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.
Category: Veterinary Professionals
Legislative Update 2022
The Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA) seeks to amend Chapter 471, Hawaii Revised Statutes, 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. Further, because there is a shortage of licensed veterinarians in Hawaii, HVMA is proposing to provide for the temporary permitting of out-of-state veterinarians and providing for international veterinary school graduates to qualify for licensure examination in Hawaii.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions brought about consumer demand for telehealth in the field of veterinary medicine. Telemedicine has allowed consumers more access to veterinary services for their pets, particularly in areas where access to veterinary care is limited. However, HVMA is aware that the use of telemedicine may also be abused without an established veterinary-client-patient relationship. Without actual physical examination of a pet, veterinary services rendered through telemedicine alone can be inadequate and below the standard of veterinary care. The addition of telehealth definitions and the telemedicine section will help to clarify the practice of veterinary telemedicine and assist the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine in ensuring consumers in Hawaii receive proper and licensed veterinary telemedicine services.
Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the shortage of veterinarians available to provide specialty and routine veterinary care for Hawaii’s people and their pets. At times, veterinary emergency hospitals were unable to operate 24/7 and surgeon schedules were completely booked for months due to the inability to fill these staffing shortages by temporary permit. In one specific case, there was a veterinary surgeon within the state that could have assisted during this period, but due to her international veterinary school degree, was unable to sit for Hawaii’s state licensing exam due to a technicality in the administrative rules. These amendments are critically important to prevent such veterinary care shortages in the future, and ensure that all qualified veterinarians are allowed to sit for the Hawaii state licensing exam.
This bill has currently been introduced to the House (HB 1598) by Representatives Johanson, Hashem, and Nishimoto; and into the Senate (SB 2798) by Senators Lee, Gabbard, Keith-Agaran, Misalucha, Acasio, Ihara, and San Buenaventura . Please take the time to thank them for their support, and write your local representative to ask for theirs!
African Swine Fever
African Swine Fever (ASF) virus is a highly contagious Asfivirus that can cause serious disease and death in domestic and feral swine. The disease originated in Africa, then spread to Europe (2007) and Asia (2018). In 2021, the disease was detected in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, marking the first time the disease was diagnosed in the western hemisphere in 40 years.
ASFV is transmitted directly between pigs or indirectly via Ornithodoros ticks, ingestion of infected meat, or fomites. Meat from infected animals can remain infectious for up to 5 months.
After exposure, the incubation period is between 3-19 days. In the peracute form, sudden death may be observed. In the acute form, pigs demonstrate high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abortion, and mortality (up to 100%). Less virulent subacute or chronic forms are often seen with less intense symptoms and lower mortality. A small number of animals can become lifelong carriers. No vaccine or treatment for this disease exists. The disease does not infect humans and poses no food safety threat.
International travelers should understand the risk of bringing ASF into the US, declare items and farm visits to US Customs, and avoid farms or locations with pigs for at least 5 days upon return.
Meet a Local Vet – Anya Cotliarenko
Anya Cotliarenko, BVetMed, MPVM, has been the Hawaii Liaison Veterinary Medical Officer for the USDA APHIS Vet Services since July 2021, filling the position vacated by Dr. Tim Falls when he retired at the end of 2020. She is originally from the Pacific Northwest and is a graduate of Royal Veterinary College/University of London.
Following graduation, she completed an internship at the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, an exclusive equine veterinary practice in central California. She then decided to pursue veterinary public health and completed a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degree at UC Davis before joining USDA/FSIS.
She served in several roles during her seven years of service with FSIS: Enforcement Investigations and Analysis Officer; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV), and Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer/Frontline Supervisor. She started as a VS field veterinarian in the Ontario District of California from September 2019. While there, she helped close out the 2018 vND outbreak and assisted in the development of CAHEN (California Avian Health Education Network) program: an education/outreach program for backyard poultry producers geared toward decreasing the risks associated with introducing Newcastle disease into the US.
She and her husband Guilherme have two children, Enzo (5) and Anita (2), one dog and two cats. Her other interests include Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, running (has completed 3 marathons!), water sports, photography, painting, piano, and equestrian activities.
Pet Kokua Wellness Clinics
The Hawaiian Humane Society is seeking licensed veterinarians to assist with community outreach clinics in District 9 (Ewa Beach, Waipahu, Mililani). Pet Kōkua Wellness Clinics are pop-up veterinary clinics that assist low-income and houseless pet owners with wellness checks, vaccinations, flea/tick preventatives, heartworm tests and preventatives, deworming, and treatments for minor illnesses and injury, at no cost to the owner.
