JVMS Minutes for May 8, 2009. The meeting was held at The Tree Steakhouse in Mandarin.
UF Report
Dr. Nicoletti introduced Dr. Schivers. He is a fourth year veterinary student who is interested in working in the Jacksonville area after graduation.
Dr. Nicoletti discussed the current economic situation at UF’s VMTH. He said that there may be some relief from the federal stimulus package. It will most likely be distributed among areas such as theriogenology, oncology, acupuncture, performance racing and marine medicine. There has been much progress made towards completion of the small animal hospital. The expected completion time is approximately one year. The caseload is down in the small animal hospital; however, the equine caseload is being affected to an even greater extent. Dr. Nicoletti handed out information about the Pet Memorial Program.
Committee Reports
AC&C - Dr. Sutliff
The Mandarin adoption facility is scheduled to open the second or third week in June. The new facility is expected to open in late July or early August.
Continuing Education - Dr. Winter
Thanks to all attendees
Next CE: June 28th (Sunday) @ Crowne Plaza
The topic is Veterinary Oncology. The speakers will be Drs. LaDue and Winter. In addition, surgical residents will be discussing surgical oncology. We would like to request suggestions for other venues for CE meetings.
Peer Review - Dr. Acree
There was nothing to report.
Trust fund committee -Dr. Cromer
There was nothing to report.
Treasurer’s Report - Dr. Miller
Taxes have been sent to the accountant.
Secretary - Dr. Niessen
The next meeting will be the second week in July (July 9 @ 7pm)
It will be at the Hilltop in Orange Park. We may have our business meeting at the Greyhound Track in September.
FVMA - Dr. Williams
The Health Care Clinic Establishment Permit is still under consideration. We will be receiving updates in the future. Watch the FVMA website. There was a period during which this was going to be rescinded. The actual bill has been passed. It is undecided whether or not those who have paid for the permit will be reimbursed. This fee generates income for the Department of Health.
Other bills concerning issues such as dangerous dog legislation and bestiality were not passed.
Old Business
Dr. Silverness reintroduced the topic of Committee Co-chairs. A motion was made to amend the list of committees in the by-laws. We want to include additional committees such as a website committee and a holiday party committee.
New Business
Dr. Miller proposed an amendment to the by-laws that dues be billed for and paid by the calendar year as the FVMA and AVMA do. We would therefore extend the current dues period through December 2009. This would decrease the confusion currently associated with collecting dues. Dr. Miller also proposed that pro-rating of dues be left to the officers’ discretion.
There was discussion regarding a contact received from Dr. Luiz Bolfer, a foreign graduate who would like to join the JVMS. Dr. Bolfer is pursuing licensing in the state of Florida; therefore it was debated whether the by-laws should be amended to make him a member or if Dr. Bolfer should be made an honorary or an associate member.
Dr. Bolfer submitted the following brief history regarding his background: I am in the process of licensure, almost at the end of AVMA's ECFVG process. I am a member of the BCVMA and would like to join the JVMS to interact with veterinarians and to attend all the CE meetings. I am currently working with mobile ultrasonography, I am a certified sonographer, but my goal is to finish the ECFVG process and start an internship/residency program to become a cardiologist.
This led to the topic of AVMA accredited vs. approved veterinary schools and whether or not our by-laws should require a veterinarian to graduate from an accredited school as they presently do.
Here is a summary of Dr. Nicoletti’s (UF Vet School Emeritus) response (emailed to Dr. Sutliff) concerning this topic:
“I received a letter from Paul Nicoletti. He kindly followed through with some research after the discussion about foreign college’s accreditation at our past meeting. The findings he shared are as follows:
1) There are two (2) listed by the AVMA as Accredited. (Page 191 of the AVMA Directory).
2) There is no listing using the word "Approved" in any way.
Paul's opinion is "I would be reluctant to use the word 'accredited' as a criterion for membership in state or local associations." He follows this statement with the example of the number of faculty at UF that are graduates of non-accredited veterinary colleges.
I forward this to you for reference purposes. Please review the membership requirements in our by-laws as presently written and forward any proposed rewordings so we can start a discourse on the subject in time to hopefully have either a new wording or a consensus to not change the present statement prior to our next meeting. I would like to be able to send any changes to be discussed to the membership one week before the next meeting.” A
All of the proposed bylaw changes will be submitted in writing at the next meeting for approval by the membership.
We received a request to allow a presentation by an after-hours phone company, which charges a fee to our clients. We voted to deny the request.
Dr. Walt Widdowson is ill. He has become anemic and has been in the hospital. Initially doctors thought that he had COPD or a diaphragmatic hernia, however, it turned out to be a perforating gastric ulcer. The treasurer on behalf of the JVMS sent flowers.