterinary Services since 2010, providing clinical services and house calls. Earlier in his career, Dr. Reich worked in Lansing, Mich., and Charlotte, N.C.; owned practices in Virginia at Waynesboro and the Shenandoah Valley; worked as an emergency veterinarian in Ypsilanti, Mich.; and owned Westgate Animal Clinic in Ann Arbor, Mich. His wife, Carol, and two daughters survive him.

Sonny D. Reynolds

Dr. Reynolds (AUB ′66), 73, Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Nov. 20, 2011. A small animal practitioner, he owned Animal Birth Control Clinic in Nashville from 1979 until retirement in 2005. Prior to that, Dr. Reynolds served in the Army, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a member of the Upper Cumberland VMA. Dr. Reynolds is survived by his wife, Carole; a son; and a daughter. His brother, Dr. Buddy L. Reynolds (AUB ′66), is a mixed animal veterinarian in Cookeville, Tenn. Memorials may be made to Rotary Foundation, Paul Harris Fellowship, P.O. Box 1391, Murfreesboro, TN 37133.

Joseph H. Robbins

Dr. Robbins (COR ′53), 86, Rochester, N.Y., died Nov. 2, 2011. A small animal practitioner, he owned Robbins Animal Hospital in Rochester from 1955 until retirement in 1989. Earlier in his career, Dr. Robbins worked in the small animal clinic at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. A member of the New York State VMS, he served on its Small Animal Practice Committee. Dr. Robbins was also a past member of the Western New York VMS board of directors.

An Army veteran of World War II, he served in the European theater and was awarded a Bronze Star. Dr. Robbins is survived by two daughters. Memorials may be made to the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road S., Rochester, NY 14610; or Janice Lynn Cohen Memorial Fund, Colgate Rochester Divinity School, 1100 S. Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14620.

Ralph R. Romo

Dr. Romo (TEX ′41), 97, Belvedere Tiburon, Calif, died Aug. 2, 2011. Prior to retiring at the age of 75, he practiced small animal medicine in San Marino, Calif, for more than 30 years. Earlier in his career, Dr. Romo established small and large animal practices in California at Downey, Montebello, Whittier, and La Habra. An Army veteran, he attained the rank of major. Dr. Romo is survived by his wife, Alta, and a son. Memorials may be made to Hospice By the Bay, 17 E. Sir Francis Drake, #100, Larkspur, CA 94939.

Samuel R. Thomas

Dr. Thomas (OSU ′61), 77, Bucyrus, Ohio, died Oct. 27, 2011. He practiced mixed animal medicine in Crawford County (Ohio) and surrounding areas for 50 years. Dr. Thomas was also the Pickwick Farms veterinarian for several years and served as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University. He was a member of the Ohio VMA. Dr. Thomas served as Crawford County Health commissioner for 10 years and was a member of the Bucyrus Community Hospital board of directors.

An Army veteran, he attained the rank of lieutenant. Dr. Thomas's wife, Tina, and five children survive him. Memorials toward Hope Lodge, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, The Humane Society serving Crawford County, Salvation Army, or Crawford County Chapter of the American Red Cross may be made c/o Wise Funeral Service, 129 W. Warren St., Bucyrus, OH 44820.

William L. Tilgner

Dr. Tilgner (KSU ′57), 80, North Platte, Neb., died Nov. 11, 2011. Prior to retirement, he worked for the Department of Agriculture in meat and poultry inspection for 35 years. During that time, Dr. Tilgner was posted in Kansas at Wichita and Dodge City and then moved to North Platte, where he served as supervisor of western Nebraska meat plants. Early in his career, he practiced in Salina, Kan. Dr. Tilgner was a member of the Salvation Army and the City Tree Board. He is survived by his wife, Velda, and three daughters. Memorials may be made to Bethel Evangelical Church, 2700 W. Philip, North Platte, NE 69101; or North Platte Gideon Memorial Bibles, P.O. Box 383, North Platte, NE 69103.