Taking on obesity as a disease
Statement, sessions, and toolkit address the excess weight so common now in cats, dogs, and horses
By Katie Burns
The veterinary profession should formally recognize canine and feline obesity as a disease, according to a position statement from the Global Pet Obesity Initiative. The statement also calls for the profession to adopt a uniform definition of canine and feline obesity as 30 percent above ideal weight and a universal system for body condition scoring on a scale of 1 to 9.
The AVMA Board of Directors endorsed the position statement in April. At July's AVMA Convention 2018 in Denver, the AVMA Future Leaders Program introduced Promise: A Campaign for Healthy Weight Management, which revolves around a toolkit to help AVMA members address the excess weight so common now in cats, dogs, and even horses.
On July 16, a series of three sessions covered human and pet obesity, practical weight-loss strategies for pets, and the new toolkit. Key elements of the toolkit include client questionnaires, questionnaire interpretation sheets for veterinary staff, examples of 30-day pledges clients can make to help their pets, templates for follow-up communication by staff, and tips on communication techniques for staff.
Human and pet obesity
The session “Human and Pet Obesity: A One Health Perspective” featured a panel consisting of Dr. Julie Churchill, a veterinary nutritionist at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention; and Matthew Haemer, MD, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital Colorado.
“The definition of obesity in children tracks backward from the definition of obesity in adulthood,” Dr. Haemer said. A body mass index above the 95th percentile in children corresponds with an adult BMI of 30, and a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
Dr. Ward said veterinary medicine lacks definitions of obesity. Drs. Ward and Churchill worked with Dr. Alexander J. German, a professor of small animal medicine at the University of Liverpool in England, on the position statement from the Global Pet Obesity Initiative. They settled on a definition of canine and feline obesity as 30 percent above ideal weight.
“We felt that if we went to a 20 percent number, which had been used sometime in humans, that we would then suddenly diagnose every dog and cat in America,” Dr. Ward said.
Veterinarians in the United States tend to assign body condition scores on a scale of 1 to 5 or a scale of 1 to 9. The Global Pet Obesity Initiative recommends a whole-integer scale of 1 to 9 for better accuracy.
“The third thing that we were striking out to do was actually to say that pet obesity is a disease, following our human counterparts' move,” Dr. Ward said. In 2013, the American Medical Association's House of Delegates adopted a resolution to recognize obesity as a disease.
3 success stories
The obesity toolkit from the AVMA has seen some success stories, including the following:
• A Chihuahua, which had a body condition score of 5 on a 5-point scale, was getting five Milk-Bones a day. The dog lost weight after receiving one treat broken up through each day.
• The owner of a Dachshund had taken her dog on daily walks until the dog took off after a squirrel and the owner broke her foot. The Dachshund reached a BCS of 5 on a 5-point scale but lost weight after resuming daily walks.
• A horse used for pleasure riding had a BCS of 8 on a 9-point scale. The horse dropped to a BCS of 6 with a tailored nutrition and exercise routine.
Before and after
(Photo at right by Dr. Alina Vale)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Churchill said animals that are 30 percent or more above ideal weight have metabolic changes, abnormal functions in many organ systems, clinical signs, and a decrease in lifespan.
Dr. Haemer said part of the approach to obesity is sensitive communication. He said, “For many, the pushback related to medicalizing or diagnosing obesity as a disease is the fact that, among the U.S. population, the term ‘obesity’ is a stigmatizing term.”
Among pediatricians, he said, “In our communication with families, we use terms such as ‘an unhealthy weight’ or ‘an unhealthy BMI’ to bring it back out of the stigmatizing conversation to the basic health communication that this is a health risk associated with a weight status, and it's also something that we can do something about.”
Dr. Churchill said: “I learned what not to say mostly because I made all the mistakes, and so really my passion is that we all think of it as a disease from the profession, that we put it in our hearts and minds because it is the way we approach our patients to achieve greater health.”
Practical weight loss
The session “Over the Hurdles and Through the Hoops: Practical Weight Loss Strategies for Obese Pets” featured Dr. Ward; Garnetta Santiago, a veterinary technician previously in practice and at Hill's Pet Nutrition and now with Zoetis; Dr. Daniel Brod of Companion Animal Hospitals North America; and Dr. Aimee Eggleston Ahearn of Eggleston Equine LLC.
Dr. Ahearn advised veterinarians to ask clients what everyone in the family is doing for nutrition and treats for the animal. Dr. Brod suggested simply saying, “Tell me what you feed your pet.” Santiago recommended adjusting communications to the situation. Dr. Ward said not to chase a number on a scale, but seek to improve quality of life.
The obesity toolkit from the AVMA provides questionnaires for owners of cats, dogs, and horses. The first item for cat and dog owners is to circle one of four pictures to describe their pet's body condition.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
The concerns with crash diets are loss of lean muscle mass and other metabolic dysregulation, Dr. Ward said. Santiago said the practice should celebrate a 20-pound cat losing half a pound in a month. Owners tend to want to see faster progress, particularly if they have switched to a more expensive food. She said, “What they're wanting is: ‘If I'm going to pay $80 a bag, I want to see that cat at 15 pounds in six minutes.'”
Dr. Ahearn said horse owners want to focus on how much the horse needs to lose. She said, “It really depends on the breed and the type of horse and where their fat deposits may be, where they're overweight.” She will tell clients to check in at a month and sometimes leave the goal ambiguous.
Dr. Ward asks what the clients want the dog or cat to be able to do, such as get out of the car or go up the stairs. He said, “It's those little victories that I think make the most difference.” He talksless about obesity and more about chronic Inflammation. While a cat might have lost only a pound, the risk factors for other co-morbidities went down dramatically.
Santiago said obesity requires a treatment plan with follow-up visits. Dr. Ward said technology will help enhance the ability to care for chronic conditions such as obesity. Santiago said the cases where she has had success have had a lot to do with the relationship between the client and the entire veterinary team.
Dr. Brod said the worst thing for a pet owner is to have a pet not eat. One trick is to provide a list of treats with calorie counts. What he would like to see is coaching and mentorship in the examination room for new veterinarians to be comfortable addressing clients about pet obesity.
Toolkit
The 2017–18 class of the Future Leaders Program reviewed current literature on obesity in pets and looked at the implications of obesity in humans. Then the group put together the toolkit involving client questionnaires and pledges.
Dr. Alina Vale, a member of the class, said in an interview with JAVMA News, “The veterinarian in practice asks questions using motivational interviewing to find out what the root cause is of the obesity in the pet and then help think through some pledges that the client could do at home.”
Instead of telling the client what to do, she said, the veterinarian can use the questionnaire and pledges so that the pet's weight-loss program is more the owner's idea, meaning the owner is more likely to stick with the program.
Owners can choose among the following pledges:
• To go for a walk or jog with the pet for a certain number of minutes and times per week.
• To arrange for someone else to exercise the pet when the owner is unable to do so.
• To play fetch or do another form of physical activity with the pet for a certain number of minutes per day.
• To ensure others in the home understand the healthy weight goals for the pet.
• To measure the correct amount of food.
• To follow feeding guidelines of a specific diet, amount, and frequency.
• To use praise, grooming, and attention instead of treats to reward good behavior.
• To feed healthy treats approved by the veterinarian.
• To separate pets for a certain number of minutes during meals or until the pets have finished eating.
Participants in the Future Leaders Program tested the toolkit in a pilot program with practitioners, gathering feedback to polish the final product.
Dr. Vale is an equine veterinarian in San Diego who does consulting work. She said obesity in horses actually is a big issue. She was in denial about her own horse being obese, even though she knew he was overweight. She has been working on weight loss with him, and he lost about 100 pounds in six months.
The obesity toolkit is available to AVMA members online at www.avma.org/animalobesity. Along with the campaign materials, the website provides a listing of links to other resources to help veterinarians manage overweight and obese pets, from background information on the prevalence and health concerns of obesity to scoring sheets for body condition to calorie calculators.
Handle with care
How veterinary teams can factor in the needs of the elderly, those with disabilities
By Malinda Larkin
A small percentage of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities provide animal-friendly options. Only 16 percent of senior centers allowed participants to bring their pets, according to a 2017 survey by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute and National Council on Aging.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
The year 2030 will mark an important demographic turning point in U.S. history, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2017 National Population Projections. In 12 years, all baby boomers will be older than age 65, expanding the size of the older population so that 1 in every 5 people will be retirement age, according to a March press release from the bureau. By 2035, there will be 78 mil lion people 65 years and older.
Similarly, the need for care for pets belonging to older populations is only going to climb, said Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, a board member of the Human Animal Bond Association. She gave a talk July 16 at AVMA Convention 2018 in Denver about the special needs of elderly animal owners.
“There is a growing trend of people wanting pets in their lives more,” she said. “What this means for veterinarians is, while they are primarily concerned with the health of the pet, the owner's health, too, may also need to be taken into consideration. This is particularly true for aging owners, along with those with disabilities.”
Indeed, 40.7 million Americans qualify as having a disability in 2016, representing 12.9 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And increasingly that population owns pets or working or assistance animals
Client accommodations
Emma K. Grigg, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and a research associate at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She said some of the challenges those with disabilities face are a difficulty in accessing services and a lack of training to make sure their needs are met by service providers.
