Veterinary Professionals

Veterinary Palliative Medicine

Veterinary Palliative Medicine is growing globally.

Co-Founders of the World Veterinary Palliative Medicine Organization (WVPMO), Dr Lynn Hendrix and Dr Caroline Ficker discovered soon after meeting that they shared a vision for the future of veterinary medicine. Not only that, they saw how it could change the lives of veterinarians, their patients and the people who love them.

As palliative care awareness grew in veterinary medicine and became a hot topic at veterinary conferences, they saw the need to bring more education on the subject, formalise the field, and usher palliative medicine into the mainstream. The WVPMO’s mission is to elevate palliative medicine to the forefront of veterinary education, improve the lives of animals across the globe, and support clients by promoting and advancing veterinary medicine centered on quality of life. Dr Hendrix states, “We really also want to improve the lives of our colleagues, which in the US are suffering from increased levels of depression, anxiety and suicide.”

Dr Hendrix and Dr Ficker have noticed a rise in interest in veterinary palliative medicine in recent years. Dr Ficker says “We believe we can help every veterinarian around the world enhance their skills, educate their clients, and help animals live better. We also believe that in helping animals and their people live better, the veterinarian can also.”

They are working to provide webinars and interactive workshops. In addition to education, they want to build a community of veterinarians who are looking for an evidence based approach to provide the best standard of care for end of life veterinary patients and their caregivers.

The World Veterinary Palliative Medicine Organization is a non-profit Corporation, 5013c pending. The WVPMO is open to licensed veterinarians around the globe. You can join by visiting wvpmo.org.

If you would like more information about the WVPMO, please contact Dr Lynn Hendrix at President@wvpmo.org or Dr Caroline Ficker at President-elect@wvpmo.org .

AVMA Update Spring 2019

Aloha HVMA members! These are some highlights from the AVMA.

AVMA Convention 2019

A monumental experience awaits you in Washington, D.C. and we can’t wait to see you there! This year’s event will take place August 2-6 and the CE and events schedule is now available for you to search. Start planning an itinerary that will earn you more than 40 hours of CE and still leave plenty of time for networking, fun events, and sightseeing . Choose from nearly 900 education sessions over the course of the five-day conference. There are hands-on labs, interactive workshops, panels, lectures, and poster presentations. Register at AVMA.org.

Axon: Next-generation digital education

AVMA Axon™ is an online learning tool that you can incorporate into your daily life. Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, practice managers, or other team members, can find CE with information you need – about the newest studies, techniques, and trends – along with actionable ways to apply it to your daily life and work. Examples of topics:
Agile Pioneers
Career Development
Financial Health
Leadership
One Health
Policy and Practice
Wellbeing, Diversity, Inclusion
Advocacy

AVMA Axon™ is a resource for the entire veterinary community. As an AVMA member, all of the current offerings are free. Start exploring today at axon.avma.org.

AVMA establishes veterinary technician task force

Veterinary technicians are important members of the veterinary health care team. Their skills and expertise help both the patient and the practice. Improving veterinary technician utilization would only enhance that level of service and increase job satisfaction. At the AVMA Board of Directors spring meeting April 12-13, the Board voted to approve a task force which will develop a plan to improve vet tech use while recognizing the importance of financial and career sustainability, effective task delegation, and the wellbeing of both the veterinary technician and the practice.

The task force comes after the AVMA House of Delegates discussed technician utilization and ways to enhance it during its January meeting. It was clear during the discussion that the value of veterinary technicians is important and that efforts need to be made across the profession to increase technician use. The consensus among House members led them to recommend that the AVMA Board convene a task force to design a plan to improve veterinary technician utilization and that a progress report be
shared with the House Of Delegates within a year.

Guiding the profession: Policy actions

AVMA councils and committees reviewed more than 40 AVMA policies prior to the Board meeting that were subsequently submitted for reaffirmation, revision and approval. Highlights include the Board voting to:
– Reaffirm the AVMA Policy on Transport, Sale Yard Practices and Humane Slaughter of Hoofstock and Poultry
– Approve the revised Policy on Animal Abuse and Neglect
– Approve the revised Policy on Veterinary End-of-Life Care
– Refer the revised Policy on Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials to the AVMA House of Delegates with a recommendation to approve
– Refer the revised Joint American Association of Bovine Practitioners-AVMA Judicious Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobials in Cattle Policy to the House of Delegates with a recommendation to approve
– Refer the revised Model Veterinary Practice Act to the House of Delegates with a recommendation to approve

Carolyn Naun and I are your AVMA House of Delegates. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or topics of discussion.

Aloha,
Leianne K. Lee Loy, DVM

Meet a Board Member: Brenda Smith, Treasurer

Dr Brenda Smith grew up ‘on the mainland’. Living in Louisville, Kentucky for most of her childhood, she developed a passion for horses and became very involved in Pony Club and dressage and eventing. The seeds for a career in Veterinary medicine were planted early. Moving to Texas in high school, she remained through school, graduating from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.

The next 11 years were spent in Oregon and Washington, working first at mixed animal and then small animal clinics and the Southwest Washington Humane Society. An interest in alternative medicine led to certification in acupuncture through IVAS in 2001 and several Chinese herbal courses in the following years. She got immersed in volunteer work as well, supporting and serving on the board of the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon as well as participating in international spay/neuter projects. Spare time was spent exploring. The hiking and trail-riding and rafting are amazing in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr Smith moved to Maui in 2006, then Oahu in 2010. Moving to Oahu, she began Cherished Pet, a home euthanasia service, as well as doing relief work. Horses and rafts were replaced with surfboards and sailing gear! Volunteer work continued as well, both internationally doing spay/neuter projects and locally with the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Sailing on canoes (Faafaite and Hikianalia) from Auckland to Papeete to Hilo was a huge adventure!

The volunteer work was so rewarding, that in 2013 Dr Smith moved to American Samoa to work on a large scale spay/neuter and dog overpopulation project. After two years and 5000 surgeries, the island dog population was much healthier. The island is beautiful, both above and underwater. Hiking and diving and outrigger paddling were spare time activities.

Last year, Dr Smith and her partner Tim moved back to Oahu and she resumed doing relief work and home euthanasia. She is currently working at Kailua Animal Clinic at their new Feline Wellness Center, paddling recreationally with Lanikai Canoe Club, and generally enjoying life biking and beach walking around Kailua. Her two cats have moved from Washington to Hawaii to American Samoa and then back. They have now been joined by four entertaining backyard hens.