Author: Site Administrator

AVMA House of Delegates Report

AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) Summer Session: July 28-29, 2022 Philadelphia

Aloha mai kakou! (Greetings to all of you!) I share with you the topics of discussion during the meeting of the AVMA House of Delegates:

RESOLUTIONS
Resolution 6 – New policy on use of prescription drugs in veterinary medicine.
Resolution 7 – New policy on adverse event reporting
Resolution 8 – Revised policy on genetic modification of animals in agriculture
Resolution 9 – Revised policy on approval and availability of antimicrobials for use in food-producing animals
Resolution 10 – Revised policy on raw milk
All resolutions were passed by the AVMA House of Delegates.

VETERINARY INFORMATION FORUM
HOD’s Veterinary Information Forum was devoted to the topics of:
1) Updates to the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act— including updates related to license portability, veterinary technicians, and telehealth.

Ahead of the HOD meeting, most of the comments from AVMA members about updating the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act were to support the idea of providing license portability from state to state. Regarding veterinary technicians, Veterinarians are pushing to define the duties of certified veterinary technicians versus noncertified veterinarians in the practice act. Pertaining to telehealth, an emphasis in the model practice act for the requirement of an in-person examination to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship before initiating telehealth.

2) The responsibility to provide emergency care

The reference committee that discussed the responsibility to provide emergency care suggested the following points for the Council on Veterinary Service to consider while reviewing the Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics.
• Define “emergencies.” Is this meant to refer to immediate life-threatening situations and situations in which the animal is in intractable pain and suffering?
• Address payment.
• Add wording regarding whether providing the emergency care is prudent, with considerations to include the following:
◦ The number and skill level of available staff members. 
◦ Available equipment.
◦ Working conditions that are safe for veterinary team personnel.
◦ Sufficient knowledge of the species.
◦ Geography or location of the emergency, particularly for large animal or mobile practices.
◦ Whether a veterinarian-client-patient relationship has been established. In other words, is it an established client and patient?
• Clarify that euthanasia is acceptable to prevent intractable pain and suffering even if a client is not identified, for example, an animal brought in by animal control or other government agency.

OFFICER ELECTION RESULTS
Dr. Lori Teller assumed the presidency of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) with a pledge to strengthen the profession through collaboration and a focus on wellbeing.

AVMA President-elect 2022-2023: Dr. Rena Carlson
AVMA Board Chair 2022-2023: Ronald E. Gill
AVMA Vice President 2022-2024: Jennifer Quammen
House Advisory Committee: Libby Todd (Alabama), Diana Thome
(Washington) and Stuart Brown (AAEP)

Elections for 2023-2024
Three individuals have announced their candidacy for 2023-24 AVMA
president-elect; they will campaign for one year, with the election in Summer 2023:
Sandra Faeh Butler (past AVMA Vice-President)
Arnie Goldman (current AVMA Treasurer)
Bob Murtaugh

JOURNEY FOR TEAMS
The AVMA is co-launching a multiyear educational initiative to help veterinary workplaces become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The upcoming Journey for Teams program is under development by the AVMA and the Veterinary Medical Association Executives. Details were provided in an announcement event July 30 at AVMA Convention 2022 in Philadelphia, and program content will be released in stages beginning this fall. There will be webinars and booklets that will help your team with improving diversity in your workplace.  All resources can be found at https://www.journeyforteams.org/ .

FDA COMPOUNDING GUIDANCE
FDA finalized and published Guidance for Industry (GFI)  #256 which describes the agency’s approach to situations where veterinarians need access to unapproved drugs compounded from bulk drug substances (BDS) to provide appropriate care for the medical needs of the diverse species they treat when no  FDA-approved  (including  conditionally approved ) or  indexed drug  can be used to treat the animal. This means FDA is granting use of drugs compounding from FDA-approved animal and human bulk drug substances list. The good news is it places few restrictions on patient-specific prescriptions for nonfood-producing species. There is a call for nominations to attempt to get bulk drug substances (BDS) on the FDA list for use. Consult the Appendix of GFI #256 for needed information and submit our request for AVMA assistance to compounding@avma.org .

AVMA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIVISION
Although the political world appears to be polarized, the AVMA remains non-partisan.  The AVMA builds relationship with those individuals in congress that want to work with AVMA on veterinary issues such as: Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), Improve Loan Options for Veterinarians, Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 5441/S. 2295), and the Healthy Dog Importation Act.

Just announced:
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Aug. 31 that it had awarded $3.2 million in grants to support rural veterinary services though the Veterinary Services Grant Program. The AVMA was instrumental in pushing Congress to create and fund the program, which was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The first grants were announced in 2016.

AVMA PAC
The AVMA Political Action Committee (AVMA PAC) helps veterinarians build relationships with lawmakers, amplifying the AVMA’s voice in policy discussions on Capitol Hill. The AVMA Political Action Committee has grown 30% over this time last year and a new goal is $400k by the end of 2022.  Membership support is so important. PAC funds are distributed on a non-partisan basis focused on veterinary issues and therefore allows AVMA access to both sides of the political aisle.

