NHVMA EXECUTIVE BOARD ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

March 31, 2017 12:15 to 1:00 p.m.

AGENDA

I. Lobbyist’s Report- Dick Bouley, Lobbyist, NHVMA II. Secretary’s Report- Dr. Kathy Evans III. Treasurer’s Report- Dr. Nicole Young IV. Installment of Officers: Secretary – Kathy Evans, Treasurer - Nicole Young

V. Old Business a. Nominees to the NH State Board of Veterinary Licensure: i. Dr. Elaine Arsenault ii. Dr. Jill Patronagio iii. Dr. Judith LeClerc VI. New Business VII. Introduction of Distinguished Guests: Representing the Commissioner of Agriculture, Markets & Food Dr. Steve Crawford, State Veterinarian, Dean Jon Wraith, UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, Dean Deborah Kochevar, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Karen Bradley, AVMA District 1 Representative, Dr. Cathy Gajewski, Chair, NH Board of Veterinary Medicine

VIII. Committee Reports (attached)

a. Presidents Message f. Continuing Education b. AVMA Delegates g. Membership c. Legislative h. Memorial d. Social Media & Public Relations i. Wellness e. Scholarship j. NHDVL k. Ethics

IX. Other Business

1 SECRETARY’S REPORT April 1, 2016 The meeting was called to order at 12:20 PM by President Dr. Jane Barlow. After a brief welcome, Dr. Barlow introduced guest speaker Lorraine Merrill, Commissioner of Agriculture. Commissioner Merrill opened with a discussion of the new facility for the UNH Diagnostic Laboratory. This new facility will enhance the services that the lab provides. Ms. Merrill then went on to discuss the budget concerns for the Department of Agriculture. The department is chronically understaffed and underfunded, however there has been approval for a new Assistant State Veterinary position along with a veterinary technician position.

Lobbyist Report: NHVMA Lobbyist Dick Bouley included handouts covering the major bills affecting veterinary medicine, namely House Bill 1423, relative to rulemaking for prescribing controlled drugs. This bill will require the Board of Veterinary Medicine to write rules regarding the prescribing of controlled drugs by veterinarians. The NHVMA is still opposed to House Bill 1547, prohibiting bestiality, as written. Mr. Bouley closed by thanking Drs. Jane Barlow, George Messenger and Jim Belanger for attending hearings on behalf of the NHVMA. Secretary’s Report: Included in the packet.

Treasurer’s Report: Included in the packet. Dr. Nicole Young will be taking over as the new treasurer.

The slate of officers was presented as follows: President: Dr. Elizabeth Kellett Vice President: Dr. Rachel Roemer Secretary: Dr. Katherine Evans Treasurer: Dr. Nicole Young Nominations to the Board of Veterinary Medicine: Dr. Janet Mack Dr. John MacGregor Third nominee needed All officers were elected unanimously to nominated positions.

New Business: An amendment to the by-laws under Article VIII, Dues and Remunerations was presented. This amendment would give discounted NHVMA dues rates to new and recent graduates on a sliding scale. This amendment passed by a voice vote.

Dr. George Messenger, Chair of the Wellness Committee, took the floor to discuss the problem with suicide in the veterinary profession. There was a recent Wellness Roundtable at the AVMA meeting to address this problem. There is currently a You Tube video by veterinary students,” It’s OK”, helping also to address these concerns.

2 Introduction of Guest Speakers:

Dean Jon Wraith, UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, opened by discussing the new NHVDL facility. The new facility will be able to handle large animal necropsies. The open house in October was very well attended. There are currently two new pathologists at the lab, Dr. David Needle and Dr. Brian Stevens. The veterinary technician program continues to grow and is looking to fill a lecture position with a certified veterinary technician.

Dr. Robert Brust, President of the NH Board of Veterinary Medicine, stated the need for a third nominee to the Board. Dr. Brust then went on to discuss license renewals. There is a list of pre-approved CE (RACE approved CE) on the updated website. Only 25% of the hours can be in alternative medicine. He stressed that with only 1 part-time office staff that early renewal is recommended. In closing Dr. Brust reminded veterinarians that they are required by law to register with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). There will likely be the need for 3 additional CE credit hours on controlled substances.

