This July, your Hawaii AVMA delegates traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent our state and participate in important AVMA business during the annual convention. It was a very productive and meaningful meeting.
We were joined by many dignitaries from veterinary medical associations around the world, who shared messages of hope, warmth, collaboration, and common challenges faced by our profession globally.
A highlight of the convention was the induction of Dr. Michael Bailey as the new AVMA President. Dr. Bailey is the first African-American to serve in this role, marking a historic moment for the organization. In his opening remarks, he emphasized the importance of professional advocacy, stating, “We must shape our own story instead of letting others shape our story for us.”
The AVMA continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as support for the federal veterinary workforce.
In addition to our House of Delegates work, we visited Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and advocate for issues important to veterinary medicine. We met with the offices of Representative Jill Tokuda, Senator Brian Schatz, and Senator Mazie Hirono to encourage their support of the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act and the Stopping Illicit Xylazine Act. We encourage all veterinary professionals to contact their representatives and ask them to support these important initiatives. These “Hill Visits” are made possible through the non-partisan AVMA PAC, and we encourage you to consider contributing so we can continue to extend our reach and represent veterinary interests on the national stage.
Additionally, several policy updates and resolutions were passed, including:
- Pediatric sterilization
- Therapeutic pet food claims
- Sow housing
- Declawing
- Recognition of pain in animals
- The Model Veterinary Practice Act
- A new policy on workplace hazards in veterinary settings
Read more about the resolutions that were passed here.
If you have any questions about these topics or the work of the AVMA House of Delegates, please feel free to reach out to your Hawaii AVMA Representatives. We are always here to represent you and keep you informed!
Aloha,
Carolyn Naun, Hawaii Delegate
Jenee Odani, Hawaii Alternate Delegate