Veterinarians can ensure the best possible care for patients by helping animal owners access and navigate the physical space of the clinic safely and comfortably, allowing some extra time for the visit, and finding ways to communicate that work for the client, Dr. Grigg said during a presentation at the 2018 Student AVMA Symposium in March in Philadelphia.
Approaches could include finding another suitable location if the examination room is not big enough to hold a client's wheelchair or other items, scheduling appointments at slower times of day to allow enough time, and simply asking what the client needs during the visit.
“Client needs vary by disability. So when in doubt, ask the client,” Dr. Grigg said. “This may require altering ways of the practice to meet a client's needs.”
Clients who are blind, for example, shouldn't be called from across the room. Instead, staff members should approach the person and offer to guide him or her. During the examination, Dr. Grigg said, “It's helpful to introduce yourself and others in the room by name and title. Indicate if anyone leaves the room and any possible hazards, like the edge of an exam table.”
Alternatively, written instructions are important for clients with dementia, Dr. Grigg said. Instructions should be put on brightly colored paper. Staff could also make a calendar for follow-up appointments or when medications need to be given. And identifying a friend or relative to help the client follow through on directions also proves helpful.
Clients with a working or assistance animal should be asked for permission before staff begin interacting with the patient, particularly if the animal is actively working.
“Maintaining the trust of the owner in the dog's working ability is important. That's why low-stress handling is essential here,” Dr. Grigg said.
Above all, staff training in advance is an essential component for a successful visit for an elderly client or one with disabilities. Dr. Grigg recommends emphasizing the following:
• Disabled clients are people first. They are not their disabilities.
• Recognize that every client may have special needs from time to time, and not all disabilities are visible.
• Ask yourself and your staff: How far would you be willing to go for this client if he or she were family or a friend?
• Confront prejudices or incorrect assumptions about people with disabilities.
• Always address the client directly, not the helper, translator, or companion.
• Do not assume clients have understood or that they will speak up if they have not understood.
Further considerations for elderly or disabled clients include finances and transportation.
Sixty-two percent of all baby boomers have less than $200,000 saved for retirement, and only 17 percent have $500,000 or more, according to the 2017 Employee Financial Wellness Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The reality for many is they are still working or relying on family, Dr. Pope-Robinson said. Those on a fixed income don't have money for unexpected expenses.
Further, transportation can also be limiting, as some are unable to drive or don't have reliable access to public or private transportation.
“For them, it's a whole-day experience. They might have to wait a while for the bus to get to or from your clinic,” she said.
Dr. Pope-Robinson encouraged clinics to develop protocols for providing house calls or working with organizations that do so.
Human-animal bond
For these more vulnerable populations, the human-animal bond is that much more important.
A study published in 2009 in the journal Psychogeriatrics found that animal-assisted activity can make a difference in the depression levels of residents in long-term care facilities. A study on the impact of a therapy animal program on cognitively unimpaired, institutionalized elderly, published in 2006 in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, found those who received a pet canary reported noticeable improvements in perception of quality of life and psychological well-being.
Breaking the human-animal bond with an elderly person or an individual with disabilities provides emotional stress not only for the owner but also for the veterinary team, Dr. Pope-Robinson said.
Clients may need to re-home their pet because they are entering a facility that doesn't take animals or they can no longer care for the pet properly. Because they don't want to burden others or are worried no one would care for their pet, they may ask for the animal to be euthanized, she said.
Veterinary staff can help with the re-homing process by providing structure as to how the process would look. Another way is to encourage owners to place pets in their will via an end-of-life directive.
Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, owner and principal at Hamilton Law and Mediation, specializes in helping people resolve conflicts involving animals. She created a blueprint for pet owners on this topic called “MAPPing the Journey Your Pet Takes When You Can't Care for Them Yourself,” available at www.hamiltonlawandmediation.com/maap-blueprint. The basics are as follows:
• Make a plan outlining the care that you would like to have your pets receive.
• Address each of your pets and its unique needs.
• Appoint at least three caregivers; only one can be a family member.
• Publish your plans and keep them readily available.
For veterinary staff, Dr. Pope-Robinson recommends the following:
• Have open conversations about the topic of elderly clients.
• Develop discussions with the team in managing the emotions related to this topic.
• Develop a protocol for each situation that could arise, and put someone in charge of the protocols.
• Develop personal pets as therapy pets, and visit facilities.
• Work with local elderly and hospice care facilities on creating pet-friendly policies.
Leaving home
As it stands, a small percentage of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities provide animal-friendly options. Only 16 percent of senior centers allowed participants to bring their pets, according to a 2017 survey by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute and National Council on Aging.
Fifty-six percent of senior centers had no pet policies in place, while 32 percent did, and 12 percent were unsure. Forty percent said model policies from the National Institute of Senior Centers would encourage them to offer animal programs, and 28 percent said a model would probably encourage them to offer these programs. Nine percent said that a model would not help at all, and 22 percent were unsure.
From the survey, HABRI and the NCOA put together the document “Older Adults and Animal Programming: A Handbook for Senior Centers” this past May. The two organizations collaborated to explore animal programs held in senior centers and to develop guidelines to ensure that the positive benefits of the human-animal bond can be widely and safely enjoyed in senior centers across America. The document is available at https://jav.ma/seniorcenterhandbook.
Hospice facilities also generally don't allow pets. The limitations involve concerns about allergies, vectors for spreading disease, tripping dangers, phobias, liability, shedding, and noise and odor issues, Dr. Pope-Robinson said.
Pet Peace of Mind was founded in 2009 to fill a void in the nonprofit sector dedicated to helping hospice and palliative care patients care for their pets. The national nonprofit was started by a group of professionals working in the fields of human health care, medical research, academia, palliative care, veterinary medicine, business, and nonprofit operations.
Leaders educate local hospice and palliative care organizations about the importance of pets in the lives of their patients and help them support those pets in practical ways. The program provides a turnkey approach to help organizations establish a local program to train volunteers to help patients with their pet care needs. A list of participating hospices is at www.petpeaceofmind.org/participating-hospices.
Dr. Pope-Robinson said the work of these organizations is very important to these populations.
“Many people won't pass until they know a pet is taken care of,” Dr. Pope-Robinson said.
Augmented, virtual reality can help veterinarians see more
Scott Birch thinks augmented reality can help veterinarians see more within their patients.
Birch is the CEO of Pixelbeaker, through which he creates 3D models and reconstructions for medical use. In a series of lectures at AVMA Convention 2018, July 13–17 in Denver, he described the types of software and hardware systems veterinarians can use to translate data obtained through digital imaging into 3D models, including those useful in augmented and virtual reality systems.
Veterinarians using such technology can look past the skin and ribs of a patient to see close-up views of heart defects, manually reorient the views to get a better sense of the problem, and collect precise measurements.
They can explore in depth the vascularization within a dog's leg. And veterinarians and students can use shared models to print education-use bones. He also noted that 3D model libraries, such as A360 and Sketchfab, allow clinicians and clients to access high-resolution patient-specific models from anywhere.
But most of the medical-use software developed so far has been for human application.
“I wish there were more applications for veterinary medicine that I could show,” he said. “They just don't exist yet.”
Birch noted that such systems can be expensive. A zSpace workstation that uses a specialized screen, stylus, and eyeglasses to make models appear to float in front of the user, costs about $6,000, he said. A Microsoft HoloLens commercial suite costs about $5,000, although a developer edition is $3,000.
Birch thinks those technologies, through which people can see models while still seeing the world around them—unlike through the opaque eyeglasses of virtual reality systems—will be useful for veterinary medicine. And he expects veterinarians could develop hundreds more applications.
Speaker: Men must be deliberate about promoting gender equality
Story and photo by R. Scott Nolen
Dr. Douglas G. Aspros takes the lack of female leadership in veterinary medicine personally.
Raised by a mother who worked most of her life as a teletype machine operator, educated at progressive New York institutions where male and female students were treated equally, and inspired by a female member of a Nobel Prize-winning research team, Dr. Aspros spent his early years unaware of gender bias.
Then, in 1971, he enrolled at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the blinders fell off.
“The idea that women didn't belong in the STEM professions never occurred to me,” recalled Dr. Aspros, referring to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. “Then I go to Cornell veterinary college. Women there were more likely to be secretaries than a faculty member or student.” The former AVMA president and founding member of the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative explained during a July 14 session at AVMA Convention 2018 why men must be deliberate about promoting gender equality.
Women have made up more than 50 percent of veterinary classes since 1986. They currently comprise 60 percent of the veterinary profession and 80 percent of veterinary students, according to Dr. Aspros. Yet the people at the highest levels of veterinary leadership are predominantly male.
“If you're a man and you're a leader, you're responsible for the success of your organization, whatever that is. You can't make it successful if you're not promoting women to executive positions where strategic decisions are made,” he said. “You're losing a lot of talent, ingenuity, and energy.”
Women in leadership face a number of stereotypes: They're bossy, aggressive, or intimidating. Such views are unfair, explained Dr. Aspros, as leaders are expected to be aggressive, strong, and decisive. “Women like that are seen as arrogant and abrasive,” he noted.