President Jane Barlow thanked our guest speakers and then asked members to join us for our monthly Executive Board meetings at CAVES on the first Monday of the month. Dr. Elizabeth Kellett presented a plaque to Dr. Barlow and thanked her for her 2 years of service. Dr. Elizabeth Kellett then adjourned the meeting at 1 PM . Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Katherine Evans, Secretary

3 NHVMA Annual Treasurer’s Report for Year Ending Dec. 31, 2016

Balances (in dollars , rounded) 12/31/16 to 12/31/15 Difference

MCSB checking $64,492 to $59,733 T. Rowe Price 96,376 to $93,166 People’s United Bank $8,987 to $7,957 Total $169,856 to $160,856 difference $9,000 NHVMA Scholarship Fund $360,623 to $386,903 difference $26,162

Profit and Loss 2016 to 2015 Difference

Income Spring CE/Annual meeting $35,418 to $27,385 Fall CE meeting $23,685 to $24,095 Auction $4,023 to $4,135 Commissions (credit card) $515 to $944 Membership dues $52,355 to $53,875 Rabies and health certs. $10,788 to $9,526 T. Rowe Price investment income $2,303 to $2,590 All other $910 to $1,522 Total income $125,975 to $124,072 difference $1,903

Expense Administrative expenses $49,750 to $48,482 CE expenses $39,984 to $36,024 Legislative and lobbying expenses $25,872 to $27,413 All other $2,176 to $7,274 Total expense $117,782 to $119,193 difference $1,411

Net income $8,193 to $4,879 difference $3,314

Our association is in sound financial shape. We netted a small profit this past year ($8,193), which was an improvement from last year. We increased our member numbers and slightly increased the cost of annual membership dues. We also improved the profitability of our CE meetings this year, thanks to the hard work of our new continuing education committee, and we managed to decrease our expenses by $1,411.

The NHVMA Scholarship Fund helped 16 veterinary students this year, with total grants of $19,100. We bought books for veterinary technology students at Great Bay Community College and UNH, totaling $4,348. The NHVMA continued our tradition of contributing a donation to the Fund in memory of each New Hampshire veterinarian deceased in the past year. Also, as in past years, 10% of our CE meeting profits are being deposited into the Fund. The Fund

4 additionally received $1,825 from the NEVMA, representing the NHVMA's portion of the profits from the NEVMA meeting. This was significantly down this year due to low attendance at the 2016 New England Veterinary Conference.

This year I have been actively transitioning to the role of Treasurer with the continued support and mentorship of our previous Treasurer, George Messenger. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like a copy of any financial reports.

Respectfully submitted,

Nicole Young DVM, Treasurer

President’s Report

What makes you happy? Hugs from a happy hound, learning a new hobby, seeing appointments on time during a busy day, seeing a difficult case through with a successful outcome for the owners, connecting with a friend? Choose Happy. Our profession is small and made up of people who care. It's OK to ask for help, none of us are alone. The AVMA has resources available to help improve the well being of ourselves, colleagues and friends at avma.org/wellness.

It is exciting to be a part of a wonderful community of veterinarians in New Hampshire. Our membership has grown to over 300 members in the past year. The NHVMA provides opportunities to meet other veterinarians and build a support network, learn new personal and professional development skills and help contribute to a greater good within the profession that extends to the public we serve. We have been continuously working to integrate electronic communication to keep in touch with membership. Hopefully you have been receiving quarterly newsletters and updates from the NHVMA over email and keeping track of current events and information via the NHVMA Facebook Page.

Our legislative committee monitored several important pieces of legislation that affect how we practice veterinary medicine. The one in the forefront of media attention was the new law that went into effect August 2016 requiring veterinarians to fulfill some of the same requirements as physicians when prescribing opioids for pain. The rules implementing this law are on hold. There is a new law (HB 291) before the legislature currently to exempt veterinarians from querying human owners when prescribing pain medications for animals. Please note, you still have to register with the PDMP at www.newhampshirepdmp.com in order to renew your NH veterinary license.

