The HVMA Annual Business Meeting will be held on Saturday November 12 from 12-1pm at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel in the Prince Jonah Room. Even if you are unable to attend the conference, all HVMA members and interested veterinarians are welcome to attend the business meeting. This year elections for board positions will also be held.
Our current slate of board nominees are as follows:
President-elect: Heather Kihara
Vice-President: Malia Lyons
Secretary: Jamie Furutani
Treasurer: Caren Tamura-Taira
AVMA delegate: Carolyn Naun
AVMA alternate delegate: Jenee Odani
Maui County delegate: Leo Murakami
Hawaii County delegate: Jacob Head
Executive Vice-President: Jill Yoshicedo
Other nominations may also be made at the Annual Business Meeting. If you are interested in serving on the board or on any of our committees, please speak to any current board member. We would love to have your participation!
Category: HVMA Updates
ByLaws Amendment Proposal
The ByLaws Committee has proposed a change to Article 1, Section 1, regarding Active Members. This section currently reads:
Section 1. Active Members. An Active Member shall be a graduate of a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and shall reside in the State of Hawaii.
To align with current Hawaii veterinary licensing requirements of the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine (recently updated with the passage of SB2798 CD 1 in 2022), the proposal is to change Article 1, Section 1 to read:
Section 1. Active Members. An Active Member shall be a graduate of a veterinary college meeting all the standards established by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education or a foreign college of veterinary medicine who has successfully completed the requirements established by the American Veterinary Medical Association Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates or the American Association of Veterinary State Boards Program for the Assessment of
Veterinary Education Equivalence, and shall reside in the State of Hawaii.
The ByLaws amendment will be voted on at the Annual Business Meeting on Nov 12, 2022.
HVMA Mentorship Program Update
The Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA) Mentorship program is a voluntary program that offers guidance and resources for new graduate veterinarians and mentoring opportunities for senior veterinarians in Hawaii. In addition, the program aims to foster mentee-mentor relationships among the veterinary community.
The HVMA has recently partnered with MentorVet, which is a national organization that offers a structured platform for new graduate veterinarians and mentors in online modules, coaching, and resources. If you’re a new graduate veterinarian who has recently graduated within the past five years (class of 2017 to 2022) or you’re a veterinarian who has practiced for many years, please apply for the HVMA mentorship program below:
New Graduate Veterinarians/Mentee
Senior Veterinarians/Mentor
Meet a Board Member – Jerrisa Ching, DVM
Jerrisa was born and raised on the island of Oahu. She graduated from Moanalua High school and received her Bachelors of Science in Animal Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Jerrisa then attended Washington State University and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in May 2021. Shortly after, in December 2021, Jerrisa completed her Masters of Public Health with a Veterinary Public Health focus at University of Missouri – Columbia. Jerrisa is currently working in small animal general practice at Kama’aina Pet Hospital & Vetco Total Care.
As the New Graduate Delegate, Jerrisa provides resources and information to new graduate veterinarians in Hawaii. She oversees the HVMA Mentorship Program for new graduate veterinarians, who graduated within the past five years, and veterinarians who have many years of experience in the veterinary profession. Jerrisa’s goal as a New Graduate Delegate is to strengthen the relationship among veterinarians in Hawaii while improving the veterinary medical profession.
2022 Legislative Update – SB2798
SB2798 was signed into law by the governor in June. This bill amends the veterinary practice law in Hawaii to better define the practice and parameters of veterinary medicine and veterinary telemedicine to protect consumers and their pets from inadequate, improper, or unlicensed veterinary care. This bill also helps to address the shortage of licensed veterinarians in Hawaii by allowing the temporary permitting of out-of-state veterinarians, providing for international veterinary school graduates to qualify for licensure examination in Hawaii, and extending the amount of time that out-of-state veterinarians may practice in Hawaii while awaiting their licensing exam date. The HVMA is grateful for support from the American Veterinary Medical Association and across the state from multiple organizations, legislators, and individual citizens to help push this bill across the finish line.
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.
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.
HB 1598 Hearing Notice 2/8/2022 – Testimony Needed!
HB 1598 will be heard on Tuesday February 8, 2022 at 2pm by the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce 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.
SB 2798 Hearing Notice 2/7/2022 – Testimony Needed!
SB 2798 will be heard on Monday February 7, 2022 at 1pm by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment 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.
Meet a Board Member – Atiya Hakeem
Assistant to the Exec VP
Atiya Hakeem received her PhD from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Until 2015 she was a neuroscientist at Caltech studying primate vision and social cognition in humans, apes, elephants, and cetaceans. In 2016 she moved back to Honolulu and has worked in various capacities at the Honolulu Zoo as an animal keeper and veterinary assistant until joining the HVMA as Assistant to the Executive VP in 2021.
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