November 4, 2010 Business Meeting

JacksonvilleVeterinary Medical Society

November 4, 2010 Business Meeting Minutes

The meeting was held at Dave and Busters in Jacksonville, FL.

Dr. Jay Erne called the meeting to order.

Minutes from the September meeting were distributed.  The minutes were corrected to read that the enrollment in the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine is increasing from 88 to 100 students (not to 110 students, as was recorded).  The minutes were then accepted.

Guests:

• John Owens, Esq., Attorney and Counselor at Law
  • Mr. Owens owns a solo law practice in St. Augustine concentrating on Veterinary Law, Small Business Law, Special Education Law and Estate Planning.  He is married to Rebecca Owens, DVM, owner of First Coast Animal E.R., in Jacksonville, FL.
  • Law Offices of John Owens, LLC

• Meredith Swart, fourth year veterinary student, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Meredith grew up in Jacksonville and is looking to return to the area upon graduation.  She is currently seeking a position as an associate in a small animal general practice hospital.
  • To speak with Meredith or to obtain a copy of her resume, please contact her at:

New Members (Each candidate for membership must be sponsored by two current members and approved by the membership.)

• Dr. Erin Emmans—Atlantic Veterinary Hospital
• Dr. Ayo Akande—Bartram Park Animal Hospital
• Dr. Tim Holloway—Southside Animal Clinic
• Dr. Stephanie Holloway—Clay County Humane Society
• Dr. Julie-Anne Corda—First Coast No More Homeless Pets
• Dr. Ann Osborne—formerly with Banfield Pet Hospital, Palm Coast
• Dr. Carlos Aragon—Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, Orange Park
• Dr. John Glidewell—St. Augustine Regional Veterinary Emergency Center
• Julie Lewis—Parkway Animal Hospital (office manager)

Committee Reports

• Treasurer—Dr. Heidi Chupp
  • A trial balance sheet was handed out for review.   A motion was made and approved at the end of the meeting to accept this report.
  • 2011 dues ($50) are due on January 1, 2011.
• Secretary—Dr. Laura Kelsey
  • A motion was made and accepted to discontinue sending post card announcements for meetings, unless by special request.  Members will continue to be notified of meetings by email and fax.  Meetings and other events are also posted on the JVMS website.  If any member would like to continue receiving post cards by mail, please contact Dr. Laura Kelsey at (904) 625-2572 or laurakelseydvm@yahoo.com.
• FVMA—Dr. Rick Williams
  • The Florida Association of Equine Practitioners is now under the FVMA umbrella.  Legal documentation is pending.  The FVMA hopes to unite all veterinary and veterinary technology groups, forming a unified veterinary force in the state of Florida.
  • Members of the FVMA met with many political representatives prior to this month’s elections and are pleased to report that 43 of the 47 candidates that were supported by the FVMA were elected.
  • Two years ago veterinarians were removed from the sales tax exemptions that are granted to other medical professionals.  The FVMA has found four representatives who have agreed to sponsor legislation dealing with the sales tax policies.
  • Continuing Education sponsored by the FVMA
    • November 19-22, 2010—Ocala Equine Conference
    • April 29-May 1, 2011—Annual FVMA Conference.  This year there will be many activities for children at the conference.
  • The FVMA has an updated website (www.fvma.org).  The new site features on-line registration for conferences sponsored by the FVMA and a way for potential clients to search FVMA-member veterinarians in their zip code.
• Continuing Education—Dr. Jennifer Locke
  • The last JVMS-sponsored quarterly CE meeting of the year is on Sunday, November 7 from 7:30-12:00 at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel in downtown Jacksonville.  Amara Estrada, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) will be speaking about cardiac disease and treatment.  The event is being sponsored by Boehringer-Ingelheim and Morgan Stanley.
  • Dr. Mitch Crystal will be organizing the quarterly CE meetings in 2011.  The first 2011 meeting will be held on Sunday, March 20.  Dr. Byron Blagburn will be speaking about parasitology.
  • If anyone has any suggestions for topics at future CE meetings, please contact Dr. Mitch Crystal.
• HolidayParty Committee—Dr. Tracy LaDue
  • The Annual Holiday Fest will be held at The Club Continental in Orange Park on Saturday, December 18 from 7:00-11:00 pm.
  • There will be a great band and all members are welcome to attend and bring a date.
• Website Committee
  • Dr. Cindy Miller was not present at the meeting due to a recent wrist surgery.
  • There is an updated member list on the website (www.jvms.org).  All members are asked to review the list to make sure their information is correct.  If there are any changes, please contact Cindy.  Her contact information is on the website’s homepage.
  • There is also a new dues-paid members list, a message and discussion board and information about upcoming events on the website.
• The University of Florida—Dr. Snyder
  • JVMS is a Loyal Charter Member of the Dean’s Circle of Excellence, a “club designed to support the ongoing efforts of the state’s only college of veterinary medicine toward unparalleled educational and institutional excellence.”
  • The Open House of the Small Animal Teaching Hospital was a success.
  • Enrollment is increasing from 88 to 100 students.  The 12 additional students will be from out of state.  The money generated from the additional students will go directly to the College of Veterinary Medicine.
  • To facilitate communication between referring veterinarians and the teaching hospital, there is now a direct line for use by referring veterinarians.
  • The annual career day for graduating students was cancelled this year due to lack of interest from veterinarians.  This is the first time this has happened.  If any member is still interested in recruiting a new graduate, ads can be posted on the college’s website.
  • The school is instituting a program called “Closing the Gap” which will bring students into contact with veterinary practitioners.
  • There are plans for the college to build an auditorium that will hold up to 160 people.
  • The college will accept 40 students this year from off-shore schools.
  • There is a new parking lot for clients of the small animal clinics.
• Awards
  • Dr. Paul Nicoletti, professor emeritus, was awarded the Karl F. Meyer-James H. Steele Gold Head Cane Award presented by the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society.  This award recognizes an individual who has advanced human health through veterinary epidemiology and public health.