Thank you to our very active CE committee for planning and improving our CE opportunities. Our fall oncology continuing education meeting with David Vail was attended by

5 over 100 veterinarians and technicians. Visit our website: www.nhvma.com for more information about our upcoming CE meetings. We recently had an exhibit booth at the Farm and Forest Exposition this February. Thanks to Dr. Mark Mitchell for the booth design and volunteers to meet with visitors throughout the weekend. The NHVMA was well-represented at the AVMA leadership meeting in Chicago this January by Dr. Rachel Roemer, Vice President, Dr. Cam MacDermid, Emerging Leader, Dr. Tom Candee and Dr. David Stowe as our AVMA delegates, Linda Baines, Executive Director and myself. We attended small session workshops and presentations about leadership development as well as participating in the general sessions with the AVMA House of Delegates. Several spouses and family members joined our group to make it a family friendly leadership adventure! There are still several leadership opportunities available within the organization. We are in need of a veterinarian to fill the role of membership committee chair. Also, please let us know if you know any recent graduates who may be interested in the AVMA Emerging Leaders Program in the upcoming year. The NHVMA meetings are open meetings on the first Monday of the month at 7:30 pm at CAVES in Concord, NH. Come along and share your voice, meet with colleagues and help give back to the profession.

Respectfully Submitted,

Elizabeth Kellett, BVSc , President

Legislative Committee

During the past year the NHVMA legislative committee has been involved predominantly with one issue regarding the new law pertaining to the NH prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). All NH veterinary practices have been required by law to be registered with the PDMP for over two years. If you are not registered you are breaking the law and jeopardizing your license. You are required to report to the PDMP weekly and submit to them details of any controlled substances dispensed to owners from your practice.

In the summer of 2016 a new law was passed (HB1423) which, when enacted, would have required vets to develop treatment plans, a risk assessment, and query the PDMP database for the owner of the pet whenever dispensing or prescribing any opioid medication for pain relief. The NHVMA did not support this bill and testified against it at legislative hearings. The bill was passed quickly despite our objections. However, we persisted and contacted several legislators and also contacted the judicial review committee to explain the unintended consequences of this law on veterinary practice. Our main objection was to the requirement for veterinarians to

6 query the pet owners personal prescription database which we felt was an invasion of the owners privacy, not in our practice act, and a possible liability risk. The judicial review committee listened to us and submitted a new bill to exempt veterinarians from HB1423. During January and February of 2017 we attended multiple hearings and conversed with key legislators. Ultimately the new bill (HB291-FN) passed the NH house. The bill will be heard by the senate and, as of the writing of this report, we are expecting it to pass either intact or with some minor amendments.

As you can see, the work of the NHVMA along with our lobbyists, Dick Bouley and Tyler Clark, is essential to safeguarding the way you practice veterinary medicine. Our website will continue to provide members with timely updates in any changes in laws and regulations. It is important for you to stay tuned in order to be in compliance. Please note that you are still required to register and report to the PDMP.

Respectfully submitted,

Suzan Watkins and Jane Barlow Roy

Memorial Committee

The Memorial Committee acknowledged the loss of three veterinarians this past year, Dr. Owen Stevens, Dr. Edwin E Blaisdell and Dr. Victor P. LaBranche. In all cases, we made contributions in their memory to our Scholarship Fund.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Baines, Executive Director

Public Relations and Social Media

Facebook and Twitter

You can find us on Facebook by searching NHVMA on your Facebook page. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians and office managers are encouraged to join. We have 216 members and

7 this number is growing. This is a fun and interactive sites where you will find all kinds of information from educational articles to current events and updates.

We are on twitter! Our Twitter address is NHVMA @ NHVMA. We have 1,187 flowers from all over the world! This site is public and is for anyone. Currently our followers are other organizations and individual veterinarians from all over the world. Please join us on Twitter and encourage your clients to join too!

