CVTEA Newsletter - Spring 2007


	CVTEA Semi-Annual Report This bulletin serves to report on the accreditation actions and other activities of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

	In this Issue Accreditation Decisions Other Accreditation Actions Changes to the CVTEA Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual Call for Nominations - CVTEA Position Open Who's New on CVTEA CVTEA Roster and Terms Message from the Incoming Chair

	American Veterinary Medical Association 1931 N Meacham Rd., Suite 100 Schaumburg, IL 60173


	Accreditation Decisions At its April 20-22, 2007 meeting, the CVTEA made the following accreditation decisions:

	Reaccredited at Full accreditation Cedar Valley College-Campus; Lancaster, TX Community College of Denver; Denver, CO Northeast Community College; Norfolk, NE Pierpont Community and Technical College; Fairmont, WV Trident Technical College; Moncks Corner, SC

	New Program at Full Accreditation North Shore Community College; Danvers, MA, effective March 28, 2007

	New Programs at Provisional Accreditation Baker College of Port Huron; Port Huron, MI, effective February 2, 2007 The Vet Tech Institute at International Business College; Fort Wayne, IN, effective February 23, 2007 Iowa Western Community College; Council Bluffs, IA, effective March 2, 2007 Jefferson State Community College Distance Learning Program; Birmingham, AL, effective March 16, 2007 Minnesota School of Business-St. Cloud; St. Cloud, MN, effective January 12, 2007 San Juan College Distance Learning Program; Farmington, NM, effective November 8, 2006 Stautzenberger College-Strongsville; Strongsville, OH, effective December 8, 2006 Western Career College-San Jose; San Jose, CA, effective December 1, 2006

	Reaccredited at Probational Status Essex Campus of the Community College of Baltimore County; Baltimore, MD Cedar Valley College-Distance Learning Program; Lancaster, TX

	Accreditation Withheld Northwest Mississippi Community College; Senatobia effective August 7, 2007

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	Other Accreditation Actions Following review of 18 annual, 15 biennial, and 29 interim reports, CVTEA accreditation assignments are as follows:

	Continued Provisional Accreditation Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College; Asheville, NC Baker College of Jackson; Jackson, MI Bradford Schools, Vet Tech Institute at; Columbus, OH Crowder College; Neosho, MO Delgado Community College; New Orleans, LA Globe College; Oakdale, MN Long Technical College; Phoenix, AZ Mesa Community College; Mesa, AZ Miami-Dade Community College; Miami, FL Ogeechee Technical College; Statesboro, GA Pima Medical Institute; Las Vegas, NV Rochester Community and Technical College; Rochester, MN SUNY-Ulster County Community College; Stone Ridge, NY Western Career College; Pleasant Hill, CA Western Career College; Citrus Heights, CA Western Career College; Sacramento, CA Western Career College; Stockton, CA Western School of Health and Business Careers; Pittsburgh, PA In addition, the Committee approved a request to transfer the accreditation from the Minnesota School of Business Brooklyn Center campus to the Blaine campus and continued the program on provisional accreditation.


	Continued Full Accreditation Alfred State College; Alfred, NY Athens Technical College; Athens, GA Brevard Community College; Cocoa, FL California State Polytechnic University; Pomona, CA Central Carolina Community College; Sanford, NC Front Range Community College; Ft. Collins, CO Gwinnett Technical College; Lawrenceville, GA Holyoke Community College; Holyoke, MA Joliet Junior College; Joliet, IL Kirkwood Community College; Cedar Rapids, IA LaGuardia Community College; Long Island City, NY Lehigh Carbon & Northampton Community Colleges; Bethlehem, PA Los Angeles Pierce College; Woodland Hills, CA Manor College; Jenkintown, PA Maple Woods Community College; Kansas City, MO McLennan Community College; Waco, TX Midland College; Midland, TX Minnesota School of Business; Plymouth, MN Murray State College; Tishomingo, OK Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture; Curtis, NE Nevada, Community College of Southern; Las Vegas, NV Northwestern State University of Louisiana; Natchitoches, LA Northern Virginia Community College Online Program; Sterling, VA Pierce College Ft. Steilacoom; Lakewood, WA Pima County Community College; Tucson, AZ Portland Community College; Portland, OR Puerto Rico-University of; San Juan, PR Purdue University Distance Learning Program; West Lafayette, IN Raymond Walters College, University of Cincinnati; Blue Ash, OH Ridgetown College, University of Guelph; Ontario, Canada State University of New York (SUNY)-Delhi; Delhi, NY Tulsa Community College; Tulsa, OK Vatterott College; Omaha, NE Vermont Technical College; Randolph Center, VT

