Category: Newsletter

2024 Veterinary Leadership Conference

AVMA is hosting their annual Veterinary Leadership Conference (VLC) January 9-11, 2025. HVMA delegates Carolyn Naun and Jenee Odani will attend the conference and House of Delegates sessions. Through a unique mix of CE sessions, AVMA governance meetings, and networking events, attendees will expand and hone leadership skills and learn to better advocate and make key decisions for the good of the veterinary profession.

AVMA offers $1000 scholarships to recent graduates (within past 5 years) to attend the conference. Applications for this scholarship are due October 15, 2024.

HVMA also provides sponsorship to an HVMA member interested in developing their leadership skills. Interested applicants must be an AVMA member to also receive airfare and lodging covered by the AVMA. Please contact us if you are interested in this opportunity and getting more involved in leadership within the veterinary community.

More information available here. 

In Remembrance – Al K. Takayama

Allen Takayama, DVM

AL K. TAKAYAMA 92, passed away on April 10, 2024, in Honolulu. He was born and grew up in Hilo along with his predeceased nine siblings. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University and practiced for nearly 50 years, initially in California, then in Honolulu after moving back to Hawaii where he built his own animal hospital in Aina Haina. He enjoyed golfing, traveling, good food and wine. He is survived by his wife Elaine, son Allen (Cathy), son Jon (Lise), daughter Lori (Nathan) Chung, and six grandchildren. Private services were held. The family requests no flowers or monetary gifts (koden).

2024 Annual Conference Nearing

Join us for continuing education and camaraderie with your fellow local veterinarians and vet techs!

November 6-10, 2024
Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

Labs & Workshops 11/6-11/7
Lectures & Exhibit Hall 11/8-11/10
HVMA Hui Annual Business Meeting 11/9
Lucky Strike Social 11/9

Lecture topics include behavior, cardiology, anesthesia, soft tissue surgery, exotics, and more! 

Registration is still open for attendees. Remember to log in to your HVMA online account to receive the discounted registration rates for active members. Accommodations will be across the street from the convention center at the Ala Moana Hotel.

Check out our conference page where you can find lab details, exhibit hall details, speaker info, and our conference schedule. Please join us for great RACE-approved CE (Program # 20-1252830), our lively exhibit hall, food, and fellowship, and get to know your local vet community! 

Letter from the President – Fall 2024

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

Aloha, fellow veterinarians!

We are coming up to one of my favorite times of the year: the annual HVMA Conference! And this year, we’ll be enjoying a new venue: the Hawaii Convention Center! In addition to the great CE sessions that have been organized, the conference also represents a time where we can see old friends and meet new members of our veterinary community. If you haven’t yet registered, please do so! And if you have already registered, please encourage other veterinarians that you work with to register as well! Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary staff are all welcome!

As our organization and the profession continue to evolve, please let us know what directions you’d like to see us take or discuss issues that are important to you with us. Your island representatives and board members are here to listen. There are many opportunities for participation on our committees if you’d like to increase your level of involvement as well.

Lastly, after the conference, I’ll be stepping down as President. Serving in that role been one of the greatest honors of my career. We have much work ahead of us for our organization and our profession, and I look forward to working alongside our new President, Heather Kihara, in the coming years!

With deepest gratitude,
Jenee

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

Letter from the President – Summer 2024

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

Aloha, everyone! I hope this message finds you well in these final days of summer! Like many of you, I have had the pleasure of seeing students who I’ve mentored apply to veterinary school and start their journey toward becoming veterinarians. I always take a moment to relive certain moments of my path, like the stress of typing applications (the days before we had personal computers) and the unbelievable joy when I got my letter of acceptance.

You may have noticed that there have been a number of new veterinary programs that have been established throughout the US. This is good news for the profession as it makes vet school more accessible to potential applicants and, therefore, will ensure that there are enough new graduates to fulfill the need for veterinary services. It does make me wonder whether Hawaii could start thinking about starting a 2+2 program in conjunction with one of our WICHE PSEP partners or another existing veterinary school. I’m curious to hear what your views on this are, and hopefully, we can start having some real conversations about this over the next few years. 

The rest of this newsletter contains information about our upcoming conference, annual business meeting, and other activities. If you would like to get involved with any of the committees, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Jenee Odani, DVM, DACVP
HVMA President

HVMA Mentorship Program

The HVMA Mentorship Program offers opportunities for recent graduate (c/o 2020-2024) veterinarians to connect with other veterinarians in the state, as well as resources and guidance to pursue career and professional development. To receive these opportunities, join HVMA and fill out this form here. HVMA offers FREE New Grad Membership to all 2024 graduates! We look forward to meeting and helping you in your veterinary career!

2024 HVMA Scholarship Recipients

The HVMA Scholarship Committee received applications from so many excellent veterinary students with ties to Hawaii that the Committee decided to award $1000 individual scholarships to five deserving students:

1. Lauren Arakaki, 3rd year Colorado State University
2. Alicia Hara, 3rd year Washington State University
3. Deziree Huynh, 3rd year Lincoln Memorial University
4. Irene Liang, 3rd year Oregon State University
5. Samantha Masca, 3rd year Colorado State University

Congratulations to these veterinary students! Thank you to the generous donations from the vets on the Scholarship Committee. If you are interested in donating to support the HVMA Scholarship for vet students from Hawaii, please contact us.

AVMA Updates – Summer 2024

The AVMA House of Delegates approved revisions to the policy that provides ethical guidance for all veterinarians, restructuring it to improve clarity and usability. Among the changes, the policy now features a Code of Conduct with three sections: provide competent medical care, prioritize patient welfare in balance with client needs and public safety, and uphold standards of professionalism.
Read more

Two new surveys find lack of support for midlevel practitioner. Both the American Association of Veterinary State Boards and the Veterinary Management Groups said they support better utilization of credentialed veterinary technicians as part of the answer to workforce issues.
Read more

Revised CPR standards issued for dogs and cats. The first update to the life-saving RECOVER guidelines since 2012 emphasizes speed and standard techniques. Changes include a streamlined CPR algorithm and new drug dosing charts. 
Read more

AVMA MENTORSHIP

Any AVMA member with less than 10 years of professional experience can now get free professional mentoring through MentorVet Connect, brought to you by the AVMA. Learn more.