“In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?”
“Seasons of Love”
Performed by 2005 Motion Picture Cast of Rent and Adam Pascal
Written by Jonathan D. Larson
©Universal Music Corp and Finster & Lucy Music, Ltd. Co.
As my term as AVMA president comes to a close, I want to express what an honor it has been to represent this wonderful association over the past year and advocate on your behalf at every level. Wherever I have gone, veterinarians continue to amaze me with the varied roles and responsibilities they take on, and the challenges they rise to meet and overcome. We have much in common with our colleagues both here and abroad.
I can measure my past year in moments big and small. One Health continues to be a predominant theme. I had the great honor of representing the AVMA at the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) Council meeting and Congress, and in that role, endorsing the Asia One Health Fukuoka Declaration 2022. In Malta, I participated in many discussions on animal welfare, veterinary education, and One Health. The importance of veterinary education is always top of mind for me. Even more amazing, I saw veterinarians leap into action to save a colleague’s life when he had a heart attack. Veterinarians are truly amazing people.
One Health was also an important topic when I testified before a Congressional subcommittee to support the renewal of the Animal Drug User Fee Act and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act. These acts support the creation and approval of new pioneer and generic drugs, so we can ensure the health of our companion and food animals, which, in turn, helps to protect human and environmental health.
Advocacy is such an important part of what the AVMA does, and I’ve had the honor of working with members of Congress as well as many state legislators to support our profession’s needs on a wide range of topics.
I was overjoyed to see our Journey for Teams initiative get off to an amazing start! If you have not explored this with your team, there is no time like the present. We also rolled out new resources to confront cyberbullying. It pains me that we need these, and I’m relieved that the AVMA has assembled a complete toolkit to help veterinary teams tackle these challenges.
I’m eternally grateful for the moments when I’ve interacted with you—whether by email, phone, videoconference, or in person. You continually impress me. I know you’ll be in great hands as I turn over the AVMA presidency to Dr. Rena Carlson.
AVMA Rocks!
Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP (canine/feline), CVJ
