Author: Site Administrator

Letter from the President – August 2023

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

I hope this message finds you well in these final days of summer. Your HVMA’s executive board has been busy planning for the upcoming annual meeting, staying on top of animal health issues, and coordinating the veterinary emergency response to the recent wildfire disaster on Maui.

We are heartbroken by the devastation of Lahaina and fire impact elsewhere on Maui and the Big Island. Please check our website or join our FaceBook group to learn how you can help our local veterinary disaster response.

In the last issue of the newsletter, I wrote about needing to be vigilant in the face of emerging disease threats. Earlier this month, thanks to vigilance exhibited by colleagues on the frontline, we have also seen the first detections of canine influenza virus in Hawaii, a disease we had managed to evade despite its presence in the mainland US since 2015.

I am grateful for how our veterinary community is able to come together in times like these to share information and help each other best serve the animals that we are responsible for. I believe we will learn from these experiences and improve our ability to communicate with each other and respond to emerging threats and emergencies. 

In the rest of this newsletter, you will find information about these topics, our upcoming conference, annual business meeting, and other activities. If you would like to get involved with any of the committees, please reach out to us!

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

Pet Expo 2023

The 31st Annual Hawaii Pet Expo was a huge hit this weekend!!! Thank you to Ohana Veterinary Hospital, Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, all sponsors, vendors, volunteers, community members, families, and friends for all your generous help and support. It was incredible to meet and see everyone after three years away from the expo. Your participation meant the world to us; we couldn’t have done it without you all there. Mahalo again for your efforts. We’re looking forward to next year’s Hawaii Pet Expo! 

Combat illegal xylazine while protecting veterinary access

Xylazine is an important animal sedative used to facilitate the safe handling and treatment of many species. Recently, illicit xylazine is increasingly showing up in street drugs as traffickers have begun mixing xylazine with fentanyl and other narcotics. Collaborative efforts among congressional offices, the AVMA, stakeholders, and federal agencies to address the complexities of the xylazine issue led to the introduction of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R. 1839/S. 993) – an AVMA-supported, bipartisan bill that would provide harsher penalties for trafficking illicit xylazine while maintaining current veterinary access to this important animal sedative. Please join the veterinary community and urge your members of Congress to support the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act through the AVMA’s Congressional Advocacy Network.

LINK: https://avmacan.avma.org/campaign/46288/

Sue Miyahara UH Foundation Fund

The Sue Miyahara UH Foundation fund was established in recognition of Sue Miyahara, wife of the late Dr. Allen Miyahara. Dr. Miyahara served as the Vice President to the AVMA in 1995, as well as ran meetings, answered all correspondence, and put together all the educational programs in the early years of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association and Honolulu Veterinary Society. 

As a follow up to the recognition of Sue Miyahara, a fund has been established via the University of Hawaii Foundation. This fund will be exclusively used for the Pre-Vet students at the University of Hawaii. All donations to the UH Foundation are tax-deductible.

For donation checks, please make these payable to:

UH Foundation (Memo: 126-6740-4 Veterinary Research/Extension) and mail/deliver to:

UHM-CTAHR

Attn: Audrey Hirayama

3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 202

Honolulu, HI 96822

In November 2022, Cordell Chang, DVM, gave a presentation at the HVMA annual meeting honoring Dr. Allen and Sue Miyahara. Here is an excerpt from his presentation:

“It’s been 6 years since the passing of Allen Miyahara and his legacy still lives on. In the early years of the HVMA and HVS (Honolulu Veterinary Society), he did it all. He held these organizations together. He ran all the meetings, answered all of the correspondence, and put together all of the educational programs. And back then, he never got paid for doing any of this. He was always a student advocate. Along with Bob Nakamura, they ran the pre-vet program and from then on, more Hawaii students got into veterinary school. During this time, we had many meetings at the Miyahara’s house, and Sue was a very gracious host and fed us well.

