Colorado VMA

Event: Annual meeting, Sept. 17-20, 2015, Loveland
Awards: Veterinarian of the Year: Dr. Lesli Groshong, Boulder. A 1992 graduate of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Groshong is chief veterinarian at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. Under her leadership, the society has accepted animals with complex medical issues and provided support to clients who adopt these animals. Dr. Groshong has served on the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners’ shelter medicine organizing committee, helping develop the Shelter Medicine Practice specialty under the ABVP. She mentors numerous veterinary students each year in spay-neuter techniques and shelter medicine. Distinguished Service Award: Dr. Ted Cohn, Lone Tree, for outstanding service to the advancement of veterinary medicine over an extended period of time in Colorado in any or all aspects of the profession. A 1975 graduate of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Cohn is a partner at University Hills Animal Hospital in Denver. He is immediate past president of the AVMA and a past president of the Colorado VMA and Denver Area VMS. Rising Star Award: Dr. Joy Fuhrman, Fort Collins. A 2012 graduate of the combined MBA/DVM degree program at Colorado State University, Dr. Fuhrman works in the anesthesia section of the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She also facilitates and coordinates courses in the university’s Professional Veterinary Medical Program. Outstanding Faculty Award: Dr. David C. Van Metre, Fort Collins. A 1989 graduate of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Van Metre is an extension veterinarian and a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. His interests include small ruminant medicine and herd and flock health, livestock worker training, and infectious disease surveillance. Technician of the Year: Amy Rodriguez, Fort Collins. A certified veterinary technician, Rodriguez works in the anesthesia section of the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Earlier, she was employed at small animal practices in Vermont. Industry Partner of the Year: Dr. Susan Ralston, Morgan, Utah, won this award, given to a company representative considered highly valuable in providing resources to veterinarians and in supporting the association’s goals and mission. A 1983 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Ralston has worked for Merck Agvet, now Merial, for the past 20 years, and is a senior field technical veterinarian in the companion animal group. She has been a strong supporter of the CVMA PetCheck program, ensuring Merial’s contribution of rabies vaccines to participating clinics. President’s Award: Dr. Steve Cummings and Linda Cummings, Wyarno, Wyoming; Dr. Peter Hellyer, Fort Collins; state Rep. Steve Lebsock, Thornton; and Dr. John Rule, Steamboat Springs. A 1971 graduate of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Steve Cummings owned Franktown Animal Hospital in Franktown for 20 years before moving to Wyoming. He was honored for his role as auctioneer for the annual Shirley Clark Projects Auction since 1987. Dr. Cummings’ wife, Linda, is a past president of the CVMA Auxiliary and has assisted with the auction. A 1983 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, Dr. Hellyer is a professor of anesthesiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the CSU veterinary college. He was honored for his leadership with the association and for serving an additional term as immediate past president. Representing Colorado House District 34, Lebsock was honored for his sponsorship of legislation important to animal welfare and the veterinary profession in Colorado, including HB15-1062 to increase penalties for animal fighting and HB15-1187 concerning mental health evaluations of licensed veterinarians. A 1970 graduate of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Rule owns Mount Werner Veterinary Hospital in Steamboat Springs. He was honored for his service on the CVMA Executive Committee and as Colorado’s delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates. Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies Veterinary Partnership Award: Dr. Randy B. Smith, Eaton, won this award, given in recognition of a veterinarian who has made a difference to homeless and abused animals by volunteering with a local animal care and control agency, animal shelter, or rescue group. A 2004 graduate of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Smith owns Synergy Surgical in Eaton and also works part time at Worthington Animal Clinic in Loveland. He provides veterinary care, including orthopedic and soft-tissue surgery, at a much-reduced cost to shelter animals.
Officials: Dr. Curtis Crawford, Monte Vista, president; Dr. Sam Romano, Arvada, president-elect; Dr. Jenelle Vail, Longmont, secretary–treasurer; Dr. William French, Sedalia, secretary-treasurer-elect; Dr. Peter Hellyer, Fort Collins, immediate past president; Ralph Johnson, Denver, executive director; and AVMA delegate and alternate delegate—Drs. Melanie Marsden, Colorado Springs, and Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, Laporte