Our 66th annual conference was a great success. Thank you to all who attended and those present in spirit. It was a time to catch up with old friends, meet new colleagues and learn in our ever-changing field. The connections with one another are a large part of our “why” as the HVMA and we are fortunate to have such a connected community. If you want to learn more about finding your “why” I highly recommend watching Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk on the subject, or even better, read the book Start with Why. If you have suggestions for future speaker topics, entertainment or anything you think would make the conference even more incredible in the future, please let us know.
Membership renewal is now open and I encourage you to renew early and encourage your colleagues to do so as well. Don’t forget that new graduates are eligible for waived or reduced fees depending on your graduation year! Your dues enable us to host great CE in addition to our other efforts including providing scholarships for veterinary and veterinary technician students, advocate on behalf of the veterinary profession in Hawaii, and give back to our community.
Some of the activities we are working on this winter are monitoring the state legislative session, participating in the AVMA HOD January meeting, judging at the upcoming 63rd Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair (HSSEF), and reviewing our wellness committee functions. If you are interested in participating in any of these functions, please let us know as we can always use more volunteers!
On behalf of the board I wish you good health and well-being in the upcoming decade and I hope to hear more from you on what we can do to support you as a Hawaii veterinarian.
Dr. Jennifer Ruby is from the Hudson Valley, NY and pursued her veterinary education at Cornell University. She completed a rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Red Bank, NJ, followed by a second internship in diagnostic imaging at the Veterinary Imaging Center of San Diego. In 2016, Dr. Ruby went on to complete a three year residency in diagnostic imaging at the University of Georgia, where she developed a strong interest in abdominal ultrasonography and neuroimaging in companion animals, and advanced imaging in exotic pets. One project that Dr. Ruby enjoyed completing during her residency was a study evaluating the brain of koi fish using magnetic resonance imaging. She became board certified in Diagnostic Imaging in September 2019 and joined Oahu Veterinary Radiology.
Dr. Ruby is excited to provide high quality diagnostic imaging services to the islands. She looks forward to reading CT and MRI cases, as well as providing radiograph interpretation and mobile ultrasound services to the local community. In her spare time, Dr. Ruby enjoys developing her burgeoning fruit garden, baking, hiking, scuba diving and traveling, as well as spending time with her two cats, Fergie and Muffin.
We want you – Rising Leaders, Experienced Leaders, Presiding Leaders – to attend the Veterinary Leadership Conference. This conference, presented by your American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will help you develop, and expand your leadership skills wherever you are in your Veterinary Career. Continuing education (10 hours), Networking with colleagues, and mentorship will be available in Chicago, Illinois January 9-12, 2020.
Also happening at this conference will be the Winter Session of the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD). Interactive Sessions will be available to breakdown Governance of the AVMA so that you can discover ways to be involved, have your voice be heard, your ideas shared and to make a difference in our profession.
Visit AVMA@Work to get more information about this conference and ways that you can attend at reduced cost. Deadline for Scholarships are October 31, 2019.
Both Carolyn Naun (Hawaii HOD Alternate Delegate) and myself (Leianne Lee Loy – Delegate) will attend this yearly conference and invite YOU to express, expand, gain more of your leadership skills.
If you have any questions – please feel free to contact us via email at contact@hawaiivetmed.org.
I hope to see each of you soon at our annual conference at the Hilton Waikiki Beach on November 7-10, 2019. We are fortunate to host AVMA President John Howe and District 10 representative George Bishop at the conference this year. Dr. Howe’s areas of focus for his tenure as president are member needs, veterinary technicians and One Health. Please give them a warm welcome if you see them. Even if you are not attending the conference for CE be sure to join us for our annual meeting at noon on Saturday.
Mental health and wellbeing concerns for veterinary professionals have been in the national news recently. Awareness of the increased risk for burnout, substance abuse, depression and suicide ideation in our profession is hopefully a first step toward finding solutions for this crisis. The AVMA has many resources for veterinarians on personal and workplace wellness, and the HVMA has a wellness committee to assist members in need.
In 1976, Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute in the US, developed a model of wellness that included six dimensions of health: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and social. Since then others have added three more to create the nine dimensions of wellbeing: financial, creative and environmental. Each dimension is interconnected and collectively contributes to our overall wellbeing, and when one area is lacking, the others and overall wellbeing are affected. I encourage you to follow the links to read and learn more about these areas and take a self-assessment to identify areas where you might focus your self-care.
