VIRGINIA VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION // WINTER 2023
TOWN &COUNTRY CALL
2024 VIRGINIA VETERINARY CONFERENCE - 06 & 07 UPCOMING EVENTS - 09 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - 11 & 12
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TOWN & COUNTRY CALL O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C A T I O N
VVMA STAFF
VIRGINIA VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Talya George
3801 Westerre Parkway, Suite D Henrico, VA 23233
Executive Director
(804) 346-2611
talya@vvma.org
Victoria Staples Associate Director victoria@vvma.org
Samantha Teunis Association Coordinator admin@vvma.org
(804) 346-2655 info@vvma.org www.vvma.org
SUBMISSION DEADLINE The deadline for receipt of copy to be included in the next issue of
OFFICERS Lauren Maxey, DVM President Nathaniel Burke, DVM President-Elect Brian Neumann, DVM Vice President Courtney Conroy, DVM Secretary-Treasurer Martin Betts, DVM Immediate Past President
DIRECTORS
Rebecca Beamer, DVM Southwest VA & VASART
Abbegail Bingaman, DVM Northern VA
Laura Chretien, DVM Fredericksburg
Town & Country Call is:
Edward Fallin, DVM
MARCH 3, 2024
Sherri Gard, DVM
Central VAEP
MEMBER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM & WORK-LIFE SERVICES The VVMA has partnered with McLaughlin Young and offers a wonderful benefit for VVMA members. The Member Assistance Program & Work-Life Services are available to VVMA members and their immediate family. Reasons to use the MAP include: financial planning, marital difficulties, parenting, stress, depression, work-related concerns, alcohol and drug use/abuse, grief and loss, or preventative.
FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANCE is available 24/7/365 at 800-633-3353
Bom Harris, DVM VAFAP
Christopher Hussion, DVM Loudoun
Courtney Wiegard, DVM Roanoke Valley
Joseph May, DVM Southside VMA
Stuart Morse, DVM Prince William
Rachael Nuzzo, DVM Shenandoah
Ashley Powell, DVM Coastal
Cheryl Simpson-Freeman, DVM Piedmont
Allison Sparks, DVM Appalachian
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE The Lifeline is a free, confidential, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. If you or someone you know is feeling desperate, alone, or hopeless, please call:
(800) 273-8255
Jamie Stewart, DVM At-Large
STUDENTS
Bret VanLear, DVM
(540) 231-6557
Garrett Wood, DVM
If you are concerned about yourself or any Virginia Tech student being (or becoming) suicidal, please call the Cook Counseling Center. This number can be used during regular office hours or after-hours to speak with a counselor.
Blue Ridge Jefferson
Virginia Newman Student Representative
AVMA REPRESENTATIVES Dianna Thornton, DVM Delegate
Lauren Maxey, DVM Publication of materials in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association
Alternate Delegate
President’s Message
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La
ur
en M
axe
V y, D
M
As 2023 comes to an end, I reflect on how much has happened this year, and how proud I am of the association. The membership, directors, executive board, and amazing staff have all worked together to represent our profession exceptionally well. We have provided support to members through continuing education, the membership assistance program, and information regarding current events such as the avian influenza outbreaks. The VVMA continues to contribute to veterinary students via mentorship, food drives, and contributions to emergency funds. VVMA traveled to VM-CVM in December to provide coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks to the veterinary students during exam week. A big thanks to Dr. Erin Casey from Boehringer Ingelheim for donating her time and providing funds for VVMA to be able to do this! First on the docket for 2024 is the Day at the Capitol on Thursday, January 18th, from 10am-1pm at Libbie Mill Library in Richmond. Our legislative chairs and lobbyist, Susan Seward, will review all proposed legislation involving animals or our profession. Please join us to learn about the bills and spend time with colleagues. You can register to attend on the VVMA website, and lunch will be provided. Do not forget to schedule an appointment that afternoon with your legislators to introduce yourself! The Virginia Veterinary Conference (VVC) is right around the corner, February 22nd-24th. In addition to the small animal, equine, food animal, veterinary technician, and public practice tracks, we will again be offering a complementary medicine track thanks to the Chi Institute! Thursday night will include a social mentor event that will create another opportunity to spend time with the veterinary students. You can find more information on the conference on the VVMA website, as well as online registration. It has been a pleasure representing you all as President this year. If you ever need anything, please reach out. Happy New Year!
Lauren Maxey, DVM
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With veterinarians, we share in a mission so relentless, it adds an entirely new dimension to the world of preventive care and therapeutics. More than passion. More than dedication. More than expertise. Because animal health isn’t just our profession. It’s our calling. And together, we are more than medicine.
‘tis the season for tests
& Treats!
We always look forward to spreading a little holiday cheer to the hardworking students and faculty at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine every December! Holiday snacks, hot chocolate, and coffee to help DVM students get through those tough end of the year finals! Thank you to Dr. Erin Casey and Boehringer Ingelheim for your contributions to our goody bags, and for supporting our veterinary students!