Clinics are generally hosted one to two times a month, are 4 hours long and are generally appointment-based. The Pet Kōkua Program is able to offer veterinarians a stipend of $250 per clinic due to a generous grant from the City & County of Honolulu. If interested, please email outreach@hawaiianhumane.org with your general availability. You may also call Suzy Tam at 808-356-2225 with any questions.
HVMA Scholarship Announcement
Applications for the HVMA scholarship for current veterinary students from Hawaii are being accepted. Students must be enrolled full-time in an AVMA-accredited doctoral program of veterinary medicine and have graduated from a high school in Hawaii. Please share with any students you are mentoring!
All submissions due by 3/31/2022.
Application details here.
AVMA Winter House of Delegates
AVMA House of Delegates Report Jan 2022
Over the last year and a half, the Veterinary Profession has been faced with many new struggles and challenges. The Veterinary profession has had to adapt to a changing professional environment and increase in our workload. We have had to be innovative, resilient and creative to not only survive – but to thrive.
The American Veterinary Medical Association wanted to share this blog: Start 2022 with a commitment to wellbeing to help you lead a positive and bright 2022.
AVMA HOUSE OF DELEGATES WINTER SESSION:
The 2022 AVMA House of Delegates winter meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois from January 7-8. This meeting was held in conjunction with the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference “Leadership in a new era”. The meeting included reports from the treasurer, AVMA staff, a message from the president, speeches by candidates for president-elect and vice president, and action items for Resolutions and the Veterinary Information Forum.
The HOD meeting resulted in the following action items:
Resolution 1 – Revised Policy on Rabies
House of Delegates (HOD) voted for the resolution
Resolution 2 – Revised Policy on Annual Rabies Vaccination Waiver
Your Reference Committee HOD voted for the resolution
Resolution 3 – New Policy on Food Safety
HOD voted for the resolution.
Resolution 4 – New Policy on Supporting the Collection of Antimicrobial Use Data for Antimicrobial Stewardship
HOD voted for the resolution
Resolution 5 – Revised Policy on Guidelines for Classifying Veterinary Facilities HOD refer the resolution to the Board of Directors for additional consideration
Mahalo to those of you who shared your story to the Veterinary Information Forum topics. Here are the results to the House of Delegates Discussion:
VIF – License Portability
Your Reference Committee recommends that the House request the Board of Directors to further explore the issue of license portability, with consideration given to existing policies and the possible need for additional policies, in collaboration with the state and allied associations to further understand what issues need to be resolved and how to best address them.
VIF – Expanding AVMA Membership
Your Reference Committee recommends that the House request the Board of Directors to consider creating a pathway of communication with other veterinary healthcare team organizations, starting with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, to investigate how best to work collaboratively to strengthen their organizations and professions as well as the AVMA.
AVMA CONVENTION
JULY 29 – AUGUST 2, 2022
Philadelphia
Registration opens spring 2022.
Aloha and Mahalo!!
Leianne K. Lee Loy – Hawaii Delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates
Carolyn Naun – Hawaii Alternate Delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates
Veterinary Leadership Conference 2022
The AVMA’s Veterinary Leadership Conference is for veterinary professionals at every career stage who are interested in deepening their engagement with AVMA and other veterinary organizations. Leaders of all types are welcome to register:
Rising Leaders:
Attendees with a desire to get involved with veterinary organizations, and little or no prior leadership experience
Experienced Leaders:
Attendees with prior experience as volunteer leaders who want deeper engagement and opportunities to develop new skills
Presiding Leaders:
Attendees who have served as chair or president of a volunteer body, or as CEO or executive director, and want to perfect their leadership skills
The HVMA is willing to sponsor a member to attend the VLC. If you are interested, please contact us with your CV and personal statement by November 22, 2021.
Suicide Prevention Training
Veterinary medicine is a community, and a community supports its members. For that reason, the AVMA is offering free training in suicide prevention to all veterinary professionals. QPR gatekeeper training — short for “question, persuade, refer” — teaches people without professional mental health backgrounds to recognize the signs that someone may be considering suicide, establish a dialogue and guide the person to seek professional help.
Veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, assistants, practice managers and all other veterinary professionals are now eligible to take this free online training.
Member Engagement Survey
Thank you for your HVMA membership! Please take our membership engagement survey and let us know how you want to hear from us and how we can best serve you.
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