Dr. Aspros advised men to educate themselves about gender discrimination and commit to being part of the solution toward ending it. The process of eliminating discrimination is not the goal, he added. “If you really want to solve the problem, you have to solve the problem,” Dr. Aspros said. “If there aren't women in leadership in your organization, do something about it.”
Men should treat women as colleagues by not tolerating sexist behavior or “mansplaining,” which is when a man talks condescendingly to someone (especially a woman) about something he has incomplete knowledge of, with the mistaken assumption that he knows more about it than the person he's talking to does. They can mentor women but not in a “creepy way,” said Dr. Aspros, referencing the alleged sexual abuses of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and comedian Louis C.K., among others.
The future of organized veterinary medicine depends on preparing the current generation of female veterinarians to be leaders, said Dr. Douglas G. Aspros, a former AVMA president and founding member of the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
“If we're going to build a strong profession, strong practices, and a strong industry,” he said, “we need to prepare, accept, and promote women into leadership roles so we have the strongest organizations to carry us forward.”
Veterinary groups meet in Denver
Forty-three AVMA-allied and other veterinary-related organizations and 30 alumni groups from colleges and schools of veterinary medicine convened this July at AVMA Convention 2018 in Denver. These groups engaged in a wide variety of activities during the convention, including lectures, certification examinations, business meetings, workshops, and social gatherings. Many of the organizations co-sponsored the AVMA's educational sessions.
The following pages highlight the activities and honors reported by some of these organizations.
Compiled by Anita Suresh
American Association of Avian Pathologists
AAAP officials: Front row—Drs. K.A. “Ton” Schat, John Smith, Nathaniel Tablante, Eric Jensen, and Samuel Christenberry. Back row—Drs. Suzanne Dougherty, Jarra Jagne, Rocio Crespo, Maritza Tamayo, and Bernard Beckman
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American Association of Avian Pathologists Inc. meeting, July 13–17, Denver
Awards: Bruce W. Calnek Applied Poultry Research Achievement Award: Erica Spackman, PhD, Athens, Georgia, for research contributions resulting directly or indirectly in a measurable, practical impact on the control of one or more major diseases of poultry. Dr. Spackman earned her doctorate in animal science in 2001 from the University of Delaware. She is a research microbiologist with the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service's Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory. Dr. Spackman was honored for her accomplishments in the poultry industry, including the development of a real-time PCR test for the detection of avian influenza virus, the development and comparison of sample collection methods to improve overall detection of avian influenza virus, and controlled studies that document the inactivation of avian influenza virus by heat, providing an alternative method of disinfecting avian influenza virus–contaminated poultry houses. Lasher-Bottorff Award: Dr. Gregorio Rosales, Athens, Alabama, won this award, given in recognition of an avian diagnostician or technical services veterinarian who has made important contributions to the poultry health program in North America over the past 10 years. Dr. Rosales received his veterinary degree in 1979 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and his doctorate in medical microbiology in 1988 from the University of Georgia. Self-employed, Dr. Rosales was honored for his more than 30-year career in avian medicine, and he was recognized especially for his work in broiler breeder health and management. He is a diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Phibro Animal Health Excellence in Poultry Research Award: Maricarmen Garcia, PhD, Athens, Georgia, for sustained excellence in poultry disease and health for 20 years or more. Dr. Garcia earned her doctorate in microbiology in 1994 from the University of Georgia. She is a professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Garcia was recognized for her work as a leading researcher on infectious laryngotracheitis virus. Hall of Honor Inductee: Dr. David Suarez, Athens, Georgia, for contributions to the advancement of poultry health and to the AAAP. Dr. Suarez received his veterinary degree in 1988 from Auburn University and his doctorate in veterinary microbiology in 1995 from Iowa State University. He is a research leader with the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory's Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, Dr. Suarez is known for his expertise in avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Outstanding Field Case and/or Diagnostic Report Award: Dr. Jenny Fricke, Athens, Georgia, and Dr. Marissa Garry, Willmar, Minnesota. A 2007 graduate of the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Fricke serves as a clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine's Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center. She is a diplomate of the ACPV. A 2016 veterinary graduate of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Garry works for Select Genetics in Willmar. P.P. Levine Award, presented to the senior author of the best paper published in the journal Avian Diseases: Dr. Mohamed El-Gazzar, Ames, Iowa. Dr. El-Gazzar received his veterinary degree in 2000 from the University of Cairo in Egypt and his doctorate in avian mycoplasmology in 2014 from The Ohio State University. He serves as an assistant professor of poultry medicine in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. El-Gazzar is a diplomate of the ACPV. Reed Rumsey Student Award: Dr. Brandon Armwood, Athens, Georgia, and Dr. Michael Babak, Newark, Delaware, for clinical and basic research in avian medicine. Dr. Armwood is a 2017 veterinary graduate of North Carolina State University. Dr. Babak received his veterinary degree in 2009 from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Richard B. Rimler Memorial Paper Scholarship: Dr. Mohamed Abdul-Cader, Calgary, Alberta, for excellence in poultry disease research. Dr. Abdul-Cader received his veterinary degree in 2006 from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. Arnold S. Rosenwald Student Poster Award: Sofia Egana, Davis, California, won in the category of basic research. Egana is an Animal Biology Graduate Group student at the University of California-Davis. Theodore Derksen, Chino Hills, California, won in the category of applied research. Derksen is a second-year veterinary student at the Western University of Health Sciences.
Erica Spackman, PhD
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Gregorio Rosales
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Maricarmen Garcia, PhD
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. David Suarez
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Jenny Fricke
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Mohamed El-Gazzar
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Brandon Armwood
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Michael Babak
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Mohamed Abdul-Cader
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Sofia Egana
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Theodore Derksen
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Officials: Drs. Nathaniel Tablante, College Park, Maryland, president; Eric Jensen, Huntsville, Alabama, president-elect; Suzanne Dougherty, Elkmont, Alabama, executive vice president; John Smith, Baldwin, Georgia, immediate past president; K.A. “Ton” Schat, Ithaca, New York, northeast director; Samuel Christenberry, Cullman, Alabama, southern director; Bernard Beckman, Earlham, Iowa, central director; Rocio Crespo, Puyallup, Washington, western director; and directors at large—Drs. Maritza Tamayo, Cuajimulpa, Mexico, and Jarra Jagne, Ithaca, New York
Contact: Janece Bevans-Kerr, Director of Member Services, American Association of Avian Pathologists, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 202, Jacksonville, FL 32223; phone, 904-425-5735; aaap@aaap.info; www.aaap.info
American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians National Association of Federal Veterinarians
Event: American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians and the National Association of Federal Veterinarians, joint meeting, July 15, Denver
Awards: AAFSPHV Public Health Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Julia Murphy, Richmond, Virginia. A 1992 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Murphy is state public health veterinarian at the Virginia Department of Health. Earlier, she served as a veterinary epidemiologist with the VDH. Dr. Murphy is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. AAFSPHV Food Safety Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel, Cumberland, Maine. A 2006 veterinary graduate of the University of Georgia, Dr. Pfannenstiel is president and chief executive officer of Dirigo Food Safety, a food safety consulting group in Yarmouth, Maine. Following graduation and prior to joining DFS, she served in the Army Veterinary Corps. AAFSPHV Student Scholarship: Lauren Prince (Wisconsin ‘20) and Colette Friedenson (Pennsylvania ‘19). NAFV Certificate of Appreciation: Drs. Larry A. Davis, Madison, Mississippi, and Deanna Brown, Batesville, Arkansas. A 1985 veterinary graduate of the University of Missouri, Dr. Davis works for the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, serving as district manager for the Jackson district, encompassing Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. He was recognized for his service as 2017–19 NAFV president. Dr. Brown earned her veterinary degree in 1990 from Mississippi State University and her master's of public health in 1999 from the University of Texas. She began her career in the Army Veterinary Corps and now works for the USDA FSIS as front-line supervisor for the Springdale district, encompassing Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. Dr. Brown is a diplomate of the ACVPM. She was honored for her service as 2017–19 NAFV secretary-treasurer.
Business: The NAFV, celebrating its 100th year in 2018, provided its members an update on current legislation affecting veterinarians and federal employees.