FINANCIAL UPDATE 2022:
• Receipts to-date: $85,865 (33% higher than 2021!)
• Portion of AVMA Members contributing in 2021-22: 2%
• 2022 Election Disbursements made: $86,500
• Funds available for new disbursements: $213,375

AVMF
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), mission of the AVMF is to raise funds to improve animal health. The AVMF has raised over half a million dollars for Ukraine relief including supplies, care, food, etc. You can visit the website AVMF.org where you can find stories and heartbreaking images of what our colleagues are going through in this part of the world. New this year to the AVMF mission is education. There is an educational debt problem and workforce shortage, so AVMF plans to award $300,000 in scholarships for veterinary technicians.

AVMA TRUST
Insurance and risk solutions for every stage of your career – providing new/better ways to help members at every step of the journey.

AVMA ONLINE EDUCATOR COMMUNITY
The AVMA Online Educator community has continued to grow. Individuals involved in academia and the education of the next generation of our colleagues are invited to join this online educator community. This is a place to exchange ideas, learn about AVMA resources that may make jobs easier, and discuss challenges and opportunities unique to the world of academia.

FUTURE DATES TO REMEMBER:
Veterinary Leadership Conference: Leadership in a New Era
January 5-7, 2023 Chicago, IL

AVMA Summer Convention
July 14-18, 2023 Denver, CO

…..and that’s a wrap!

Mahalo from your Hawaii AVMA Delegate – Leianne Lee Loy
and Hawaii AVMA Alt Delegate – Carolyn Naun

Please feel free to contact us on any of these topics or about the AVMA. It
has been an honor to represent Hawaii. Aloha!

Canines in Conservation

We all know that dog sniffers are powerful and sensitive. But did you know that our beloved canines are fast becoming one of the key partners in conservation in Hawai‘i? Conservation Dogs of Hawai‘i is a nonprofit, Honolulu-based team of dedicated animal behaviorists that collaborates with researchers, biologists, and natural resource managers to train willing dogs in services such as detection of invasive plants and animals, agricultural pests, carcasses (for avian botulism prevention), cryptic seabird burrows, and providing support to biosecurity needs. CDH began in 2016 under the leadership of founder Kyoko Johnson. Their projects have helped in the efforts to reduce the spread of the invasive devil weed, a plant that is toxic to livestock, and listed as #23 on the 100 World’s Worst Invasive Species list. They have a growing role in supporting efforts to eradicate coqui frogs on Maui. CDH also offers a free Education Program, workshops on canine scent detection, and has projects reaching further afield in other island ecosystems and communities across the Pacific. The best way to keep tabs on what this exciting group is up to is on their Instagram @conservationdogshawaii. 

Meet a New Member

Jenn Kishimori, DVM, PhD

Dr. Jennifer M. Kishimori (“Jenn”) recently moved back home to Oahu after retiring from the U.S. Army as a Colonel in 2021. Jenn grew up in Aiea and overseas in Camp Zama, Japan, and attended Johns Hopkins University (BA, Biology, 1992) and North Carolina State University (DVM, 2003). She earned a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Hawaii with the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in 2010, where she studied a fish parasite affecting aquacultured amberjack. During her 22 years on active duty, Jenn served as a clinical veterinarian in North Carolina and South Korea, and then in medical research assignments in the Washington D.C. area, culminating in developing COVID-19 public health policies for the Department of Defense.

Over the past year, Jenn has volunteered with sea turtle rehabilitation at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD and wildlife rehabilitation at City Wildlife in Washington, DC. She is currently a consultant for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Research Team, working on treatments for aquacultured fishes.

Jenn is excited to be back in Hawaii, where she hopes to balance family life, fun, and veterinary opportunities. She and her husband, Colonel (Retired) Dave Perrine have one rescued poi dog,“Miss Lani Belle.”

Letter from the President – October 2022

Alfred Mina, DVM
HVMA President

Aloha Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well and ready for Fall and the Holiday Season because it’s coming up shortly. We are so excited to have the upcoming in-person HVMA Annual meeting scheduled for November 2022. We are planning on having great speakers from different disciplines to share their knowledge with us, and wet labs for our veterinarians and support staff. It seems like we’re still facing professional staffing shortages in the islands, causing limited services to the communities in certain areas. Hopefully the rest of 2022 gets better as we continue to stay healthy, vigilantly safe, and happy.

Thank you to those who continue to support HVMA. A lot of this is done through membership dues. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please feel free to do so here.

Please don’t forget to check in on our online CE provided by HVMA. Let us know if there’s any specific topics that we can investigate for future presentations. Please continue to stay safe and hope to see you all soon!

Aloha from Big Island,
Alfred J. Mina, DVM
HVMA President

2022 HVMA Scholarship Award

Congratulations to our two HVMA scholarship recipients for 2022!

Kealaka’i Matsumoto is a third-year student at Iowa State University. He plans to return to Hilo to offer veterinary care for food animals, companion animals, and exotic pets. He hopes to build collaboration between Hawaii clinics to reduce burnout and improve access to after-hours emergency services. He also hopes to become a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in order to attract local students back to the state for externships and encourage them to practice in Hawaii after graduating. He graduated from Waiakea High School and worked for Maika’i Veterinary Clinic before going to Iowa State.