	Return to Full Accreditation Hinds Community College; Raymond, MS

	Continued Probational Accreditation Fort Valley State University; Fort Valley, GA Hartnell College; Salinas, CA Johnson College; Scranton, PA Northern New Jersey Consortium; Paramus, NJ Penn Foster College Distance Learning Program; Scottsdale, AZ Sul Ross State University; Alpine, TX Western Career College-San Leandro; San Leandro, CA

	New Probational Accreditation Des Moines Area Community College; Des Moines, IA

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	Changes to the P&P The Essential and Recommended Skills List (Appendix I) was divided into hands-on (psychomotor) skills and didactic (knowledge-based) skills. The following changes to the list of hands-on skills were approved: Item 3 Nursing: "Properly restrain dogs and cats for procedures" was added as required under Patient Assessment. "Obtain objective patient data" under Patient Assessment was changed to "Demonstrate the ability to obtain objective patient data". "Assess hydration status" was added as recommended under Patient Assessment. Item 4 Anesthesia: "Complete controlled drug log" was added as recommended under Patient Management tasks. "Properly apply leads" was added as required to electrocardiograph tasks under Equipment/Facility Management tasks. Item 5 Surgical Nursing: "Perform basic suturing techniques" was added as a recommended skill. Item 6 Laboratory Procedures: "Perform parasitologic procedures for internal parasites" under Specimen Analysis tasks was changed to "Perform diagnostics procedures for parasites". "Direct, Knotts, filter, antigen kit" was added as a required task under Specimen Analysis under "Perform diagnostics procedures for parasites". "Perform prosection on non-preserved animal" was changed to "perform a postmortem examination or dissection on non-preserved animal" in Specimen Analysis under "Perform necropsy procedures". The item remains as a required skill. Item 8 Laboratory Animal Procedures: Mice, rats, and rabbits are required species within this section. "Feeding" was added as required under Perform and/or Supervise Basic Care Procedures. A section "Perform methods of injection" was added; some items are required, others recommended. "Anesthetize mice, rats, and rabbits" was added as a recommended skill. Item 9 Avian, Exotic, Small Mammals & Fish Procedures: "Recognize and understand restraint techniques of birds, reptiles, amphibians, rabbits and ferrets" was changed to "recognize, understand, and perform restraint techniques of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and ferrets". "Perform physical exam" was changed to "Perform physical exam of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and ferrets". A section "Perform methods of injection of drugs using appropriate sites" was added as recommended.* "Perform oral dosing" was added as recommended. "Collect blood samples was added as recommended. The Committee continues to discuss the appropriateness of certain tasks being completed as group activities. At this time, the expectation remains that all students will complete all required tasks. The Committee approved a motion that programs with unpaid annual fees as of July 1 of the year due will result in a penalty fee of $500. Programs with unpaid annual accreditation fees as of October 1 of the year due will result in having their accreditation withheld.


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	Accreditation Statistics There are 140 AVMA/CVTEA-accredited programs in veterinary technology including 8 distance learning programs. Sixteen programs offer baccalaureate degrees (eight offer bachelor degrees only and eight offer both associate and bachelor degrees). There are 97 programs assigned full accreditation, 31 assigned provisional accreditation, 10 assigned probational accreditation, 1 on terminal accreditation, and 1 program with accreditation withdrawn effective August 2007.


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	Q&A about AVMA CVTEA Accreditation Q: My program does not house animals on campus, but we do use student-, faculty-, client-, and/or shelter-owned animals. Do I need to be registered with the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)? A: To be subject to USDA oversight, institutions must either 1) purchase or transport live animals in commerce, or 2) receive funds under a grant, award, loan, or contract from a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States. Private citizen-owned or pound/shelter animals are exempt from USDA oversight. However, the CVTEA requires that all programs adhere to Animal Welfare Act (AWA) guidelines and have an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC), whether USDA-registered or not. The IACUC must have oversight of all animal use activities in the program.