In 1995, Allen served as the Vice President to the AVMA. His charge was to be a liaison officer for the AVMA and the veterinary schools. At that time, there were twenty-two veterinary schools. He went to visit eleven schools in one year and the other eleven schools the next. He would take the veterinary faculty out for dinner one night, and the next night he would take the students out only. He even established an 800 phone line, so the students could call him directly. Along all these trips, Sue was the navigator. She packed all the bags and kept Allen focused, so he could deliver his message from the AVMA. Previously, the SCAVMA organization had not been allowed to sit and be a voting member on the AVMA House of Delegates. A year after Allen was the VP, as a result of his recommendation, a Resolution passed allowing SCAVMA students to be represented at the AVMA House of Delegates with full voting rights and privileges.

Allen was a big proponent for the Human Animal Bond and established lectures given overseas. When they traveled internationally, Sue did the same; she kept him on course. She was the quintessential wife that was always in the background, giving her total support to Allen. She was the fuel for the fire.

In recognition of Sue Miyahara, we have established a fund, via the University Foundation. Dr. Odani, UH Veterinary Extension and Pre-Vet advisor, has graciously accepted to be the administrator to these funds. This fund will be exclusively used for the Pre-Vet students and the University of Hawaii. All donations to the UH Foundation will be totally tax deductible.”

May 2023 Lunch and Learn

Canine Oral Melanoma – Not the Killer We Once Knew

Canine oral melanoma can be a terrifying disease with short survival times being quite common. However, newer treatment options and a low-grade subtype have made this disease very rewarding to treat. In this presentation I will talk about why I’m not as afraid of this disease as I used to be and how I can help you manage canine oral melanoma for those clients who can’t pursue referral.

Speaker: Vanessa Rizzo, DVM, ACVIM (O)
Sponsored by Hope Veterinary Specialty Services
Friday, May 19, 2023 12-1pm (Hawaii)

Open to veterinarians and all veterinary staff. 1 hour CE credit available. Register here.

Letter from the President – May 2023

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

Happy Spring everyone!

We are thrilled to be able to bring the HVMA’s Hawaii Pet Expo back this year, May 6-7th at the Blaisdell Center. Thank you to everyone who showed up and volunteered your time.  This public event is a valuable opportunity for us (as Hawaii veterinarians) to provide quality animal care & health information and promote the good work that all of us do.

With the Covid-19 pandemic receding, and we adjust to the “new normal” we must remain vigilant as there are continual threats from other emerging diseases, such as African Swine Fever and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Hawaii remains free from the H5N1 avian influenza virus, but we must remain vigilant in reporting cases of unusual mortalities in wild or domestic birds. Spillover of the virus into mammalian species is concerning and something to continue to monitor.

As always, please reach out to contact@hawaiivetmed.org with any feedback, questions, or suggestions.

With much aloha,
Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

AVMA Update – January 2023

Your AVMA continues to advocate for the profession and animal welfare issues. As always, the House of Delegates met during the 2023 Veterinary Leadership Conference in balmy Chicago. We had a busy agenda and lively discussion. Keep reading to discover important resources available to you, our members, and find out what we made progress on this January!

If you aren’t already a member, consider joining over 100,000 veterinarians and gain access to valuable benefits. Some recent highlights of what AVMA has been doing for YOU:

  • Be an industry leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Practices are encouraged to join Journey for Teams, an interactive program to educate and engage your workplace to make it a safer space for all. Get involved at journeyforteams.org

In the next newsletter we’ll take a deeper dive into what your AVMA has to offer. In the meantime, here are the updates from the winter meeting. 

Veterinary Information Forum topics:

Every meeting, members of the AVMA House of Delegates meet to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing our profession. AVMA members shared their thoughts on the following topics:

Utilization of credentialed veterinary technicians and the creation of a “mid-level practitioner” role: It is no secret that we are facing serious workforce shortages. What is the best way to reduce burnout and better meet increased demand for our services? This topic generated over 160 pages worth of responses from constituents! While some favor the creation of a “Veterinary Professional Assistant” who could diagnose, prognose, prescribe, recommend treatment plans, and perform minor surgery, most members feel we are still underutilizing the skills of credentialed veterinary technicians and the focus should be there first. Creating a new position within the profession presents some significant challenges including:

  • The need to develop educational programs to train these individuals. Accredited institutions are already having trouble filling teaching positions for veterinary and veterinary technician programs
  • The need for changes to be made in federal laws and regulations as well as those in all 50 states

In short, implementing such a solution will be costly and could not be deployed in time to address the immediate workforce shortage. 