Officials: AAFSPHV—Drs. Jennifer Koeman, San Luis Obispo, California, president; Donna DeBonis, Oak Harbor, Washington, president-elect; Michele Pfannenstiel, Cumberland, Maine, recording secretary; Kelly Vest, Blackwell, Oklahoma, immediate past president; Katherine Waters, Denver, executive vice president and AVMA alternate delegate; Kristen Obbink, Ames, Iowa, AVMA delegate; and directors—Drs. Roger Murphy, Raleigh, North Carolina; Nancy Frank, Haslett, Michigan; Thomas Doker, Aiken, South Carolina; Mike Gilsdorf, Sykesville, Maryland; Kristen Obbink, Ames, Iowa; and Candace Jacobs, Olympia, Washington. NAFV—Drs. Larry A. Davis, Madison, Mississippi, president and AVMA delegate; Barbara Porter Spalding, Raleigh, North Carolina, president-elect; Deanna Brown, Batesville, Arkansas, secretary-treasurer; Kenneth Angel, Jackson, Mississippi, immediate past president; and Marvin D. Meinders, Clifton, Virginia, executive vice president and AVMA alternate delegate
Contact: AAFSPHV—Dr. Katherine Waters, Executive Vice President, 1901 E. 13th. Ave. #8D, Denver, CO 80206; phone, 360-281-6088; water144@umn.edu; www.aafsphv.org. NAFV—Mariana C. Barros, Associate Executive Vice President, National Association of Federal Veterinarians, 1910 Sunderland Place NW, Washington DC 20036; phone, 202-223-4878; mbarros@nafv.org; www.nafv.org
Dr. Michele Pfannenstiel
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Lauren Prince
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Colette Friedenson
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Some AAFSPHV leaders: Drs. Van Brass (chair of outreach committee), Kristen Obbink, Katherine Waters, Kelly Vest, Thomas Doker, and Michele Pfannenstiel
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Larry A. Davis
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Deanna Brown
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
American Association of Industry Veterinarians
AAIV officials and some board members: Front row—Drs. Tony Rumschlag, Ellen Lowery, Michelle Larsen, Debra Nickelson, and Pamela Mitchell. Back row—Drs. Mia Cary, Bonnie Bragdon, Ralph Richardson, Dan Marsman, and Richard Hartigan
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American Association of Industry Veterinarians meeting, July 15, Denver
Program: The association participated in AVMA-sponsored career sessions, including a career transition workshop, the Meet the Experts roundtable, and a panel on careers. A networking reception was hosted.
Officials: Drs. Ellen Lowery, Wamego, Kansas, president; Debra Nickelson, Kansas City, Missouri, president-elect; Pamela Mitchell, Metaire, Louisiana, secretary; Richard Hartigan, Fredericksburg, Virginia, treasurer; and Mia Cary, Greensboro, North Carolina, immediate past president
Contact: Dr. Debra Nickelson, President-elect, American Association of Industry Veterinarians, 13800 NW 79th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64152; phone, 602-363-6382; djnickelson@gmail.com, www.aaivet.org
American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists
AAVP: Front row—Grace VanHoy (student representative), Dr. Ashley Steuer (student representative), Dr. John Gilleard, Mason Reichard, PhD, and Dr. Doug Carithers. Back row—Drs. Adriano Vatta and Dante S. Zarlenga
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Ray M. Kaplan
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Jitender P. Dubey
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Russell Avramenko, PhD
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Jeba R.J. Jesudoss Chelladurai
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists meeting, July 14–17, Denver
Awards: AAVP–Boehringer Ingelheim Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist Award: Dr. Ray M. Kaplan, Athens, Georgia, for outstanding contributions to the advancement of veterinary parasitology. Dr. Kaplan received his veterinary degree in 1988 from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and his doctorate in veterinary parasitology in 1995 from the University of Florida. He is a professor of veterinary parasitology in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, also directing the Athens Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists and European Veterinary Parasitology College, Dr. Kaplan is known for his expertise in anthelmintic resistance in equine, ruminant, camelid, and canine parasites. William C. Campbell One Health Award: Dr. Jitender P. Dubey, Greenbelt, Maryland. Dr. Dubey received his veterinary degree from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry in Mhow, India, and his doctorate in microbiology from the University of Sheffield in England. He is a microbiologist with the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Dr. Dubey is known for his work in the identification and transmission of the parasites Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Sarcosystis neurona. His research on parasitic diseases for more than 30 years at the ARS has led to improved detection and efforts to control their impact on livestock and humans. Dr. Dubey is an honorary member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. AAVP-Merck Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Russell Avramenko, PhD, University of Calgary, for developing a nemabiome assay for measuring nematode species diversity and sequence polymorphisms associated with anthelmintic resistance with high sensitivity, high accuracy, and high throughput efficacy. AAVP-Companion Animal Parasite Council Graduate Student Award in Zoonotic Disease: Dr. Jeba R.J. Jesudoss Chelladurai, Iowa State University, for research projects on diseases caused by zoonotic ascarids; molecular epidemiology studies of Ascaris in North America, revealing evidence of zoonotic transmission of the parasite; and characterizing P-glycoprotein genes capable of effluxing anthelmintics from Toxocara canis.
Officials: Dr. John Gilleard, Calgary, Alberta, president; Mason Reichard, PhD, Stillwater, Oklahoma, president-elect; Dr. Doug Carithers, Duluth, Georgia, vice president; Dr. Adriano Vatta, Richland, Michigan, secretary-treasurer; and Dr. Dante S. Zarlenga, Beltsville, Maryland, immediate past president
Contact: Dr. Adriano Vatta, Secretary-Treasurer, American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, 6291 N. 37th St., Richland, MI 49083; phone, 269-359-9572; adriano.vatta@zoetis.com, www.aavp.org
American College of Poultry Veterinarians
ACPV diplomates: Drs. Molly Parker, Meagan Slater, Eric Shepherd, Claire-Sophie Rimet, Callie McQuain, and Victoria Pratt (Not pictured is Dr. Laura Chen.)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American College of Poultry Veterinarians meeting, July 13–17, Denver
Business: It was announced that the 2019 ACPV workshop will be held a day prior to the Western Poultry Disease Conference and Mexican Association of Poultry Specialists' joint meeting in April 2019 in Mexico.
New diplomates: Seven new diplomates were welcomed into the ACPV. They are as follows:
Laura Chen, Raleigh, North Carolina Molly Parker, Clayton, North Carolina Meagan Slater, Athens, Georgia Eric Shepherd, Candor, North Carolina Claire-Sophie Rimet, Athens, Georgia Callie McQuain, Jacksonville, North Carolina Victoria Pratt, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Officials: Drs. David Hermes, Washington, Indiana, president; Andrea Zedek, Simpsonville, South Carolina, president-elect; Eric Gingerich, Zionsville, Indiana, immediate past president; and Suzanne Dougherty, Athens, Alabama, executive vice president
Contact: Janece Bevans-Kerr, Executive Director, American College of Poultry Veterinarians, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 202, Jacksonville, FL 32223; phone, 904-425-5735; support@acpv.info; www.acpv.info
American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Event: American College of Veterinary Behaviorists meeting, July 12, Denver
Awards: R.K. Anderson Award: Dr. Elizabeth Feltes, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, for outstanding research in the field of applied animal behavior. A 2006 veterinary graduate of The Ohio State University, Dr. Feltes owns The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls. She has developed and put into practice a program in prevention of dog bites for the Olmsted Falls school system, established a webinar for pet owners expecting a new baby, and advised local raptor centers and zoos on behavior care. Her research focuses on aggression between dogs in the same household. Whitney Joy Engler Memorial Veterinary Student Research Award: Amanda Hampton, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for exceptional research in the field of animal behavior. Hampton is a fourth-year veterinary student at Louisiana State University. Her veterinary interests lie in feline medicine with a special interest in behavioral and integrative medicine. Fear Free Research Award: Hampton and Ragen T.S. McGowan, PhD, St. Joseph, Missouri, for research related to the subject of reduction of fear, anxiety, and stress in canines and felines. Dr. McGowan earned her doctorate in applied ethology in 2007 from Washington State University. She is a research scientist in behavior and welfare at Nestle Purina. Dr. McGowan's research focuses on holistic approaches, incorporating behavior, physiology, and endocrinology, to quantify affective states and temperament in canines and felines.
Business: The college discussed reports from all standing and ad hoc committees.
Officials: Drs. Ellen Lindell, Bethel, Connecticut, president; Carlo Siracusa, Philadelphia, president-elect; E'Lise Christensen Bell, Castle Rock, Colorado, secretary; Lisa Radosta, West Palm Beach, Florida, treasurer; Valarie Tynes, Sweetwater, Texas, immediate past president; and members at large—Drs. Lore Haug, Sugarland, Texas, and Kelly Ballantyne, Chicago
Contact: Marisa Hackemann, Executive Director, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, 5003 SW 41st Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32608; phone, 352-505-4324; acvb@navc.com; www.dacvb.org
American Veterinary Epidemiology Society
Some honorary diploma awardees: Drs. Lorin D. Warnick, Willie M. Reed, Mary Leigh Morris Merrill, Robert M. Smith, and Candace A. Jacobs
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American Veterinary Epidemiology Society meeting, July 16, Denver
Awards: Karl F. Meyer–James H. Steele Gold Headed Cane Award, sponsored by Hartz Mountain Corp.: Drs. Myron G. Schultz, awarded posthumously and accepted by his wife, Selma Schultz; Bernadette M. Dunham, Washington, D.C.; and Hugh M. Mainzer, Atlanta. Dr. Schultz received his veterinary degree in 1958 from Cornell University and an MD in the early 1960s from Albany Medical College. He founded and served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's parasitic diseases unit, which grew into the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Dr. Schultz also established the drug service for parasitic diseases, enabling access to drugs for tropical and parasitic diseases. In the early 1980s, his detection of a cluster of pneumonia cases helped public health officials identify the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Dunham received her veterinary degree in 1975 from Ontario Veterinary College and earned her doctorate in cardiovascular physiology in 1984 from Boston University. She is a professorial lecturer at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, where her work focuses on one-health issues. Earlier in her career, Dr. Dunham served as assistant director of the AVMA Government Relations Division and was director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine. A 1990 veterinary graduate of Tufts University, Dr. Mainzer is a preventive medicine officer and veterinary epidemiologist with the CDC Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. He also serves as a team leader and supervisor for the CDC Career Epidemiology Field Officer Program. Earlier in his career, Dr. Mainzer was the chief professional officer for the veterinary category of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. Honorary diplomas, sponsored by Hartz Mountain Corp., were given to Drs. Georgette Wilson, New York; Candace A. Jacobs, Olympia, Washington; Lorin D. Warnick, Ithaca, New York; Mary Leigh Morris Merrill, Gainesville, Florida; Willie M. Reed, Lafayette, Indiana; Robert Smith, Manassas, Virginia; Juan Lubroth, Rome; Peter J. Timoney, Lexington, Kentucky; and Sarah Keller White, Gainesville, Florida
Dr. Myron G. Schultz
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Selma Schultz
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Bernadette M. Dunham
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Business: The late Dr. Saul Wilson (see obituary, April 1, 2018, JAVMA, page 794), past board member of the AVES, was memorialized at the meeting. The board of directors will be unveiling a Young Professional Award Program in the near future. It was announced that the James H. Steele biography, “Animal Health, Human Health, One Health: The Life and Legacy of Dr. James H. Steele,” is available on www.amazon.com and at other booksellers. All proceeds will go to the society to help implement and sustain future programs.
