CVMA VOICE Today’s Voice, Tomorrow’s Vision • CVMA Position Statement on Declawing • New PACFA Rules in Effect • Veterinary Client Satisfaction in Colorado 2014, ISSUE #3 CVMA Voice 2014:3 | PAGE 1 e were very pleased with the attention “W given to our expansion, and we are extremely satisfied with the overall outcome. Colin Carr Carr Healthcare Realty was able to get us twice President Denver Metro the space at a lower cost per square foot than we had anticipated. We would not hesitate to utilize 303.817.6654 their services in the future.” [email protected] Don Gretter, Business Manager High Plains Veterinary Hospital ContactPhotos.indd 2 12/12/13 4:56:30 PM Roger Hernandez Colorado Springs At Carr Healthcare Realty… Southern Colorado We provide experienced representation and skilled 719.339.9007 negotiating for veterinarians’ office space needs. 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Lease Negotiations • Office Relocations • Lease Renewals • Purchases CVMA Voice.indd 1 1/24/14 10:38:16 AM CVMA VOICE TABLE OF CONTENTS Inside CVMA Events and Deadlines President’s Post . 4 October 4–5 CVMA CE Southwest Briefings . 5 Durango Of Note . 6 November 7–8 Thank You CVMA Members! . 6 BIG Ideas Forum | Fall 2014 Colorado Springs 7 CVMA Adds Membership and Outreach Assistant to Staff . 6 February 5 CVMA Explores CVMA Advocacy Training CVMA Explores the Declawing Issue . 7 Denver the Declawing CVMA Member Behaviors and Attitudes Issue Surrounding Feline Declawing March 19 Procedures . 8 CVMA Media Training Denver CVMA Member Declaw Survey Results . 9 April 11–12 DRAFT: Position Statement on 9PetCheck Declawing (Onychectomy) of Colorado Domestic Cats . 11 AVMA Policy: Declawing of Domestic Cats . 12 14 AAHA Declawing (Onychectomy) Position Statement . 13 Shelter Outreach Shelter Outreach in Southeastern in Southeastern Colorado . 14 Colorado AVMA District IX Report to CVMA Members . 15 AVMA Update . 16 Government Affairs . 18 New PACFA Rule Effective July 31 . 18 Issuing Health Certificates via the iPad . 19 24 Science Update . 21 What Did Your Zoonosis Update . 21 Receptionist Just Say?!? In Practice . 22 Helping Cat Owners Prevent and Deal with Destructive Clawing . 22 Veterinary Client Satisfaction in Colorado . 23 What Did Your Receptionist Just Say? . 24 Our Mission 10 Things the Veterinarian Peer CVMA exists to enhance 28 Health Assistance Program Can Do for You and Your Practice . 26 animal health and welfare, Auxiliary to promote the human/ the CVMA: CVMA News . 28 animal bond, protect public Canine Projects Auxiliary to the CVMA: Canine Projects . 28 health, advance the VPI Thanks CVMA Members for wellbeing of veterinarians, District Visits . 28 and foster excellence Welcome New CVMA Members! . 29 in veterinary medicine through education, advocacy, and outreach. 2014, Issue #3 PRESIDENT’S POST Colorado Veterinary Medical Association 191 Yuma Street Denver, Colorado 80223 303 .318 0447. or 800 .228 .5429 Fax 303 .318 0450. Peter Hellyer, DVM info@colovma org. President www.colovma.org Dear CVMA get used in veterinary medicine. I hope you Members, will join us for a very interesting discussion and stay for the afternoon to participate in the MANAGING EDITOR I hope you had an commission meetings. Cami Cacciatore enjoyable summer and were able to attend This issue of the VOICE contains a number PUBLISHER the annual CVMA convention. In addition to of articles related to declawing in cats. You Ralph Johnson convention, we now have robust educational will notice a draft CVMA position statement offerings at CVMA CE West in Palisade and on declawing (see page 11). The statement CVMA CE SW in Durango. There are a lot The CVMA Voice is published goes a little further than similar statements of advantages to having the convention in quarterly to members and once from AVMA, AAFP, and AAHA in character- Loveland in terms of attendance, accessibility a year to nonmembers free of izing declawing as a painful procedure that to members and speakers, close proximity to charge . Information and advice must be managed appropriately. In addition, CSU and the College of Veterinary Medicine presented in this publication do we have deleted any references to the need and Biomedical Sciences, meeting facilities, not necessarily represent the to declaw a cat for a client that is immuno- and cost to run the meeting for CVMA. In views of CVMA . compromised, as we are not in the role of spite of all the advantages of the Front Range advising human health. Please review the location, it is a long way from home for our draft