We also had a lively discussion regarding workplace culture and how to improve quality of life for veterinary team members. A recurring theme was the need for leaders to set an example and demonstrate that it’s OK to ask for help. Practical suggestions included the use of Employee Assistance Programs (larger employers and some state VMAs already offer these as a member benefit) or providing access to free counseling to struggling veterinary professionals. There are many relevant AVMA resources available, including the Workplace Wellbeing Certificate program, the Brave Space Certificate program, the Train the Trainer program and Journey for Teams (diversity, equity, and inclusion training for your workplace). These resources are available to members at avma.org. Watch for more details about these programs in the next newsletter. 

AVMA business and policy actions:

Several resolutions came before the House for a vote, touching on a variety of topics ranging from policy on dog bite prevention, service animals, horse racing, responsible breeding, dehorning and castration of cattle. Most were housekeeping and minor updates to existing AVMA policies. 

Of interest was a new policy on so-called “bush track racing,” or unregulated horse racing, which presents grave animal welfare and public safety threats. Bush tracks operate with no veterinary oversight. Practices include the use of stimulants, electric shock and other abuses. Bush track operations have been linked to outbreaks of piroplasmosis (via use of contaminated needles to inject performance enhancing drugs) and equine infectious anemia. The HOD passed a resolution condemning unregulated horse racing. This is hopefully a first step in creating pressure to make unlicensed horse racing illegal. You can learn more about this issue at https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/05/bush-track-horse-racing-georgia/

With aloha,
Carolyn Naun, Hawaii Delegate
Jenee Odani, Hawaii Alternate Delegate

American Heartworm Society Survey

APEX, NC —The American Heartworm Society (AHS) is urging veterinarians to participate in the 2022 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey.

The AHS maps, dating back to 2001, are generated every three years and are widely used by veterinarians, animal shelters, animal rescue organizations and media to educate the pet-owning public about the threat of heartworm disease. The maps, which are built using data submitted by thousands of veterinary practices and animal shelters, also provide vital insights for veterinary professionals about trends in heartworm incidence and the spread of heartworms into new areas of the country.

“Each veterinary practice that submits data enables the AHS to create a more comprehensive and useful map,” states AHS President Jenni Rizzo, DVM. “We urge every practice—large or small—to take a few short minutes to submit their information.”

The deadline to submit survey data on heartwormsociety.org/2022survey is March 15, 2023. The new 2022 AHS map will be made available in April as part of Heartworm Awareness Month.

HVMA Mentorship Program

The HVMA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM is still looking for mentees and mentors who are interested in connecting with the Hawaii veterinary community! The program is aimed to provide guidance for mentees who are recent graduate veterinarians who graduated from 2018 to 2023 while building strong, long-lasting relationships among the veterinarians in Hawaii. Mentors have the opportunity to provide knowledge, skills, and experience to recent graduate veterinarians on various topics! Interested in being a part of the HVMA Mentorship program? We’d love for you to join us! 

Sign up here: 

Mentee Application

Mentor Application 

In addition, the HVMA Mentorship program has collaborated with “MentorVet”, which is a five-month, 5-10 CE RACE virtual mentorship and professional development program that promotes wellbeing in the transition to practice with a combination of training in professional skills, financial and mental health coaching, and mentorship. HVMA members who are part of the HVMA mentorship are eligible for a DISCOUNTED registration for the MentorVet program. Want to learn more about “MentorVet”? Reach out to Addie Reinhard at addie@mentorvet.net or visit https://www.mentorvet.net/.