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Virginia Veterinary Conference
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February 22-24 | Roanoke, VA COME EARN UP TO 15 CE HOURS! Tracks Offered
Small Animal I • Small Animal II • Equine Food Animal • Technician • Complementary Medicine
Virginia Veterinary Conference Click the buttons below for quick access!
Conference Brochure
Hotel Reservations
Session Descriptions
Speaker Highlights
Things To Do in Roanoke
2024 Conference Sponsors GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
Thank you!
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IT’S THAT TIME
Renew your VVMA membership for 2024!
Renew Online
UPCOMING EVENTS S A V E
T H E
D A T E
&
J O I N
U S !
DAY AT THE CAPITOL
Thursday, January 18 | 10am-1pm | Richmond, VA Join us at the Libbie Mill Library for an informational session, legislation review, and working lunch with VVMA’s executive committee, lobbyist, and other members as we discuss legislation that could potentially affect Virginia veterinarians.
Register before January 11th!
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Monday, February 12 | Zoom Meeting at 7:00pm
Join us for a quick recap of VVMA’s activities and accomplishments in 2023 and meet the 2024-2025 officers! Additional information and meeting materials will be sent out in January.
P AG GE E 00 99 PA
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM SUSAN SEWARD, VVMA LOBBYIST
2023 Elections Recap Virginia’s entire General Assembly was on the ballot in the November 7th Election. Democrats campaigned heavily on the issues of abortion, election integrity, and educational funding. Republicans ran on a platform of tax cuts and parental rights in education. The divisions in Washington D.C., within the Republican Party, and a potential looming government shutdown were also factors in areas of high federal employment such as the Northern Virginia suburbs and the Hampton Roads region. This year’s elections marked the first year the General Assembly ran in newly redrawn districts following redistricting in 2021. The maps were drawn by the Virginia Supreme Court after an independent commission failed to reach consensus on new maps. The newly formed districts caused unprecedented turnover in both the House and Senate as the new maps were drawn with no consideration of incumbency - in several districts, senior legislators in both houses were pitted against a fellow senior legislator of the same party. This was particularly evident in the Senate and it forced a record number of retirements. The off-year elections saw more than $170 million pour into the Commonwealth, with much of that amount coming from outside Virginia. The largest Virginia donors included Michael Bills and Clean Virginia, which spent $12.5 million, and Dominion Energy which spent $12.8 million. Governor Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC was the biggest donor to candidates with a total of $14.8 million. Governor Youngkin was widely reported as using the 2023 Virginia elections as a springboard into a national campaign. Despite Youngkin’s efforts, it was a very big night for Democrats - they have taken control of the House of Delegates and have retained control of the Virginia State Senate. Democrats had campaigned on keeping a “brick wall” in the Senate against complete Republican control. The election has delivered a fatal blow to the Governor’s presidential aspirations, as he had campaigned hard across the Commonwealth in the last few months of the race to turn Virginia completely red once again.
House of Delegates Democrats regained control of the House of Delegates by a count of 51 to 49. Swing districts in Virginia Beach, Prince William County, and the suburbs around Richmond provided the Democrats the victories they needed to gain control of the Chamber. Democrats were able to take a battleground district in Prince William County with Josh Thomas defeating Republican candidate John Stirrup. Another very close race was in HD 71, where current Republican Delegate Amanda Batten faced off against Democratic challenger Jessica Anderson. Other races of note: in HD 65 former Delegate Joshua Cole, Democrat of Fredericksburg, won his seat back and Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach defeated incumbent Republican Delegate Karen Greenhalgh in HD 97. Delegate Kim Taylor (RDinwiddie) narrowly won reelection in House District 82 from Democratic challenger Kimberly Pope Adams. Delegate Don Scott of Portsmouth will become the new Speaker of the House and will become the first African-American to hold that position. Jeion Ward of Hampton will likely regain her position as the Chair of the House Commerce and Energy Committee, and Luke Torian of Prince William County is likely to retake his position as House Appropriations Committee Chair.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE CONTINUED
The House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee will likely be chaired by Delegate David Bulova or Delegate Alfonso Lopez, both from Northern Virginia. Delegate Bulova has seniority; however, he also has seniority over other committees as well and if he accepts one of those positions, the chairmanship would fall to Delegate Lopez. Current Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah will be the Republican Leader.
