October 01, 2020
In Short
AVMA recognized for COVID-19 resources
The AVMA has been honored by the American Society of Association Executives with a Silver Award in the 2020 ASAE Power of A Awards for the entry “AVMA COVID-19 Resource Center.”
The online resource center launched on Feb. 28 and is continuously updated with evolving COVID- 19 information, tangible practice resources, business guidance, well-being support, and relevant interpretations of legislation and relief programs. The AVMA also produced a member email campaign, free live and on-demand webinars, podcasts, regular blog posts and news articles, shareable social media FAQs on pet health and safety, informative videos, interactive maps to track COVID-19’s impact, and client education materials.
Expert input was sought and received from species- and practice type–specific organizations across the veterinary profession. In addition, there was strong collaboration with state and federal agencies as recommendations and practical resources to implement those recommendations were developed.
“While AVMA’s commitment to our members has remained steady, this rapidly changing situation presented a grave danger to the viability and operation of veterinary practices, with potentially devastating results for animal and public health. Our COVID-19 resources have been recognized as crucial to supporting our members, the entire veterinary profession, and the public,” according to the award submission.
The Association was recognized in The Power of Community Support and Engagement category. The ASAE Summit Awards took place virtually on Sept. 30.
Education council schedules site visits
The AVMA Council on Education has scheduled site visits to three schools and colleges of veterinary medicine for the remainder of 2020. Comprehensive site visits are planned for the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Oct. 4-8; the University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine, Nov. 15-19; and the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Dec. 6-10.
The council welcomes written comments on these plans or the programs to be evaluated. Comments should be addressed to Dr. Karen Martens Brandt, Director, Education and Research Division, AVMA, 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173. Comments must be signed by the person submitting them to be considered.
Feline Grimace Scale website launched, scale validated for dental extractions
The University of Montreal team that created the Feline Grimace Scale, a tool for assessing acute pain in cats on the basis of changes in facial expressions, has launched a website about the FGS and has validated the scale for use in cats undergoing dental extractions.
The site features an overview, fact sheet, and video about the FGS. The “About” section covers the development and original validation of the scale, using the scale, and how to interpret the scores, with a downloadable version of the training manual. Some of the other sections focus on scientific publications and news coverage, the team, and other work by the team. The site is available in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Chinese.
“Inter-rater reliability of the Feline Grimace Scale in cats undergoing dental extractions” was published online May 29 in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. In a study of 24 cats undergoing oral treatment, total FGS scores showed good reliability among raters. The FGS scores were not different with or without the caregivers’ presence.
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