Officials: Drs. Craig N. Carter, Lexington, Kentucky, president and executive director; and board members—Dr. Lonnie King, Columbus, Ohio; Dr. George W. Beran, Ames, Iowa; Dr. Bruce Kaplan, Sarasota, Florida; Dr. William Stokes, Apex, North Carolina; Dr. Ron DeHaven, El Dorado Hills, California; and Keith Goldman, Secaucus, New Jersey
Contact: Dr. Craig N. Carter, President and Executive Director, American Veterinary Epidemiology Society, 3135 Newman Road, Lexington, KY 40515; phone, 859-321-4890; craig.carter@uky.edu; www.avesociety.org
American Veterinary Medical History Society
Dr. Hugh M. Mainzer
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Jessica R. Zeiger
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Marta Zlotnick
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Ashley Russo
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Janna M. Draper
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Adam Mattick
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Russell W. Currier
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Jerry M. Owens
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: American Veterinary Medical History Society meeting, July 14, Denver
Program: The president of the AVMHS, Dr. Russell W. Currier, presided over the meeting. Dr. Currier spoke on the contributions made to one health by Sir William Osler, MD, one of the founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Dr. Karl F. Meyer, a veterinarian and scientist known for his research on zoonotic diseases. Dr. Currier also spoke on contributions made by Richard E. Shope, MD, a physician and researcher in the field of virology who discovered the cause of swine influenza. An open forum was held, discussing the waxing and waning of the prominence of the one-health concept over the past two centuries. The AVMA poster display area included posters contributed by AVMHS members—Drs. Howard H. Erickson, Manhattan, Kansas, and Shannon Greeley, Burbank, Illinois. Dr. Erickson's poster was titled “Pioneer Veterinarians of Colorado and the West,” and Dr. Greeley's poster was titled “The Early History of Veterinary Medicine in Illinois.” The AVMHS booth featured several posters on the society's annual essay contest.
Awards: J. Fred Smithcors Student Veterinary History Essay Contest, sponsored by the Donaldson Charitable Trust: First place ($1,200)—Dr. Jessica R. Zeiger (Purdue ‘18), for “Perceptions of Conception: The History of Artificial Insemination”; second place ($1,000)—Marta Zlotnick (Virginia-Maryland ‘19), for “The Child's Vet: Veterinarians in Children's Media in 20th Century America”; third place ($800)—Ashley Russo (Kansas State ‘21) for “Who Let the Dogs Out of Orbit?: A Brief History of the First Dog in Space”; fourth place ($500)—Janna M. Draper (Purdue ‘19), for “History of Ebola and the Role of Veterinarians”; and honorable mention—Adam Mattick (Kansas State ‘21), for “The Final Charge: The History of Horses in World War II.”
Business: Similar to previous years, members had been sent a postcard outlining the program in Denver. This year's postcard featured a post–Civil War photo of Dr. George Henry Glover, a past president of the AVMA, who served as the first dean of the veterinary science program at Colorado State University. Reports on ongoing AVMHS activities were presented, including the society's Registry of Heritage Veterinary Practices, which honors veterinary hospitals and clinics nationwide that are more than 50 years old. Dr. Susan E. Aiello, editor of the society's Time-Bites, a series of historical mini-stories, reported that links to the stories are regularly published in the Veterinary Information Network's online newsletters. It was noted that Dr. Boris Brglez, Frederick, Maryland, has replaced Dr. Fred Born, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, as chair of the society's Oral History Committee. A new AVMHS website was launched with the assistance of Dr. Kevan P. Flaming, Ames, Iowa, in December 2017, with an enhanced appearance, functionality, and content. It was announced that Dr. Jessica R. Zeiger, Niles, Michigan, will take over as chair of the J. Fred Smithcors Essay Contest Committee beginning this year.
Officials: Dr. Russell W. Currier, Des Moines, Iowa, president; Dr. Jerry M. Owens, Glen Ellen, California, program chair and president-elect; Susanne K. Whitaker, Ithaca, New York, secretary-treasurer; David J. Williams, West Lafayette, Indiana, immediate past president; and members at large—C. Trenton Boyd, Columbia, Missouri; Dr. Margaret N. Carter, Terrell Hills, Texas; Dr. Lisa Cox, Guelph, Ontario; Dr. Candace A. Jacobs, Olympia, Washington; and Dr. Janver D. Krehbiel, Okemos, Michigan
Contact: Susanne K. Whitaker, Secretary-Treasurer, American Veterinary Medical History Society, 23 Wedgewood Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850; phone, 607-257-9248; skw2@cornell.edu; www.avmhs.org
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Dr. Calvin M. Johnson
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, July 14, Denver
Program: Dr. Sheila Allen, AAVMC senior accreditation adviser, presented an update on AVMA Council on Education activities, including the most recent changes in accreditation standards. She noted that the Department of Education's scheduled five-year review of the AVMA COE was being postponed until spring 2019 with public comment scheduled for fall 2019. The AAVMC will send a request for input from deans in fall 2018. Dr. Calvin Johnson, AAVMC president, discussed the importance of advocating for the benefits of professional licensing in the profession of veterinary medicine, citing incidents of some consumer activist groups attacking state-mandated licensing requirements in various professions, claiming over-regulation and restriction of competition in the marketplace. Dr. Johnson noted that professional licensing exists to protect public well-being and is particularly important in the health professions, where it ensures high standards of competence and clinical practice. The AAVMC plans to develop a position statement in support of licensing in veterinary medicine. Dr. Marji Gilmour, associate dean for academic affairs at the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences and AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties liaison to academic veterinary medicine, provided an update on ABVS activities, including the issue of veterinary specialties charging registration fees for residency programs. Kevin Cain, AAVMC governmental affairs director, discussed major provisions of the pending 2018 Farm Bill relevant to veterinary medicine and its present status within the 115th Congress. A 47-member conference committee has recently been established to reconcile House and Senate versions of the bill. Dr. Linda Lord of Merck Animal Health gave an overview of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study, which analyzed the current state of mental health and wellness in the profession. Drs. Kent McClure, AVMA chief of government relations, and Gail Golab, AVMA chief veterinary officer, provided a status update on telehealth in veterinary medicine, and Dr. Stacy Pritt, 2016–18 AVMA vice president, discussed her activities. Introduced this year was a “Hot Topics and Discussion Period” session, providing deans with the opportunity to raise issues and comment on a variety of matters pertaining to academic veterinary medicine.
Officials: Dr. Calvin Johnson, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, president; Dr. Michael Lairmore, University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, president-elect; Dr. Paul Lunn, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, secretary; Dr. Mark D. Markel, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, treasurer; and Dr. Phillip Nelson, Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, immediate past president
Contact: Jeanne Johnson, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, 655 K Street NW, Suite 725, Washington, DC 20001; phone, 202-371-9195, ext. 144; jjohnson@aavmc.org; www.aavmc.org
Pride Veterinary Medical Community
Dr. Mia Cary
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Ken Gorczyca
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dr. Melinda Merck
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: Pride Veterinary Medical Community meeting, July 13, Denver
Program: The Pride VMC, in partnership with the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative, hosted the presentation “Revealing Hidden Biases: How It Can Impact our Ability to Provide Successful Veterinary Care.” The community also hosted the presentation “Creating Inclusive Classrooms and Clinic Setting for Transgender and Gender Expressive Students, Colleagues and Clients,” the Pride VMC town hall “Be Your Authentic Self,” and the presentation “Health and Well-Being Among LGBTQ Veterinary Professionals: What It Is and Why It Is Different.” A coming-out party and networking reception were held. The community participated in the Live Life, Love All music event at the Hard Rock Cafe during the convention.
