Meritorious Service Award goes to Kaplan

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Dr. Kaplan
Dr. Bruce Kaplan

The AVMA presented its Meritorious Service Award to Dr. Bruce Kaplan, a staunch advocate of the one-health concept, July 22 at AVMA Convention 2017.

The Meritorious Service Award is conferred on a veterinarian who has brought honor and distinction to the veterinary profession through personal, professional, or community service activities outside organized veterinary medicine and research.

Dr. Kaplan (Auburn '63), a retired veterinarian, formerly worked as a writer, editor, and consultant on public affairs. He resides in Florida and devotes his time to promoting the one-health movement with Laura H. Kahn, MD; Thomas P. Monath, MD; Jack Woodall, PhD; and Dr. Lisa A. Conti, a veterinarian.

The one-health concept is that human, animal, and environmental health are inextricably interconnected. Dr. Kaplan is the primary content manager for the One Health Initiative website, and serves as contributing editor on the editorial board of the One Health Newsletter. He also serves on the scientific advisory board of Veterinaria Italiana; the editorial advisory board of Infection, Ecology & Epidemiology; and the board of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society.

Dr. Kaplan practiced small animal medicine for 23 years. He held positions in public health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemiologist and with the Department of Agriculture's Office of Public Health and Science. He also served as the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service public affairs specialist in California for 14 Western states, and he wrote a JAVMA News column on food safety.