Farm and Forest: We had a booth representing the NHVMA at the Farm and Forest Expo last Feburary in Manchester. We are thankful that every year veterinarians volunteer to work in the booth and great the public. Thanks to all who participated and hope to see you next year!

New Newsletter: We are pleased to offer to our members an updated newsletter. This service was started as an e-mail newsletter in 2016. It will be sent to you every 4 months as an e-mail attachment. All members are welcome to submit classifieds such as job postings, listing of relief veterinarians, events and for sale items (with photos). The newsletter is scheduled to come out each April, August and December.

Look for your next newsletter to arrive in your e-mail mid April!

Send classifieds and submissions to Cathy Gajewski at [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is generally the first week of the month the newsletter comes out (April, August and December).

Respectfully submitted,

Cathy Gajewski, Chair

AVMA

The following are what I consider the highlights of the AVMA from 2016-2017. Please note the wellness training, cyberbullying hotline and DVM reputation guard programs, free PDF versions of Veterinary Economic Reports and the new AVMA database for animal health studies. AVMA Convention 2017 is in Indianapolis July 21-25.

8 Wellness

As part of our ongoing commitment to personal and professional wellness, the AVMA is actively involved in several initiative, one of which is detailed below.

QPR Training The AVMA and our insurance trusts, AVMA LIFE and AVMA PUT, have joined together to offer gatekeeper suicide-prevention training to a limited number of AVMA and Student AVMA members on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost. Called QPR training (an acronym for "Question, Persuade, Refer"), this training teaches people without professional mental health backgrounds how to recognize the signs that someone may be considering suicide.

The training program, which launched February 1, also focuses on establishing a dialogue with the person, and guiding him or her to seek professional help. The training isn't a substitute for professional assistance, but instead provides what can be a critical tool to save lives. You can find out more about the training at avma.org/qpr.

Cyberbullying

In recent years, cyberbullying has become a cause for concern among veterinarians and other veterinary professionals. We're taking steps to help lessen the problem and assist our members if they become a victim of cyberbullying. The AVMA has entered into an agreement with Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., to provide services for mitigation of cyberbullying and online reputation management. As of December, a 24/7 cyberbullying hotline (626-531-1140), answered by experienced crisis management consultants, became available to AVMA members who are being cyberbullied and in need of immediate assistance. This service includes 30 minutes of actionable consultation at no charge to AVMA members, and a significantly discounted rate for members if additional consultation is needed.

Also, a DVM ReputationGuard subscription service ( www.DwRenutationGuard.com ) is available to AVMA members at a specially discounted rate. The service tracks, analyzes, and notifies participants of reputation threats before they become overwhelming, and then helps the participants respond. State VMAs are starting to take advantage of these services as a result of the AVMA's efforts. As a result of the announcement that the AVMA is offering these services to our members, Bernstein Crisis Management experts have been invited to address the topic to veterinary organizations. On February 14, Bernstein provided cyberbullying guidance to the Minnesota VMA via Skype during one of the association's "Lunch and Learn" sessions.

Database of Animal Health Studies

9 Last summer, we launched the AVMA Animal Health Studies Database, a free, searchable tool to connect practicing veterinarians and animal owners to veterinary clinical studies. The database has 250 study listings, and more than 18,700 searches of the database have been performed to date.

Many state VMAs, allied veterinary organizations and practices have links to the database on their websites, and the database appears at the top of Google search results for "veterinary clinical trials" or "veterinary clinical studies." The AVMA is providing this resource in an effort to help accelerate the accumulation of evidence to guide improvements in animal health care and the practice of veterinary medicine. The database can be accessed at opww.avma.ora/tindvetstudies.

