Accolades

AVMA

Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader (IL ‘77) received the 2013 AVMA Advocacy Award June 19 for his championing legislation benefiting animal health and welfare and for supporting the veterinary profession in Congress.

Among Dr. Schrader’s contributions to veterinary medicine, he introduced a bill in March that would make the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program tax exempt. The program provides veterinarians with tuition reimbursement in exchange for service in veterinary shortage areas. If the program were tax-exempt, more veterinarians could participate in the program.

In April Dr. Schrader introduced the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow veterinarians to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice without requiring a separate registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration. His amendment would remove ambiguity with regard to how the law is enforced, giving veterinarians the legal ability to use the medications they need to treat their animal patients.

Dr. Schrader co-sponsored two of the AVMA’s high-priority bills for animal welfare—the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act and the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act. He also continues to advocate for key provisions of veterinary importance to be included in the House’s version of the Farm Bill, such as a push in the previous Congress to establish the competitive veterinary services grant program that would develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services.

Along with fellow veterinarian and congressman Ted Yoho of Florida, Dr. Schrader founded the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, which educates members of Congress and their staffs on the importance that veterinary medicine has in research, public health, animal health and welfare, food safety, and the economy.

Dr. Schrader plays a pivotal role on the House Agriculture Committee, where he serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture, and sits on the House Small Business Committee.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Drs. Maho Imanishi and Megin Nichols received the 2013 James H. Steele Veterinary Public Health Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April at the 62nd annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference. The agency gives the award to current and recent EIS officers.

Dr. Imanishi is an EIS officer with the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, and she was honored for her domestic and international work on food safety, one health, and enteric zoonoses such as Salmonella and Listeria infections.

Dr. Nichols is a veterinary epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health, and she was honored for contributions to veterinary public health and public outreach on zoonoses such as plague and rabies.

Dr. Steele, known as the father of veterinary public health, is among the 12 veterinarians profiled in the 2013 JAVMA series Legends in U.S. Veterinary Medicine.