For this message I want to focus on the social dimension. One stated purpose of the HVMA is to promote the spirit of community among members of the veterinary profession. Our annual conference is a time to get together and catch up on what is happening with one another: the success and challenges of our friends and colleagues we may not see as often as we would like to. It is also a chance to make new friends and welcome new colleagues into our community. Brené Brown, best-selling author and published researcher writes the following in the introduction to her book Daring Greatly: “the surest thing I took away from my BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. in social work is this: Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” This includes connection with colleagues in the workplace. In Dare to Lead she says this about her research: “Daring Leaders must care for and be connected to the people they lead. The data made clear that care and connection are irreducible requirements for wholehearted, productive relationships between leaders and team members.” She defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” As veterinarians, we are all leaders and we must strive to build connection in our work and social lives to build resiliency.
I hope you can all take a moment during the next month to talk story and build those connections with one another. By doing this we will be taking a step in the right direction to improve our well-being. Please reach out to a colleague, friend, or professional if you are suffering. We are here to help one another. And if you are interested in learning more so that you can help those at risk, visit the AVMA’s website on Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) training. There is currently a pilot program that will provide training to learn how to identify and refer colleagues who are at risk.
Aloha,
Aleisha Swartz, DVM President, Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association
AVMA submitted comments to the FDA regarding critical veterinary issues related to cannabis products, and the importance of addressing them. The AVMA submitted the comments following a public hearing held by
the agency in late spring to gather stakeholder input while considering
regulatory frameworks for hemp derivatives—including CBD—used for
therapeutic purposes and as food additives.
“Veterinarians have a strong interest in, and enthusiastically support, exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabis-derived and cannabis-related products,” according to the AVMA comments. “But we want to be sure we can have continued confidence in the efficacy, quality, and safety of products used to treat our patients.”
The AVMA’s concerns stem largely from the widespread marketing of cannabis-derived products, including hemp products, with health claims that haven’t received the required FDA evaluation and approval. “The FDA should establish a clear and efficient process for approval of cannabis-derived and -related therapeutic products, and then conduct consistent enforcement against manufacturers and distributors who are noncompliant,” the AVMA said in their comments. Read full AVMA article here.
In addition to advocating for practitioners, the AVMA provides several resources regarding cannabis:
DEA
is aware that registrants are receiving telephone calls and emails by
criminals identifying themselves as DEA employees or other law
enforcement personnel. In an attempt to create the illusion that these
criminals are DEA employees, they have masked their telephone number on
caller id with a phone number for a legitimate DEA office. For example,
these criminals have used the phone numbers for DEA’s Office of
Congressional and Public Affairs and DEA’s 800 number which is used to
provide direct support to DEA registrants.
Impersonating
a federal agent is a violation of federal law. Registrants should be
aware that no DEA agent will ever contact members of the public by
telephone to demand money or any other form of payment or threaten to
suspend a registrant’s DEA registration.
If you are contacted by a person purporting to work for DEA and seeking money or threatening to suspend your DEA registration, submit the information through “Extortion Scam Online Reporting” posted on the DEA Diversion Control Division’s website, www.DEADiversion.usdoj.gov.
We are preparing for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Summer Session for the House of Delegates which will begin prior to the AVMA Convention – “A Monumental Experience.”
Here are the highlights for our session beginning on Thursday August 1, 2019 in Washington DC:
2019 D.C. Hill Visits: Because we are in DC, we are planning on visiting our legislators to discuss the issues that are important to the AVMA and the veterinary profession. With over 200 individual meetings, this will be the largest veterinary event on Capitol Hill ever conducted by the AVMA!
We are scheduled to meet with Hawaii’s Members of Congress or their staff – Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz; Representatives Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard. We will be focusing on three issues for the visits: Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Enhancement Act (VMLRPEA); Fairness to Pet Owners Act (FTPOA) and Association Health Plans Act (AHP).
Resolutions to be discussed and voted by the House of Delegates: a) Model Veterinary Practice Act: The AVMA adopt the revised policy Model Veterinary Practice Act b) Revised Policy on Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials c) Revised joint AABP-AVMA Policy on Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials in Cattle d) Sexual Harassment Awareness e) Revised Policy on Pet Heath Insurance f) Revised Policy on Veterinary Dentistry
Proposed Bylaws Amendment: a) Council on Research – Responsibility b) Board of Directors – Qualifications c) Board of Directors – Composition
AVMA Elections: There are multiple positions that will be voted on by the House of Delegates: a) President-Elect b) House Advisory Committee c) 6 Council Positions
Congratulations to Carolyn Naun who will be a speaker at this year’s AVMA Convention!
If you need to contact us with comments about the topics we mentioned, here is our email: AVMA_Delegate_HI@avma.org
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