Opioids and Veterinary Medicine ("vet shopping," or veterinary clinics targeted by "doc shoppers")

Veterinarians are acutely aware and gravely concerned that the United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Veterinarians want to be an active partner in an effective strategy to combat this growing problem. Proposed solutions to managing the epidemic must support the ability of veterinarians to appropriately care for their patients. Appropriate care includes pain management, and opioids are an important part of managing pain in veterinary patients. Therefore, it's critically important that veterinarians' access to — and their ability to responsibly use — these drugs is retained.

Veterinarians are trained in the appropriate selection, use, handling, and prescribing of medications for their patients, and this includes opioids. While the concern related to abuse of opioids has gathered attention in the media, a 50-state survey of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) identified fewer than 10 "veterinary shoppers" per year nationwide. And, in looking at the stories that have most recently been shared in the media, one quickly finds that the same pets and owners are repeatedly described, which does not validate an epidemic of 'vet shopping.

Obtaining the opioid is not a simple process. A veterinary visit must occur with the establishment of a VCPR, the veterinarian must determine if opioids are part of the appropriate treatment, and the opioid must be secured via prescription at a pharmacy or dispensing from the veterinarian. There are significant complications related to the PDMPs that pose challenges to the efficiency and accuracy of the information that is sought:

Owners can provide false information; Pets can have multiple owners and be owned by multiple households; Pet owners can authorize others (e.g., groomers, pet-sitters) to take pets to the veterinarian for care, which expands the field of individuals whose histories may need to be researched;

10 Some software selected by state regulators for PDMPs does not accommodate veterinary Patients well.

Veterinary Economic Report Series

Our Veterinary Economic Report series provides the most current and vitally important veterinary economics information in the profession. The reports are being produced by staff in our Veterinary Economics Division; they explore the many facets of veterinary economics, and help you better understand the markets you operate in and the factors that impact your livelihood.

In 2016, the AVMA released the following reports: AVMA Report on Veterinary Markets AVMA & AAVMC Report on the Market for Veterinary Education AVMA Report on the Market for Veterinarians

The 2016 AVMA Report on the Market for Veterinary Services is now available. This is the fourth and final report in our series addressing veterinary market dynamics and trends for 2016. This report offers information and narratives to build understanding of trends, challenges and opportunities associated with product and service delivery in veterinary medicine. After receiving substantial interest and feedback, we have elected to make this version of the report free to our members; members and nonmembers can purchase printed copies of each report through the AVMA Store on our website, avma.org.

11 AVMA Convention 2017

AVMA Convention 2017 will be held in Indianapolis July 21 — 25, 2017. General registration opened February 21. Due to other events taking place in the city during that time, you are encouraged to make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. Among the highlights: Renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno, a National Geographic Explorer and internationally acclaimed professor at the University of Chicago, will give a keynote presentation that explores how the history of the animal world relates to modem veterinary medicine. New for AVMA Convention: AVMA Convention 2017 will feature poster presentations in the Exhibit Hall on a variety of topics. The posters will showcase the latest research and innovative ideas from practitioners and students. For those who are experts on hot issues facing the profession or industry trends, the AVMA invites you to submit a hot topics proposal for inclusion at AVMA Convention 2017. Last year's topics ranged from religious slaughter, gender, debt, drug abuse and the Zika virus. The submission deadline is March 12.

Respectfully submitted,

Tom Candee, Delegate

CE Committee

We had an enthusiastic reception for our Spring CE which featured Drs. Joseph Wakshlag and Christopher Frye lecturing on Nutrition and Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation. Dr. David Vail lectured on oncology at our fall CE which attracted a large and enthusiastic audience.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tonya E. Brown, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Membership Committee

Membership has steadily increased over the past 6 years. We had almost 320 members in 2016. We also were able to extend invitations to newly licensed veterinarians in NH with the cooperation of the NH Board of Veterinary Medicine. Membership dues for 2017 are coming in early due to the estatement bill that was sent to our members. Almost 200 members are already paid for this calendar year.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Baines, Executive Director

12 Wellness Committee

As you all must know, there has been a lot of focus upon wellness in the veterinary profession in the past few years, and it seems to be catching fire. We are talking about our problems, and the veterinary profession and public are becoming much more aware of the stresses that we face and the toll that it is taking.

