Activity

MINUTES IEVMA Meeting July 13, 2017

Dr. Wehr reported that thank you notes had been received from Kara Fenity, recipient of the Linda Wood communication scholarship, Morgan Feist, winner of the Kent McVey memorial scholarship, and Dean Dr. Bryan Slinker for the association’s ongoing support of the college via scholarships. She announced that this year’s IEVMA scholarships for incoming freshmen will go to Meisha Moro and John Hanlon.
It was decided to donate $250 to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony this year.
Dr. McEntire reported that she has met with an accounting firm to get input on how to modify practices to strengthen the protection of the association’s assets. Among the recommendations were to switch to “cloud” accounting, semi-annual bookkeeper review and to have another board member sign off on the monthly bank account reconciliation.
Dr. Wehr announced that the board will be meeting monthly. Association members are welcome to attend board meetings to present issues, concerns or other input.
As a benefit of membership, each association member may now bring one LVT to the quarterly CE meetings, which will offer credit for both veterinarians and technicians. Going forward, the CE program will be before the business meeting, allowing techs and our speakers to skip the meeting.
Dr. Branford spoke on Dr. Hunter’s exceptional leadership over the past 27 years and moved that the association donate $5 K to the WSU CVM to be used for scholarships acknowledging students who have shown outstanding potential for leadership. The scholarships will be awarded at the discretion of a committee at the college. Dr. Porter seconded. Motion passed.
Dr. Branford sought two people to take over secretarial duties – one who will serve as a traditional secretary on the board and the second to assume a salaried position as an administrative assistant to produce the newsletter, maintain the website, assist the treasurer and winter meeting chairs and other duties. Please contact any board member if interested.
Dr. Day stated that the winter meeting will be Feb 3-4, 2018, and will cover behavior, with a focus on dogs.

Drs. Felix Lankester and Thumbi Mwangi spoke on the Serengeti Health Initiative. Take home messages:

– 59,000 people die annually of rabies, half are children under 16
– Exposure is overwhelming via domestic dogs
– If 70% of the dogs in a community are immune, rabies is prevented in that community
– Non-cold-chain stored rabies vaccine is effective for 6 months if held at 25 degrees C and 3 months if held at 30 degrees C, so a local vaccine coordinator is a very effective way of maintaining immunity in a community
– The Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health is anxious to partner with clinics to continue and expand this program.
– FMI: http://www.EliminateRabies.wsu.edu