At the 2022 Convention, outgoing AVMA President Dr. Jose Arce bestowed Phil Hinkle, former executive director of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, posthumously with an AVMA President’s Award in recognition of his leadership, commitment, and advocacy on behalf of the veterinary profession. One of three honorees, Phil was described as “a visionary leader, who continues to be admired by many in our profession, including veterinarians, University of Florida faculty and students, industry, and AVMA volunteers and staff.” Dr. Arce described Phil as a tireless supporter of Florida’s veterinary community. Phil,...

As part of recognizing September as Suicide Prevention Month, AVMA Axon is offering two webinars to help veterinary professionals live their healthiest life at work and at home—and help colleagues do the same. The first webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, at noon CT, and will tackle communication-based challenges to suicide prevention and recommended approaches. A second webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 5 at noon CT, and will explore evidence-based approaches for reducing suicidal behaviors. Each live broadcast offers one hour of CE credit. Registration is free...

Three Reasons Why Introverts Can Be Good Leaders Diana Shi, Fast Company, July 5, 2022 What New Research Is Saying About Today’s Workplace Models Rasheeda Childress, Associations Now, July 27, 2022 Executive Research Perspective: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Association Governance Wendy-Jo Toyama and David A. Acosta, American Society of Association Executives, August 9, 2022...

Dear VMAE Members - I mentioned at the recent VMAE summer conference in Philadelphia that the cannabinoid issue is gaining traction. One of our clients is beginning FDA clinical trials and has supplement products on the market conforming to federal law in the 2018 Farm Bill. There is much confusion about where things stand, so we created a regulatory map which you and your members might value: https://chou2pharma.com/veterinarians/cannabinoid-map Mark Cushing Founder & CEO Animal Policy Group mark@animalpolicygroup.com...

Hey VMAE members – don’t forget about the VMAE Summer Conference this summer. We hope you “journey” to Philadelphia July 29-30 and partake in the VMAE Journey Workshop presentations, our Annual Awards and Membership Luncheons, reception, and camaraderie and networking with colleagues & friends…and some Wheeler cartoons as I pass the Presidential gavel! You can take advantage of reduced AVMA room block guarantee until May 20th (that’s in 3 days!) and early registration discounts for our conference until July 8th – Hope to see you there! Randy Wheeler, DVM Iowa VMA...

As we “spring” into summer (as was the case very quickly in Chicago), we are preparing for the summer conference (can’t wait to see MANY of you) and making significant progress on major initiatives. We continue to offer impactful, relevant content as part of the monthly Veterinary Practice Growth series, a benefit I hope you are utilizing to the fullest for your members. You will soon hear about another benefit from VMAE designed for VMAs to offer personal, professional, and business development content to their members. Our DEI collaboration with...

VMAE recently joined the Mind Matters International (MMI) Joint Statement on Veterinary Mental Health & Wellbeing, a collaboration established by the AVMA and the U.K Royal College of Surgeons in 2018 as a global effort to help improve mental health in the veterinary profession. All members must demonstrate a commitment to addressing veterinary wellbeing. In addition to AVMA and RCVS, MMI includes the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, American Association of Veterinary State Boards, Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations,...

VMAE and the Veterinary Wellbeing Alliance launched a one-year pilot program to help veterinary professionals reduce stress and burnout. The Veterinary Wellbeing Alliance was created through a partnership between VMAE and the wellbeing platform Listeners On Call (LOC), with the generous support of 16 professional and industry organizations. Through the pilot, approximately 10,000 veterinary professionals in Georgia, New York and Texas have complimentary access to Listeners On Call. Members of those state VMAs are offered four hours per month at no charge to connect over the phone with one of...

Veterinary Visionaries is a collaboration of over 50 organizations that have come together to collectively solve issues facing the profession. Through Solving Events using a crowdsourced platform, everyone in the industry is invited to submit systemic ideas that are then evaluated by a panel of professionals unique to the Event’s singular question. The topic for the Spring Solving Event, which runs through May 27, is “How might we build systemic solutions and support for veterinary teams to continuously improve mental wellbeing, especially related to moral distress, ethical trauma, and compassion...

Individuals and organizations are invited to apply for grants of up to $20,000 to fund efforts that increase the medicalization of companion cats. Areas of interest could include telemedicine, animal welfare/sheltering, data collection, access to care and or preventive care. The CATalyst Council will accept applications through October 31, and awards will be distributed in January 2023. For grant guidelines and application information contact cats@catalystcouncil.org. The CATalyst Council enables the lifelong health and welfare of companion cats. Founded in 2008, they bring together data, knowledge and resources from shelter and...