Last year, I informed our members of several veterinarian-support-type Facebook groups that have emerged in recent years. These have been evolving, and the one that has emerged as the go-to for most veterinarians has been the one called Not One More Vet. There are over 9,000 members, and as a result, it is a very active group. Recently, many veterinarians are sharing their dilemmas anonymously, and they are getting an enormous amount of helpful input from their peers, which is very encouraging. As a result of the popularity of this Facebook page a website has emerged. It is nomv.org. It is easy to join. I am not sure what will become of it, but give it a try.

This past year the committee was joined by Rich Williams (from Nashua) and Jessica Neveu (Manchester). Thanks to both of you. However, we have not had any regular meetings, and thus there is not much to report. We are open to new committee members, and to ideas from our membership. We are here to help in any way that we can. The hardest thing to do is to ask for help, but it can be a very healthy move to make.

My involvement on this committee in the past has been the result of my struggle with various issues, including depression and alcoholism. I have gone through stages in my recovery with numerous relapses. During my most recent relapse, I participated in an intensive outpatient rehab program at the Acumen Institute in Lawrence, KS. I cannot begin to tell you what an amazing program that was. The Institute consists of a staff of MDs, psychologists and social workers who are at the top of their game, and who treat only medical health professionals. I would love to share my experience with anyone who is interested. If anyone out there is stuck in addiction, or simply feeling miserable or depressed, this is a great program to attend.

Please also be aware that there is a lot of really good Wellness information on the AVMA website.

Feel free to contact any of us at any time, with our assurance of complete confidentiality. If you simply want to try out an AA meeting, well, that’s my specialty. Any time.

Respectfully submitted,

13 George Messenger DVM, Chair [email protected] 603-344-1038

Scholarship Committee

The NHVMA Scholarship program provided $18,750 in financial aid to the New Hampshire veterinary students for the 2016-2017 school year. Awards are based on academic achievement, work experience and personal references. The funds are available to students in all four years of study, with larger amounts reserved for students in their third and fourth year of veterinary school. Veterinary schools represented this year included Washington State University, University of Georgia, Cornell, Auburn, Atlantic Veterinary College, the Ohio State University, Tufts, University of Tennessee, Michigan State, Iowa State University, St. George University and PEI.

Respectfully submitted,

Kendra Champlin, DVM, Chair

Ethics Committee

The NHVMA Ethics Committee has received a variety of inquiries over the past year including concerns about medical cases to complaints about breeding facilities. The Ethics Committee offers information regarding clients’ options and rights and attempts to help resolve disputes between veterinarians and clients when possible. Cases that warrant detailed medical record review are formally forwarded to the NH Veterinary Licensing Board. Some of these cases stem largely from miscommunication between the client and veterinarian/veterinary office. Ensuring good communication with clients may avoid some of these disputes. The Ethics Committee is always here to serve as a liaison between the two parties to help facilitate an amicable resolution. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Respectfully submitted,

Rachel Roemer, DVM, Chair

New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

Having now spent a full year in our new building, the custom design, location and technological upgrades continue to provide significant improvements and opportunities for growth. Our

14 FY16, fiscal year ended in June with a 14% increase over FY15 revenues. Halfway into our FY17 the lab is continues on an upward trajectory.

In order to help the lab advance with new testing and qualify for additional funding and collaborative opportunities at the federal level, funding additional full time positions will be a priority. Establishing new state funding for these positions will undoubtedly be a challenge. The NHVMA’s engagement of the NH legislature on behalf of the lab continues to be beneficial and much appreciated. Continued use of the lab services by NHVMA members and agricultural producers supports the lab’s mission and is an integral part of a robust animal health infrastructure for our region.