Awards: Pride VMC Leadership Award: Dr. Mia Cary, Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Cary was the inaugural recipient of this award, given to an individual who has been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and has sought to fulfill the organization's mission of “a veterinary profession in which everyone can live to their full potential, have the ability to conduct their lives openly and with integrity, and are free to share their experience and wisdom for the betterment of themselves, the profession, their clients and all animals.” A 1999 veterinary graduate of the University of Florida, Dr. Cary is AVMA chief of professional services and strategic alliances. Earlier, she worked for the North American Veterinary Community, serving during her time there as chief collaboration officer, chief innovation officer, executive director of the Veterinary Innovation Council, and vice president of industry relations. Dr. Cary is immediate past president of the American Association of Industry Veterinarians and serves on the board of directors of Pet Peace of Mind, an organization that helps hospice and palliative care patients keep their pets. Pride VMC Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Ken Gorczyca, San Francisco. A 1983 veterinary graduate of the University of California-Davis, Dr. Gorczyca co-founded and served as veterinarian for Pets are Wonderful Support, a nonprofit organization for pet owners with HIV, also serving as editor for the PAWS Safe Pet Guidelines. He is a founding member and a past executive director of the Pride VMC.
Business: The former Lesbian and Gay VMA rebranded itself as the Pride VMC in 2018. The change was based on discussions held at a strategic planning session during AVMA Convention 2017 in Indianapolis and information gleaned from an LGVMA membership survey in 2017. Recognizing that its former name was not inclusive, the LGVMA board voted to choose a name that represents the entire spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning people. In addition, the organization is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Officials: Dr. Melinda Merck, Austin, Texas, president; Dr. Dane Whitaker, San Francisco, president-elect; Dr. Abby McElroy, Lansing, Michigan, secretary; Kara Burns, Wamego, Kansas, treasurer; Dr. Sandy Hazanow, San Francisco, immediate past president; Morgan Miller, Fort Collins, Colorado, student liaison and board member; and board members—Drs. Mike Dibler, Orlando, Florida; Jay Gladden, Madison, Wisconsin; and Ellen Lowery, Wamego, Kansas
Contact: Dr. Abby McElroy, Secretary, Pride VMC, 584 Castro St. #492, San Francisco, CA 94114; phone, 304-546-0866; info@pridevmc.org; www.pridevmc.org
Veterinary Medical Association Executives
Chris Copeland
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Candace Joy
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Dan Tjornehoj
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Megan Kilgore
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Event: Veterinary Medical Association Executives meeting, July 13, Denver
Awards: Executive of the Year: Chris Copeland, for exemplifying the best in association management and continually bringing credit to the profession and the association community. Copeland is executive director and chief administrative officer for the Texas VMA. Under his leadership, the association has seen an increase in membership and substantial financial growth. Copeland has initiated several programs and enhanced membership services. He has served on the board of directors of the American Veterinary Medical Law Association and Texas Society of Association Executives.
Distinguished Service Award: Candace Joy, Snoqualmie, Washington, for exceptional service to the VMAE, demonstrating initiative, integrity, and commitment in serving the veterinary profession and association colleagues. Executive director of the Washington State VMA, Joy is immediate past president of the VMAE. She has served on and chaired several of the association's committees and task forces. Best in Business Award: Arizona VMA. The AzVMA was recognized for its Pet Resource Directory, which demonstrates originality in content, creativity, and usefulness. The directory, designed for members to distribute to their clients, provides information on responsible pet ownership and regular veterinary care, in addition to contact information for emergency animal clinics and hospitals, boarding facilities, and mobile veterinary services. It also addresses dangers in the desert, methods to prevent dog bites in children, and holiday and summer tips for pets.
Officials: Dan Tjornehoj, South St. Paul, Minnesota, president; Megan Kilgore, Topeka, Kansas, president-elect; Jost am Rhyn, Ottawa, Ontario, secretary; Phil Hinkle, Orlando, Florida, treasurer; and Deloris Green Gaines, Fayetteville, Tennessee, immediate past president
Contact: Dan Tjornehoj, President, Veterinary Medical Association Executives, 101 Bridgepoint Drive #100, South St. Paul, MN 55075; phone, 651-645-7533; dant@mvma.org; www.vmae.org
New selection committee seeks volunteers
The AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities is seeking members to fill the new CVTEA Selection Committee.
The AVMA Board of Directors established the new committee this past November in an effort to follow best accreditation practices recently established by the AVMA Council on Education, meaning the Board no longer selects most of the members of the CVTEA, the entity responsible for accreditation of veterinary technology programs in the United States.
Now, under the newly formed committee, the appointment of CVTEA members is a shared process between the five-member CVTEA Selection Committee, appointing 16 CVTEA members; the CVTEA, appointing two CVTEA public members; the COE, appointing one member from the COE; and the Canadian VMA, appointing one CVTEA member.
Applications are now being accepted for the CVTEA Selection Committee. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 15. The Board will appoint members at its November meeting.
The committee is looking for candidates with a demonstrated interest in the scope and future of veterinary medicine and the practice of veterinary technology, a basic understanding of the role of accreditation in education, and a willingness to be objective, among other qualifications.
Approximately seven to 10 working days per year are required to devote to committee activities, including at least one annual meeting. Terms are for three years, once renewable, and are staggered in rotation. Volunteers are expected to be responsive to inquiries throughout their term as they arise.
Committee members who are veterinarians must be AVMA members. Committee members who are veterinary technicians must be graduates of a CVTEA-accredited veterinary technology program and be currently licensed, registered, or certified.
For more information, visit https://jav.ma/AVMAvolunteers or email jhorvath@avma.org.
Veterinary technicians add specialty in diagnostic imaging
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America announced the 16th specialty academy for veterinary technicians, the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging.
The AVTDI comprises veterinary technicians dedicated to performing a higher level of modalities in veterinary diagnostic imaging such as digital radiography, fluoroscopic special procedures, CT, MRI, ultrasonography, and nuclear imaging. The academy's website is at www.avtdi.org.
The organizing committee for the AVTDI worked diligently to meet the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties standards for NAVTA specialty recognition, said Ed Carlson, interim chair of the CVTS, in an Aug. 7 NAVTA announcement about the new specialty. He said, “NAVTA is thrilled that veterinary technicians with a strong passion for diagnostic imaging now have a veterinary technician specialty to pursue.”
The AVDTI joins the existing 15 NAVTA-recognized veterinary technician specialties: dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, equine nursing, zoological medicine, surgery, behavior, clinical practice, nutrition, clinical pathology, dermatology, ophthalmology, laboratory animal medicine, and physical rehabilitation.
The NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties was formed in 1994. The committee provides guidelines to veterinary technician organizations to facilitate the formation of specialties and assists the existing academies. Academies develop pathways and advanced standards that candidates must complete and maintain in order to be awarded the designation of veterinary technician specialist in a specific discipline.
Amy Cardwell, president of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging, works with a patient.
USDA requires audits for indemnity for highly pathogenic avian influenza
Federal agriculture agents will reimburse chicken and turkey farmers after outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. But those poultry owners and contract growers need to meet disease-control standards, backed by audits.
Authorities with the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Aug. 14 that new rules would clarify when the agency would make indemnity payments, how they will be split among contract growers and the companies that own the birds and eggs, and what poultry industry members need to do ahead of an outbreak, starting in September 2018. The agency's rules require audits at least once every two years by state agriculture representatives or others designated by APHIS, and states can require those audits more often.
The rules published in August are similar to interim rules adopted in February 2016, one of the agency's responses to an outbreak that killed 50 million chickens and turkeys in 2014 and 2015. The interim requirements made owners and contract growers sign statements that, when HPAI was found in their barns, they had been following a plan to prevent such infections.
In the August 2018 Federal Register notice, APHIS officials acknowledged self-certification raises concerns, so they developed an auditing process.
The rules apply to about 19,000 farms that house at least 75,000 egg-laying birds or where workers raise at least 100,000 broilers or 30,000 turkeys in one year. The largest farms were those most affected during the 2014–15 HPAI outbreak, the APHIS notice states.
“Exempting the smaller facilities, therefore, allows us to focus our resources on the operations that raise or house 99 percent of the nation's poultry supply,” it states.
The birds killed by disease or depopulation during the 2014–15 outbreak accounted for 12 percent of the nation's egg-laying chickens and 8 percent of turkeys. Those losses cost about $1.5 billion, and the USDA spent another $850 million on indemnity payments, depopulation, cleaning, disinfection, and testing for the virus.
Carfentanil linked to 1,200 human deaths
In 10 states, more than 1,200 people died in one year from overdoses connected with an opioid used to sedate large animals.
In a July 2018 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote that carfentanil was connected with 11 percent of the 11,000 opioid-related deaths reported from July 2016 through June 2017 in Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Carfentanil is the most powerful fentanyl analog, and it is used to anesthetize wild animals from deer to elephants.
The 10 states included in the report were participating in a CDC opioid reporting system at the time, and another 32 states plus the District of Columbia began participating in August 2017 or planned to participate starting in August 2018.
The MMWR article published in July indicates other states have had at least hundreds of carfentanil-related deaths. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission, for example, published a separate report that Florida had 500 carfentanil-related deaths in 2016.
Provisional data also published by the CDC indicate that, throughout the U.S., about 48,000 people died of opioid-related overdoses from July 2016 through June 2017, more than four times the total reported from the 10 states. While those data show that more than half of those deaths were connected with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, they do not show how many were related to carfentanil.
The MMWR authors noted that their agency has warned that fentanyl and related substances are becoming easier to find, pressed into counterfeit pills sold across the U.S.