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Shelby Suzuki is a first-year at Western University. She has interests in ophthalmology, radiology, and exotic animal medicine. She is involved in her SAVMA chapter’s Mental Health Committee and hopes to advocate for mental health awareness throughout her career. Before leaving to veterinary school, she worked at Ohana Veterinary Hospital and volunteered at the Hawaiian Humane Society.

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We look forward to welcoming them back to Hawaii and our local veterinary community.

Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association Mentorship Program

The Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association will be starting a mentorship pilot program. This program is for recent graduates who are interested in connecting with a HVMA veterinarian that has knowledge and experience to share, as well as guidance for your career.

Mentors and mentees shall both be HVMA members and commit to the program for 12 months. The process will begin with the interested mentee initiating contact through an introductory e-mail or letter. If accepted, a mentor will contact the mentee to set up a meeting to discuss the expectations, goals, frequency of meetings, and confidentiality of the program.

Why be a mentor?
Being a mentor can be a rewarding experience as you share the knowledge and expertise you have with fellow mentees to help them transition to veterinary professional life. You also gain opportunities to build upon your communication and leadership skills. Mentees can share with you the latest
techniques, and treatments in the veterinary field.

Why be a mentee?
Being a mentee is an amazing opportunity to discuss any challenges, concerns, and goals you have with another colleague who may have gone through similar experiences. Mentors can be a source of information, provide encouragement and support.

Read more and find the applications on our Mentorship Program page.

Mentorship Opportunity with Assets High School

Looking to mentor a student in the community? Assets High School’s Mentorship Program extends learning beyond the curriculum. It enhances self-esteem through career related responsibility and provides access to community role models. The Mentorship Program matches students, based on their interests and personal qualifications, with various companies and organizations in the community. Students in grades 10 through 12 work for high school credit at their mentorship sites every Wednesday from September through April.

The program is similar to college internships, but for high school students. A prospective student will create a resume and cover letter and actually “interview” to get the job. We try to give students as much real world experience as possible. This is a non-paid position. Most of our students complete their required 5.5 hours per week on Wednesdays. However, the hours are flexible, based on your needs.

To inquire about being a mentor, or to learn more about the Assets program, download the brochure or contact Jason Wagner at 808-423-1356 or jwagner@assets-school.org.

Letter from the President – April 2022

Alfred Mina, DVM
HVMA President

Happy Easter Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well and adjusting to the new COVID-19 Pandemic lifting of the mask mandate. Do what is best for your situation to keep you and your staff safe.

The HVMA board is continually preparing for the upcoming in-person HVMA Annual meeting scheduled for November 2022. We are planning on having great speakers from different disciplines to share their knowledge with all of us.

It seems like we’re still facing professional staffing shortages in the islands. Many of us have been affected by the pandemic, causing staff shortage and supply chain issues. Hopefully, the rest of 2022 gets better as we continue to stay healthy, vigilantly safe, and happy.

Thank you to those who continue to support HVMA. A lot of this is done through membership dues. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please feel free to renew here.

Please don’t forget to check in on our online CE provided by HVMA. Let us know if there’s any specific topics that we can investigate for future presentations. Please continue to stay safe and hope to see you all soon!

Aloha from Big Island,
Alfred J. Mina, DVM
HVMA President

SB 2798 Hearing Notice 2/23/2022 – Testimony Needed

SB 2798 will be heard on Wednesday February 23, 2022 at 9:30am by the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection via videoconference. Please submit written testimony in support of this bill which will amend Chapter 471, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to better define the practice and parameters of veterinary medicine and veterinary telemedicine to protect Hawaii consumers and their pets from inadequate, improper, or unlicensed veterinary care. In addition, to address the current shortage of licensed veterinarians in Hawaii, this bill will also provide for the temporary permitting of out-of-state veterinarians and ensure international veterinary school graduates of both AVMA Council on Education and AAVSB approved programs are able to qualify for licensure examination in Hawaii. For more background on this bill, see this post.

Updated HI State Laws Related to Animals

The following are law changes passed in 2021:

New: Animal sexual assault https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol14_Ch0701-0853/HRS0711/HRS_0711-1109_0008.htm

Amended: Tethering https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol14_Ch0701-0853/HRS0711/HRS_0711-1109.htm

New: Veterinary emergency care https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0471/HRS_0471-0017.htm

New: Veterinary mandatory reporting https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0471/HRS_0471-0018.htm

Microchipping, statewide:
Amended: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol03_Ch0121-0200D/HRS0143/HRS_0143-0002.htm
New: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol03_Ch0121-0200D/HRS0143/HRS_0143-0002_0002.htm

Upcoming free training on the role of veterinarians in identifying animal abuse:

Tuesday, May 3rd, 10:00-11:15am HST
https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/the-forgotten-partner-in-responding-to-animal-abuse-the-veterinarian/ (registration required)