Private Donor Gifts Procuring alternative funds to supplement our traditional funding streams has become an important and fruitful direction for the lab. This past October 2016 we received an additional $50,000 donation from a private family foundation in Massachusetts. Over the past four years, this brings the total annual donations from this one family to $200,000. We cannot express our gratitude enough for this generosity and what it means for the lab. Tax deductible gifts of any size result in transformative improvements for the lab with direct benefit to animal health, public health, and training opportunities for students in the veterinary and biomedical sciences. Online donations going directly to the lab are easy and secure at nhvdl.unh.edu/giving

New Technologies This past year the lab has continued to make significant investments in equipment upgrades and new technologies. While some examples included wireless data loggers in all our temperature monitored equipment, new computers, and automated washers for the serology lab, the most exciting equipment purchase this past year was Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for the microbiology lab. At over $200K, this represents the single largest equipment purchase in lab history. $50K came from private donor funds and the remainder was funded by the UNH Agricultural Experiment Station. “MALDI- TOF” provides rapid and accurate identification of microbial agents by breaking their cellular molecules into smaller pieces, which are separated by atomic mass, producing a “molecular fingerprint” which is matched against a database with thousands of known infectious agents. This is the most in-depth level of microbial identification available other than performing DNA sequencing, which can be more costly and time consuming. After organisms are grown, the time for a bacterial identification is now minutes when compared to the traditional methods, which can take days. Installation and training was just completed in February 2017 and the NHVDL now joins top veterinary labs across the country with this revolutionizing technology. What this means for NHVDL clients is a significantly increased scope and speed of organism identification.

Personnel Achievements In September, David Needle, DVM, Dipl. ACVP and Brian Stevens, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVP passed their boards in Veterinary Pathology. This notable achievement is a testament to the

15 outstanding diagnostic services they provide. After completing excellent residency programs, David at Michigan State University and Brian at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, they joined Inga Sidor, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVP and Roger Wells, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVP as part of the NHVDL pathology team in the Fall of 2016. NHVDL pathologists are very accessible and always appreciate opportunities to discuss pathology results with clients.

Fee Increase Support from the University and NH Department of Agriculture has been strong, however, it’s been over 4 years since any increase in fees. In order to keep up with rising labor and supply costs and to ensure constant improvement to quality assurance for our stakeholders, there will be some minor adjustments (increases and decreases) to our fee schedule this Spring. Notices and new fee schedules will be sent out soon.

Academics The Pre-Veterinary Program in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is graduating another strong group of students in 2017. We have 12 current and former graduates applying to veterinary school in this cycle, and already 11 of them have been accepted to at least one school, continuing our better-than-national-average rates of admission. We greatly appreciate the opportunities for internships and shadowing given by NHVMA members at their clinics. The two-year veterinary technician program in the Thompson School also continues to have full enrollments with 18 expected graduates for May 2017. For additional hands on experience, the vet tech program will soon be opening its on-campus low-income veterinary clinic. Students in both the 4yr and 2yr programs benefit from the teaching, advising and experiences offered through the NHVDL and its staff. Additionally, the lab offers employment opportunities for approximately 12-15 undergraduates each semester.

Note on Antibiotic Resistance The NHVDL has been identifying multiple cases of Methicillin Resistant (MR) Staphylococci in companion animals on a weekly basis. Most of these cases have been in canine and feline, skin and wound infections but also have been found in urinary tract infections and cases of otitis. We are screening all Staphylocci isolated from companion animals according to CLSI guidelines for MR at no charge. This past year we have also added a test for Penicillin Binding Protein (PBP2) as further confirmation of any MR isolates. PBP2 is the protein produced from Staphylococci carrying (and expressing) the mecA gene which codes for MR. While MR Staphylococci are not reportable, and veterinary Staphylococci are less likely to be zoonotic than the strains passed between humans, they do present a significant treatment challenge as they are often multi drug resistant (MDR) across a variety of antibiotic classes. Future efforts and outreach regarding resistance and antibiotic stewardship are in the works.

Thank You! We want to thank the NHVMA membership for their continued patronage and support. The NHVDL is your lab, and thanks to you, we remain a vital animal health resource for New Hampshire and our New England neighbors.

16 Respectfully submitted,

Robert Gibson NHVDL, Managing Director

17