“Growing outbreaks associated with fentanyl analogs are occurring at a time when sharp increases in fentanyl overdose deaths are already straining the capacity of medical examiner and coroner offices and public health departments,” the article states.
Reports required after veterinary biologics problems
Makers of vaccines and other veterinary biologics now need to send health authorities reports on adverse events.
Before this June, the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service required those manufacturers to collect reports on adverse events but let them decide whether those incidents were signs of broader problems and worthy of reports to the agency. The change aligns U.S. regulations with standards from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and it should improve safety, efficacy, and access to export markets, according to Federal Register notices.
Reportable adverse events include failures of products to protect animals, harmful side effects, and, with products that help identify disease, incorrect results.
A May 2018 notice states that the previous reporting system worked well but would be improved by letting APHIS track product performance. Without reporting requirements, APHIS officials may not know about problems in biologics or may not know about them soon after they occur.
The agency now requires reports within three business days when biologics products are linked to serious and unexpected adverse events or anytime a biologics maker sees signs of quality problems in their products. Other adverse event reports need to be filed within 90 days.
“We are taking this action in order to limit the harm to animals due to adverse events related to a product's purity, safety, potency, efficacy, preparation, testing, or distribution,” the notice states. “Current regulations may hinder APHIS from taking expeditious action in cases where veterinary biologics are unsatisfactory.”
APHIS officials had not given the public access to previous reports of adverse events. But, with required reporting, they plan to post summaries on the agency's website, www.aphis.usda.gov.
“APHIS is working to determine the specifics on how often those reports are published and what explanatory information is included,” the notice states.
Student researchers show value of medical studies
By Greg Cima
Shaina Brown, a veterinary student at Colorado State University, presents research findings to Dr. Susan VandeWoude, who is associate dean for research and graduate education at CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. (Photos courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
Hundreds of veterinary students presented research results and heard how they are contributing to global health.
About 550 veterinary student investigators were among the 660 attendees at this year's National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, held Aug. 2–4 at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. The event is a showcase for research by veterinary students who finished research internships this summer.
Dr. Roger Smith, a coordinator of this year's symposium and a professor of veterinary pathobiology at Texas A&M, said the event lets students not only show what they have accomplished but also see what others have done and meet peers, faculty members, and representatives of the institutions that are accepting applications for residencies and graduate programs. It also is a wonderful opportunity, he said, to learn more about the state of research in veterinary medicine and comparative biomedicine.
Texas A&M has sent students to the symposium for about 15 years. Dr. Smith said he and others with Texas A&M saw an opportunity to extend hospitality to attendees this year, with a bonus of showing guests the veterinary college's facilities that opened two years earlier.
Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, CEO of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, said this year's attendees included students from Canada, France, and, for the first time, Germany. All of the students he met described how much they enjoyed their research experience and said they would at least consider careers in biomedical research.
“We certainly don't expect all of these students to pursue careers in research,” he said. “But every single one of them has a better understanding of the biomedical research enterprise and how it serves as the foundation for a science-based profession and evidence-based medicine.”
The research program helps students understand the research process, from getting grants through sharing results at a scientific meeting, Dr. Maccabe said. And each year's scholars symposium shows the roles of clinician researchers in ensuring clinical practices are based on evidence.
Dr. Smith said three plenary addresses he attended illustrated this year's themes on the roles of veterinary medical scientists in global health and the translation of research into action: Dr. Corrie C. Brown's session on veterinarians' contributions to global food security, Dr. Wondwossen A. Gebreyes' session on the roles of veterinary medicine in addressing global capacity in health services, and Dr. Guy H. Palmer's session on veterinary medicine's influence on sustainable development. Dr. Brown is an author on transboundary disease and diagnostics and a professor at the University of Georgia, Dr. Gebreyes is a professor and executive director of the Global One Health initiative at The Ohio State University, and Dr. Palmer is a professor and senior director of global health at Washington State University.
Asked about memorable presentations, Dr. Maccabe also noted the lecture by Dr. Palmer, who described how veterinary medicine can contribute to global food security, reduce poverty, improve child and maternal health, and empower women and girls. He also described a session by Dr. Brian Gilger, an ophthalmology professor at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine who said all of his research is intended to improve the quality of care for his patients—illustrating that veterinarians can practice medicine and work to improve it. He also was one of the recipients of this year's AVMA Excellence in Research Awards (see below).
Dr. Guy H. Palmer
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 253, 7; 10.2460/javma.253.7.816
The symposium's supporters include the National Institutes of Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, the AAVMC, the AVMA, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and, this year, local institutions including Texas A&M University and the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.
AVMA presents Excellence in Research Awards
Four veterinarians received the AVMA Excellence in Research Awards during the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, Aug. 2–4 at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Following are some key achievements of the award recipients.
AVMA Career Achievement Award in Canine Research
This award honors an AVMA member's long-term contribution to the field of canine research.
Dr. Jörg M. Steiner
A 1992 veterinary graduate of Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, Dr. Steiner is director of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory and a professor of small animal gastroenterology and nutrition at the Texas A&M veterinary college. He earned a doctorate from Ludwig Maximilians University for research on feline trypsin and feline trypsin–like immunoreactivity and a doctorate from Texas A&M for work involving canine digestive lipases. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association.
Dr. Steiner is involved in research in small animal and comparative gastroenterology. He has authored or co-authored more than 260 peer-reviewed articles, 90 book chapters, and 410 research abstracts. He has served professional organizations in various roles and currently is president of ACVIM Small Animal Internal Medicine.
AVMA Clinical Research Award
This award recognizes an AVMA member's achievements in patient-oriented research.
Dr. Brian Gilger
Dr. Gilger (Ohio State ‘87) is a professor of ophthalmology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He was an assistant professor of ophthalmology from 1992–95 at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and American Board of Toxicology. He has been president of the ACVO, president of the International Equine Ophthalmology Consortium, and chair of the Animals in Research Committee for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. He is a fellow of the ARVO.
Dr. Gilger's research has focused on innovative delivery of ocular drugs, immune-mediated ocular diseases, and wound healing. He has much interest in studying and developing new treatments for common clinical diseases of horses' eyes. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and more than 30 book chapters. He is the editor of five textbooks, including three editions of “Equine Ophthalmology.”
AVMF/Winn Feline Foundation Research Award
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation and Winn Feline Foundation established this award to honor a recipient's contribution to advancing feline health through research.
Dr. Philip R. Fox
Dr. Fox (Ohio State ‘78) is head of cardiology, director of the Caspary Research Institute, and director of educational outreach at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. He is certified in cardiology by the American and European colleges of veterinary internal medicine and the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Companion Animals, and he also is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. He is a past president of ACVIM Cardiology.
Dr. Fox's research interests include congestive heart failure, feline and canine cardiomyopathies, evidence-based medicine, and cardiovascular pathology. He conducted research to identify health risks in police dogs involved in the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has published extensively, including two cardiology textbooks, and is a founding editor of the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. He lectures at veterinary conferences on topics related to coughing, heart and lung diseases, new diagnostic methods, and effective therapies.
AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award
This award recognizes a veterinarian for lifetime achievements in basic, applied, or clinical research.
Dr. Barry T. Rouse
A 1965 veterinary graduate of the University of Bristol in England, Dr. Rouse is a professor in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where he has been on the faculty since 1977. He earned a doctoral degree in immunology at the University of Guelph and a Doctor of Science degree at the University of Bristol.
Dr. Rouse is widely recognized for his research in viral immunology and immunopathology, working mainly with herpes simplex virus in mice with a view to devising successful vaccines and, more particularly, to determine how HSV causes tissue damage in critical tissues such as the eye and nervous system. He has been extensively involved in reviewing National Institutes of Health grants, has served as co-organizer of several conferences, and is a member of numerous editorial boards and a reviewer for many journals. He has published more than 400 papers.
Grooms named dean of Iowa State veterinary college
Dr. Dan Grooms, professor and chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been appointed the next Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He begins Oct. 1.
“Dr. Grooms is an accomplished scientist, teacher and leader who will build on the college's reputation for excellence and the great achievements of our students, faculty and staff,” said President Wendy Wintersteen in an Aug. 1 ISU press release. “I am confident he will also work effectively with veterinarians across the state, livestock and poultry producers and others who share our passion for animal and human health.”
Dr. Grooms, an expert in bovine infectious diseases, earned two degrees from The Ohio State University—his veterinary degree in 1989 and a doctorate in veterinary preventive medicine in 1997. He joined Michigan State in 1997 and was promoted to department chair of large animal clinical sciences in 2014.
Dr. Grooms holds board certification from the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists in veterinary virology, is a former president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and has served on the U.S. secretary of agriculture's Committee on Animal Health.
Greg Lear, chair of the Iowa Livestock Health Advisory Council, said in a release: “Dr. Grooms is the right person to continue the college's great tradition of serving the education and research needs of students, as well as Iowa's producers. He has great perspective as a ‘farm kid’ who grew up with 4-H and FFA, has work experience in a mixed animal practice, and a history of working with practicing veterinarians through extension programs.
“Food animal production contributes $35 billion to Iowa's economy each year. Dan understands that the job of dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine is to educate not just our students, but also practicing veterinarians and the general public to benefit the entire state.”
ISU to host drug resistance institute
Iowa State University will be home to a national institute on reducing the risk from antimicrobial resistance.