• Sanford-Brown Institute
  • The veterinary technology program is holding an Open House on Saturday, November 6 from 9:00-11:00 am.
  • The program will be eligible for accreditation after the first class has graduated.
  • There are currently three classes.  The goal is to have four classes running simultaneously.
  • The school is located near The Avenues Mall on Southside Blvd. in Jacksonville, FL.
• Audit Report
  • A letter was submitted by David Cromer, chairman of the Audit Committee, stating that the books and financial records of the JVMS were audited for the past term of service and found to be in order.  Dr. Cindy Miller was recognized for her years of service as treasurer of our organization.

Current Events

• City Pet Ordinance Update
  • The proposed ordinances have not yet been passed and there have been no significant changes to the proposed legislation.  JVMS members are urged to read the ordinances.
• Public Relations Campaign
  • Because the JVMS was not consulted during the drafting of the proposed pet ordinances, Dr. Ann Silverness, who was unable to attend this meeting, has proposed a PR campaign to give our organization a more vocal presence in our community.  The campaign would address veterinary issues of interested to the general public (for example, zoonotic disease).  A PR firm has been contacted and several packages were reviewed.
  • There was discussion among members about the goals and effectiveness of a PR campaign.  Some thought a limited PR campaign would be helpful, while others were concerned that the JVMS is unprepared, from a logistics standpoint, to answer the public demands that such a campaign may elicit.
  • Alternatives to an official PR campaign were also discussed.
    • It was suggested that because the ultimate goal is to make our presence known to local politicians and city council members, a committee be formed to meet with them one-on-one.  JVMS could also donate money to local campaigns.
    • In the past, there was a committee, chaired by Dr. Ed. McKnight that met quarterly with Jacksonville Animal Care and Control and the Humane Society to facilitate communication about important issues.  This committee could be reinstated.
    • A brochure could be developed to have available at member veterinary clinics and/or other events.
    • JVMS could sponsor community events.  A spot on local television where the public could call in with questions for veterinarians has been done in the past and was successful at increasing awareness of our organization within the community.
  • A motion was made and approved to not support a PR Campaign with JVMS funds.  No definitive decisions were made on alternatives to the campaign.

• Emotional Damages for Pet Loss—Mr. John Owens, Esq.
  • A veterinarian in St. Petersburg, FL has written a law in honor of his deceased dog, Gracie, who was killed when his car was hit from behind while parked at a gas station.  The dog was trapped between the two cars.  The insurance company would not award any more than the $800 market value of the dog.  The law he is trying to get passed would award owners up to $25,000 for the “loss of companionship and pain and suffering.”  Dr. Newman claims that if pets are truly property, then owners should not have to spend money over what the animal is worth on food, shelter, veterinary care, etc.
  • Florida is currently one of only 5-6 states that allows for emotional damage to be awarded for human deaths only if there is gross negligence or malicious intent.
  • While plaintiffs can be awarded reimbursement for veterinary services and the cost of the animal, at this time, no state will award compensation for emotional damage or pain and suffering for the loss of an animal.  Despite Dr. Newman’s proposed legislation (which he has so far been unsuccessful in finding a representative to endorse); Mr. Owens does not expect the state of Florida to change its current law in the near future.  However, there is a general movement in animal law towards suing veterinarians.
  • If you have any further questions or concerns about this issue, please contact Mr. Owens (contact information provided above).
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall
  • Blue Buffalo has voluntarily pulled from the market three dry dog foods that could contain excessive amounts of vitamin D, which can cause hypercalcemia and symptoms of PU/PD and gastroenteritis.  The company issued the recall after receiving reports that 36 dogs showed symptoms of the disease after eating the now-recalled products.
• Metacam Warning in Cats
  • There is now a black-box warning on Metacam stating that repeated use of meloxicam in cats has been associated with acute renal failure and death.  Do not administer additional
  • injectable or oral doses of meloxicam to cats.
• Parliamentarian
  • JVMS would like to do a better job of using the Roberts Rules of Order and Dr. Sharon Hoffman has volunteered to be JVMS’ parliamentarian.  A motion was made and accepted that she fulfill this role.

• Fees for JVMS quarterly CE Meetings for Non-Members
  • Currently, the fee for quarterly CE meetings for non-members is $50 per meeting.  The meetings are free to dues paid members.  It was discussed and agreed that the fee for non-members would remain the same.  The collective belief was that this was an excellent price for CE.

The meeting was adjourned.