CVMA position statement on declaw- members on the Western Slope and in the ing and let your District Reps know how Deadlines for Submission southwestern part of the state. My impression you feel about the proposed document. It is All articles, contributions, is that the excellent offerings in Palisade and my hope that the Board of Directors will ap- and display ads must be Durango are meeting the needs of our mem- prove the position statement at the BIG Ideas received in the CVMA office by bers for CE in those parts of the state. Inter- Forum in November. This document will the dates reflected below . estingly, the meeting in Palisade is starting to formally represent our collective views on For more information or to attract members from the Front Range due to declawing in cats and will be instrumental in obtain a rate schedule, contact the outstanding CE program and wonderful any discussions regarding legislative actions the CVMA office at 303 .318 0447. meeting location. Please let the CVMA office or ballot initiatives to ban declawing in cats or info@cvma org. or your District Representative know if there in Colorado. are other CE programs we need to be consid- In the last issue of the VOICE, I mentioned ering to meet the needs of our members. Issue #1 — January 15 that the Executive Committee was planning The BIG Ideas Forum (November 7-8, Issue #2 — April 15 on beginning the process of a strategic plan 2014, Cheyenne Mountain Resort) is our Issue #3 — July 15 refresh to ensure that the mission of CVMA is next educational opportunity and one that I Issue #4 — October 15 still relevant to our members now and for the am really looking forward to. Telemedicine next three to five years. This is such an impor- has been in use in human medicine for a num- tant process that the Executive Committee ber of years and is beginning to make inroads has invited an impressive group of CVMA into veterinary medicine. Under the right leaders to participate in the process, includ- circumstances, telemedicine may provide ad- ing the Board of Directors, key CVMA staff ditional contact points with clients who find members, representatives from the Power of it difficult to return to the clinic as often as Ten group, and past presidents of our organi- we would like to follow a particular patient’s zation. I am optimistic that the strategic plan- condition. What kinds of patients and clients ning will keep us on the right track to meet are viable candidates for telemedicine? How the needs of our members and to stay relevant can telemedicine be used to support the in the changing world in which we live. veterinarian- client- patient- relationship? Is I want to express my deep appreciation telemedicine billable, or are we just giving and respect for the participants in the Power our services away for free? These questions of Ten. I have had the privilege of attending and others are important to discuss to stay the working meetings for the Power of Ten this ahead of the curve as telemedicine starts to President’s Post continued on page 14 CVMA VOICE BRIEFINGS CVMA Executive Committee Dr . Peter Hellyer President Dr . Erin Epperly President-elect Ralph Johnson Dr . Curtis Crawford Executive Director Secretary/Treasurer Dr . Sam Romano As I sat down to write Education Secretary/Treasurer-elect my comments for the Another absolutely vital component of Dr . Randa MacMillan Celebration Luncheon CVMA’s work is to deliver educational ex- Immediate Past President at CVMA Convention 2014, I was struck yet periences that not just sustain competency Dr . John Rule again how tightly tethered CVMA activities but advance knowledge. Whether it be at our AVMA Delegate are to four foundational pillars: advocacy, edu- annual convention, or the two programs now cation, support, and leadership. In all of our Dr . Melanie Marsden being offered on the Western Slope, CVMA is AVMA Alternate Delegate communications, printed and electronic, you deeply committed to professional education. will see the four color bars representing these CVMA CE Southwest once again brought 12 Mr . Ralph Johnson pillars, reminding us every day that CVMA hours of affordable CE to Durango, and the Executive Director* is energetically and expansively active in our highly popular CVMA CE West was held in District efforts to work toward our mission and our June to high acclaim, prompting us to contract goals to support you not only in these four with The Wine Country Inn in Palisade for our Representatives fundamental areas, but in all that it means to 2015 program (June 5–7).