ISU and the University of Nebraska will together spend about $1.6 million in the next three years to support the Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education. Dr. Paul J. Plummer, executive director of the institute and an associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at ISU, said the institute will be a stand-alone entity, intended to help researchers secure grants, find studies related to their own, and collaborate.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges selected ISU among nine hosting bids. In 2015, a task force from those organizations published a report that described the need for research on antimicrobial resistance and called for creation of such an institute.
Dr. Plummer said building a national research network will involve building on ISU's regional network, the Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium. University information states that more than 60 investigators are part of the consortium's team combating the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
The institute likely will have at least two full-time employees and contributions from part-time employees, Dr. Plummer said. Forming the national network will involve attending and hosting meetings and reaching out to the other eight organizations that bid on hosting the institute.
And, he said, the institute will work with researchers and stakeholders in human, animal, and environmental fields.
An announcement from the APLU states that the institute will use a one-health approach in a comprehensive effort to combat the problem of antimicrobial resistance. In addition to ISU and the University of Nebraska, partners include the University of Iowa, Mayo Clinic, and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The institute will seek funding from federal, state, international, and nonprofit organizations, APLU information states.
Obituaries AVMA member AVMA honor roll member Nonmember
Gary J. Bennett
Dr. Bennett (Perugia ‘80), 66, Potsdam, New York, died May 18, 2018. Following graduation from the University of Perugia in Italy, he practiced large animal medicine in Madrid, New York, for two years. Dr. Bennett then joined the veterinary faculty at Cornell University, where he served as a field veterinarian for 30 years. During that time, he also worked as a relief veterinarian in the area. Dr. Bennett most recently practiced small animal medicine part time at Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in Potsdam. He was a member of the Potsdam Humane Society and State University of New York-Canton Veterinary Technology Advisory Board, and was a past regional representative of the New York State VMS. Dr. Bennett's wife, Patty; a son and two daughters; and two grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the Potsdam Humane Society, 17 Madrid Ave., Potsdam, NY 13676; Potsdam Booster Club, 29 Leroy St., Potsdam, NY 13676; or North Country Public Radio, 80 East Main St., Canton, NY 13617.
Joel R. Bigger
Dr. Bigger (Pennsylvania ‘79), 67, Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, died Feb. 5, 2018. Following graduation, he joined Avalon Veterinary Hospital in Avalon, Pennsylvania, where he practiced small animal medicine for 35 years until retirement in 2014. Dr. Bigger was a member of the Pennsylvania VMA and a past secretary-treasurer of the Western Pennsylvania VMA. His wife, Peggi; two sons; two grandchildren; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Spencer and Friend Animal Rescue Inc., 515 California Ave., Avalon, PA 15202, or Kinetic Theatre, P.O. Box 9246, Pittsburgh, PA 15224.
Robert M. Claflin
Dr. Claflin (Michigan State ‘52), 96, Indianapolis, died April 27, 2018. He was a professor and an associate dean emeritus at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, Dr. Claflin joined Purdue's faculty and shortly thereafter was named head of what was then the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Pathology, and Public Health. He subsequently helped establish the university's veterinary college in 1959. During his tenure, Dr. Claflin served as a professor of veterinary pathology and associate dean of academic affairs, retiring in 1988. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. Dr. Claflin's two daughters, a son, six grandchildren, and a brother survive him. Memorials toward the Ludington Rotary Club's STRIVE mentoring and scholarship program may be sent to P.O. Box 149, Ludington, MI 49431.
Allen W. Hahn
Dr. Hahn (Missouri ‘58), 84, Columbia, Missouri, died March 20, 2018. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he was professor emeritus at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, Dr. Hahn served as a research assistant at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He subsequently worked as an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, while pursuing and earning his master's (1964), and, later, his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Drexel University. In 1969, Dr. Hahn joined the veterinary faculty of the University of Missouri, retiring in 2000. During his tenure, he taught veterinary informatics and conducted research at the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. In 1993, Dr. Hahn received the University of Missouri Faculty Alumni Award, and, in 2001, he was the recipient of the Mizzou Alumni Association's Henry S. Geyer Award for public service to higher education. He served on the former AVMA Committee on Veterinary Medical Informatics, and was a past president of the American Academy of Veterinary Informatics and the Veterinary Medical Database. Dr. Hahn's wife, Joan; two sons and a daughter; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild survive him. Memorials, toward cardiology research, may be made to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia, MO 65211; American Cancer Society, 1900 N. Providence Road, Suite 105, Columbia, MO 65202; or Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, 2101 Vandiver Drive, Columbia, MO 65202.
Robert D. Marquis III
Dr. Marquis (Missouri ‘78), 67, Glade Park, Colorado, died May 11, 2018. In 1983, he established Tiara Rado Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice, in Grand Junction, Colorado. Earlier in his career, Dr. Marquis worked in New York, Vermont, Missouri, and Kansas. He volunteered with the Mesa County Search and Rescue Team. Dr. Marquis is survived by his wife, Burdette; a son and a stepdaughter; three grandchildren; and a brother and a sister. Memorials toward The Marquis Miracle Fund, helping pet owners with limited means to afford medical care for their pets, may be made to Tiara Rado Animal Hospital, 2245 3/4 Broadway, Grand Junction, CO 81507.
Earl H. McCauley
Dr. McCauley (Minnesota ‘66), 84, Bozeman, Montana, died June 11, 2018. He began his career practicing mixed animal medicine in Petaluma, California. In 1971, Dr. McCauley joined the large animal faculty at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. During his tenure, he established and administered an externship program for fourth-year students in field training, and he identified and conducted research on dietary iodide toxicity in cattle. Dr. McCauley later moved to Big Timber, Montana, where he owned and operated a beef cattle ranch, remaining on the adjunct faculty of the University of Minnesota veterinary college. He consulted for the World Bank, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Agriculture, and Food and Agriculture Organization. Dr. McCauley was a veteran of the Air Force.
His wife, Sue; a son and a daughter; four grandchildren; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 123 Williams St., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10038, or Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 2118 S. 3rd Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715.
John S.J. Morehead
Dr. Morehead (Louisiana State ‘97), 46, Brooklyn, New York, died Feb. 11, 2018. He practiced small animal medicine at Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital in Brooklyn. Dr. Morehead's wife, Shawn; two daughters; his parents; and two brothers survive him. One brother, Dr. Samuel Morehead (Louisiana State ‘02), is a small animal veterinarian in Leander, Texas.
Gary L. Page
Dr. Page (Ohio State ‘72), 71, Colchester, Vermont, died May 14, 2018. He was the founder of Malletts Bay Veterinary Hospital in Colchester, where he practiced small animal medicine prior to retirement in 2011, when his son Dr. Dustin J. Page (Tennessee ‘11) took over the practice. Dr. Gary Page was a life member of the Vermont VMA. He is survived by his wife, Susan; his son and a daughter; four grandchildren; and a brother and a sister. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, VT 05403.
Edward C. Schroeder
Dr. Schroeder (Michigan State ‘57), 85, Tallahassee, Florida, died April 13, 2018. A diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, he served on the faculty of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from 1979 until retirement in 1997. During his tenure, Dr. Schroeder held multiple associate professorships and directed the university's Office of Laboratory Animal Care. Earlier in his career, he owned mixed animal practices in Michigan at Brown City and Southfield, and he served as director of laboratory animals at Florida State University. Dr. Schroeder was a past director of the Michigan VMA. He is survived by his wife, Carol; two daughters and a son; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308, www.bigbendhospice.org, or Grace Lutheran Church, 2919 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308.
Janet D. Veit
Dr. Veit (Minnesota ‘96), 48, La Crescent, Minnesota, died May 20, 2018. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at Hillside Animal Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dr. Veit was a member of the American Animal Hospital Association and Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Coulee Region VMAs. She taught classes in pet first aid for the American Red Cross and 4-H clubs, and she was active with the American Pointer Club and Vizsla Club of America. Dr. Veit is survived by two sisters and four brothers. Memorials toward the Dr. Janet Veit Scholarship Fund at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine may be made c/o Hillside Animal Hospital, W5706 State Highway 33 Trunk, La Crosse, WI 54601.
Theodore J. Vogelweid
Dr. Vogelweid (Missouri ‘51), 99, Moberly, Missouri, died May 26, 2018. He owned a mixed animal practice in Moberly for almost 60 years prior to retirement in 2011. Dr. Vogelweid also served as veterinarian for the Moberly Health Department. He was a past president of the Missouri VMA, served on the Missouri Veterinary Medical Board, and was a member of the Northeast Missouri VMA. Dr. Vogelweid was also a past president of the Randolph County Health Council. He served in the Army from 1941–45, during World War II, and was awarded two Bronze Service Stars, a Good Conduct Ribbon, and a Purple Heart.
Dr. Vogelweid's two sons, a daughter, a grandchild, a great-grandchild, and a brother survive him. His daughter-in-law, Dr. Catherine Vogelweid (Missouri ‘80), is a member of the veterinary faculty at the University of Missouri. Memorials may be made to Disabled American Veterans, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076; Central Missouri Honor Flight (providing transportation for American veterans to memorials in Washington, D.C.), 1400 Forum Blvd. Suite 7A, Box 334, Columbia, MO 65203; or University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, S235 School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211.