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	CVTEA POSITION OPEN Nominations are sought for an individual to represent educators of veterinary technicians on CVTEA. The term would be July 2007 through July 2010; however the appointee will be eligible for renewal for a full six-year term beginning in 2010. Candidates should have the following qualifications: A concerned interest in veterinary technician education. The availability of approximately 12-16 working days per year to devote to CVTEA activities. Skills in written and oral communication including evaluating, interviewing, negotiating, and investigating. Minimal technical skills to include word processing for editing reports. Email capability is strongly encouraged. A lack of personal agendas. Members of the CVTEA are responsible for chairing evaluative site visit teams, for presenting those programs to the CVTEA at meetings at which accreditation decisions are made, for following progress of assigned programs, and for being actively involved in CVTEA discussions regarding accreditation decisions of other programs. If interested, nominations are due June 8, 2007. Please call or email Ms. Julie Horvath at 800/248-2862 ext. 6624; jhorvath@avma.org for nomination forms. 2008 Vacancies The following positions will be open for nominations in 2008: Representing Veterinary Technicians Representing Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Small Animal The deadline for 2008 nominations is expected to be March 1, 2008. Who's New on CVTEA The AVMA CVTEA welcomes three new Committee members for the 2007-2013 association term: Glen Jackson DVM Dr. Jackson represents the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Animal Health Technologist/Veterinary Technician/ Program Accreditation Committee (AHTVTPAC) on CVTEA. He earned his DVM from the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College and has worked in private small animal practice. He served as a part-time instructor for nearly 10 years at the St. Claire College Veterinary Technology Program. He has served on the AHTVTPAC for the past three years. His term on CVTEA is effective January 1, 2007 until December 31, 2007. Sarah Wagner, DVM, PhD Dr. Wagner represents Clinical Veterinary Medicine-Large Animal on CVTEA. She is an assistant professor of veterinary technology at North Dakota State University. She earned her DVM from Michigan State University and her PhD in Physiology (Pharmacology) from Iowa State University. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. She is a member of the AVMA, National Mastitis Council, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and the North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association. Jacob Casper, DVM Dr. Casper represents Regulatory Veterinary Medicine on CVTEA. He earned his DVM from Michigan State University. After 36 years of service as Director of the Animal Health Laboratory with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, he currently serves part-time as their Coordinator of Disaster Services. He is also chair of the Disaster Committee and founder of the Maryland State Animal Response Team. In 2006, Dr. Casper received the Distinguished Veterinarian Award from the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association.


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	CVTEA Roster and Terms Mr. Josh Clark, RVT, representing veterinary technicians (2005-2011) Ms. Debbie Danforth, LVT, representing veterinary technicians-non-program affiliated (2006-1012) Ms. Vicki Earnest, representing the public (2002-2008) Dr. David Fell, Chair, representing private large animal practice (2001-2007) Dr. Edward Gordon, representing veterinary state boards (2003-2009) Dr. Anne Hale, representing At-Large (2006-2012) Dr. Sharon Hurley, Vice-Chair-elect, representing private small animal practice (2002-2008) Dr. Glen Jackson, representing Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (2007-2008) Ms. Julie Legred, CVT, representing veterinary technicians-non-program affiliated (2005-2011) Dr. Pepi Leids, representing regulatory veterinary medicine (2001-2007) Dr. Helene Pazak, representing faculties of colleges of veterinary medicine (2005-2011) Ms. C. Lynn Reece, RVT, representing veterinary technicians-non-program affiliated (2006-2012) Ms. Debbie Reed, RVT, Vice-Chair and Chair-elect, representing veterinary technicians (2002-2008) Dr. Tony Rumschlag, representing industrial veterinary medicine (2004-2010) Ms. Susann Schneider, Esq., representing the public (2004-2010) Ms. Rachel Valentine, RVT, representing veterinary technicians (2005-2011) Dr. Frank Walker, representing the AVMA Council on Education (2006-2010) Dr. Craig Wardrip, representing laboratory animal medicine (2006-2012) Vacant, representing veterinary technician educators (unexpired term 2007-2010)
	FUTURE CVTEA MEETINGS November 9 - 12, 2007 April 11-13, 2008 The CVTEA meets biannually at the AVMA Headquarters in Schaumburg, IL.

	MARK YOUR CALENDARS To celebrate National Veterinary Technician Week October 14-20, 2007


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	Message from the Incoming Chair "Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible" author unknown Ms. Debbie Reed, RVT


	AVMA CVTEA Staff Dr. Gary Leff, Assistant Director, Education & Research Division gleff@avma.org Ms. Julie Horvath, CVTEA Coordinator, Education & Research Division jhorvath@avma.org American Veterinary Medical Association 1931 N Meacham rd., ste. 100 Schaumburg, IL 60173 800-248-2862 www.avma.org