September 2023

Margot Vahrenwald DVM, AAHA’s president for 2022–2023, shares an anecdote that illustrates the toll that poor mental health can take on a team, and how a caring attitude can unite the team. The Community shares memories of accreditation and its importance, 90 years after AAHA began.

News briefs from across the industry and beyond. This month’s articles include: Pet Insurance Industry Surpasses $3.5 billion; New Center for Veterinary Social Work; Clemson Approves New College of Veterinary Medicine; Research Finds Dogs Have Better Health Outcomes With Another Animal in the home; and Veterinary Supplier Sentenced for Misbranded Drugs.

Abstracts from the latest issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

Veterinary professionals can “give ‘til it hurts,” sacrificing their mental health and wellbeing while helping pets and the people who love them. In this article, veterinary social workers and other wellness experts share tips on ways to bolster mental health in the day-to-day and why it’s so important.

It can be hard to find humor in a profession filled with burnout and high rates of mental health issues. But some professionals say that is precisely why it is so important to bring the element of humor into vet med.

A proposed FTC rule could ban noncompete clauses. The debate is fierce and ongoing. This article explores some of the challenges and repercussions of the proposed ban.

Internationally recognized veterinary dental expert Brook Niemiec, DVM, DADVC talks about the benefits of dental teleradiology for the practice, the patient, and the client.

The prevention and management of pain in veterinary patients is a core responsibility that should be shared by all members of the veterinary team. This article explores creating a team that is focused on pain management—from the CSR to the client.

Melyssa Allen, MA, CHWC, DACLM, aims to make first aid for stress just as second-nature for veterinary professionals. Allen describes the Stress First Aid framework, first developed for the US military and now available for healthcare workers, and why it should be part of every veterinary practice, just like antihistamines, Band-Aids, and an eye wash station.

This month’s prize winner is Practice Manager Ericka Ivey, from All for Pets Veterinary Clinic in Cabot, Arkansas!