Senate The Democrats came into the 2023 election with a Senate majority of 22-18 in the Senate. After Tuesday’s results, the Democrats will retain its majority by a slim margin, 2119. Democrats were successful in winning swing districts in Senate District 31 (Loudoun County) with Democrat Russet Perry defeating Juan Pablo Segura in an open seat and Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg defeating incumbent Senator Siobhan Dunnavant in Senate District 16 (Henrico County). Republicans did win in Senate District 17 (Portsmouth and Suffolk), with Delegate Emily Brewer defeating Democratic Delegate Clinton Jenkins. Republican Delegate Tara Durant won her Fredericksburg area Senate seat (SD 27) against Democrat Joel Griffin, and former York County County Sheriff Danny Diggs defeated incumbent Senator Monty Mason (D-Williamsburg) in SD24. This year marks an unprecedented turnover year for the State Senate with the retirements of longtime senators, including Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw of Fairfax and Republican Leader Tommy Norment of James City County. Of the 21 Democratic races that have been called, 11 candidates will be new to the Senate. There will be a very steep learning curve for the new members. It is expected that Northern Virginia Senator Scott Surovell of Fairfax County and Senator Maime Locke of Hampton will vie to be the new Democratic Majority Leader after the retirement of Senator Dick Saslaw. Senator Louise Lucas of Portsmouth will be the likely Chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, and Senator Dave Marsden will be the likely Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee. There will be a new Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. Senator Ryan McDougle of Hanover County is the favorite to lead the Republicans in the minority in the Senate. This has certainly been a roller coaster election cycle with much more to come as this new legislature convenes in January. Stay tuned for continued developments and as always, thank you for your interest in and support of our legislative efforts!
WHO’S MY LEGISLATOR? Please click the button above to search online for which legislators represent you!
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RELIEF VETERINARIANS Kim Danoff, DVM (571) 212-5024 | kimdanoff@gmail.com 1999 University of Florida graduate; Internship trained at Tufts Dogs, cats, birds and some exotics Northern Virginia, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties Available weekdays and weekends Current Virginia and DEA licenses
Matthew Kelcourse, DVM (941) 416-8992 | vvrs2020@yahoo.com 1992 Tufts University graduate Virginia and DEA license in good standing Southeastern VA/Hampton Roads area; available Monday-Saturday for 6-9 hour shifts Long-term (2-3 weeks) considered, based on availability and location Experience in general/preventative medicine and routine surgery, complicated soft tissue and orthopedic surgery As a relief veterinarian, seamlessly blending in as part of your veterinary health care team is as important as experience, patient care, and client communication skills!
James Meister, DVM (847) 344-0069 | prairiedvm@aol.com North Carolina State graduate; has been in private practice for 25 years Virginia, USDA, and DEA licenses in good standing Located in Shenandoah Valley—available for both small animal or equine work Available 7 days a week for short or long-term relief positions throughout VA For many years, I had my own sports medicine and equine surgery practice, with a clientele of show horses, primarily hunter/jumpers Small animal services include: routine surgical and medical care, dental care, radiology, limited orthopedic, and basic ultrasound Equine care includes: performance evaluations and treatments, pre-purchase examinations, radiology, ultrasound, and emergency care and surgical procedures
Tosha Starke, DVM (540) 239-8714 | info@allfourpawsvetrelief.com "Exceptional Care When You Are Not There" is my relief business motto! I have practiced veterinary medicine for 12 years. During that time, I have been Medical Director at two veterinary hospitals. I understand the importance of having a competent and compassionate clinician on duty while you are away! 2004 Virginia-Maryland graduate; Virginia license in good standing Available Monday-Saturday in Northern Virginia Professional references available
Katrina "Kitti" Tadema-Wielandt, DVM (540) 943-5731 | 1987uivet@gmail.com 1987 University of Illinois graduate 30+ years of experience in small animal medicine Virginia and DEA licenses in good standing Waynesboro (75 mile radius) Available for long and short-term relief
Relief Veterinarian info can also be found on the VVMA website under the “Advertising & Classifieds” section!
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VVMA CLASSIFIEDS Click the buttons below to view our current ads! Advertising information can be found at vvma.org/advertising-opportunities
Veterinarians Licensed Veterinary Technicians Practices for Sale/Lease Relief Veterinary Work As a VVMA member, you can post classified ads FREE of charge! Non-member pricing: $155.00 per 200-word classified ad
IMPORTANT REMINDER VETERINARY ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION RENEWAL
The Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine is reminding all licensees to check that the veterinary establishment in which you work has renewed its registration prior to the expiration date of December 31, 2023. The status of a veterinary establishment may be verified on the License Lookup. If not yet renewed, please notify the veterinarian-incharge of the renewal requirement. Renewal Fees for Veterinary Establishment Registrations Renew by December 31, 2023: $200 Renew by January 31, 2024: $275 (renewal: $200 + late fee: $75) Renew after January 31, 2024: $650 (renewal: $200 + late fee: $75+ reinstatement: $75 + reinspection: $300) Practicing veterinary medicine in an establishment with an expired registration may subject a licensee or registration holder to disciplinary action by the board. *NOTE: The individual license for the current veterinarian-in-charge must be renewed prior to attempting to renew a veterinary establishment registration. To renew a veterinary establishment registration online and pay with a Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card or American Express, go to www.license.dhp.virginia.gov. If experiencing technical difficulty renewing a registration, please contact customer service by telephone at (804) 367-4444 or by email at CallCenter@dhp.virginia.gov. Questions may be directed to vetbd@dhp.virginia.gov with “Establishment Registration” in the subject line.
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PPAAGGEE 1196
VVMA MEMBER BENEFIT
VIRGINIA VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION // WINTER 2023
TOWN &COUNTRY CALL