Your monthly news & updates
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Laboratory Diagnosticians News Matters
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Executive Director's Message
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I trust all of you had some great time with family and friends during the holiday season. I love the holiday season because it forces us to slow down a few days, spend time with our loved ones, and reflect a bit on the big picture of life. Now we can tackle the New Year hopefully a bit fresher.
It is great to be back working with members of this wonderful organization as your new Executive Director. It is a long story of how this all came about, first meeting with the board in July and then hired to work alongside the previous director since August, and assuming duties of Executive Director after the annual meeting - working half-time.
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The board has tasked me with evaluating and resolving some operational and management issues; and to possibly identify some areas for improved efficiency. Because I believe in this organization’s mission so much, I relish the opportunity and am honored to be asked to be involved again.
For those that do not know me, I have been a member of AAVLD since 1986. Six years ago I retired from 31 years of academia, where I was a diagnostic pathologist and researcher, as well as laboratory director for over 15 years at SDSU. Since academic retirement I have been actively engaged in private pathology consulting work as well as professional association management work. My past involvement with AAVLD has been quite broad, including service on many committees, past president, and a decade of work with the accreditation committee. Like many of you, I volunteered many hours to the goals of AAVLD because I believed in its mission and it is an organization that advanced my knowledge and directly fed my needs as a veterinary laboratory diagnostician.
As we start 2019, I first want to say THANK YOU to all of you for your AAVLD volunteer efforts and leadership. The excellent diagnostic lab system we currently enjoy in North America did not just happen by chance. It happened by previous leaders and volunteers doing what you all will do in the year ahead… exhibiting leadership to advance the discipline, and applying your expertise to every case that comes into your laboratories. The beneficiaries are animal populations that will enjoy better health, and human populations that will enjoy a safe abundant economical food supply as well as the benefits of One Health.
So Happy 2019 AAVLD! I truly look forward to working together with you in the year ahead. Please take some time and read below to refresh yourself regarding the AAVLD mission. I think it will encourage you that your leadership and volunteer efforts are worthwhile. Thank you.
Sincerely,
David H. Zeman, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Executive Director, AAVLD
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AAVLD Mission, Values and Goals
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Vision: The AAVLD is a world leader in advancing the discipline of veterinary diagnostic laboratory science to promote global animal health and One Health.
Mission : The AAVLD promotes continuous improvement and public awareness of veterinary diagnostic laboratories by advancing the discipline of veterinary diagnostic laboratory science. The AAVLD provides avenues for education, communication, peer-reviewed publication, collaboration, outreach, and laboratory accreditation.
Core values: The AAVLD is committed to these core values:
•Continuous improvement
•Engagement of members
•Effective communication
•Collaboration
•Support of One Health
Goals:
1.Advocate for the role of veterinary diagnostic laboratories in global health
2.Foster the continuous improvement of diagnostic laboratory techniques and processes, personnel qualifications, and facilities
3.Promote the continued professional growth of members
4.Disseminate information concerning the diagnosis/monitoring of animal health and disease surveillance
5.Provide a formal accreditation process for veterinary medical diagnostic laboratories
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Membership renewals due by November 15!
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AAVLD membership is open to any individual interested in animal disease laboratory diagnosis. Memberships run by the calendar year
(January-December)
and membership dues payments are due by November 15th of preceding year to ensure inclusion in the membership directory and receipt of all six issues of JVDI. Note: In order to receive an Annual Meeting registration discounted rate you are required to be a current year AAVLD Member.
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Farm Bill Update by President Keith Bailey
In light of the passage of the Farm Bill and its new mandatory funding that takes effect this fiscal year, it is imperative that AAVLD sends forth a unified message of priorities to key influencers. Enhanced funding for NAHLN is due in large measure to forward thinking of our organization’s past leaders and their continued persistence to make this a reality. AAVLD members have been the driving force in pushing for mandatory funding ($30M/year) to enable the network to continue to protect US livestock interests and our food supplies.
In terms of the Farm Bill funding, the substitute provides $120M of mandatory funding for fiscal years 2019-2022. Of that, $20M over 4 years is mandated to go to Preparedness. The remaining $100M over 4 years is to be allocated among the NAHLN, the NADPRP, and the NAVVCB.
The AAVLD Executive Board has been discussing strategic priorities for the past couple weeks with laboratory directors. If you wish to have any input, contact Dr. Bailey soon. This will be a major item of discussion among AAVLD leaders in the weeks ahead.
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President Bailey has announced the appointment of the following AAVLD Committee Chairs for 2019
THANK YOU for your dedicated service to our organization:
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2019 New committee appointments
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Committee work is the foundation of AAVLD's ability to fulfill its mission. If you are interested in joining a committee and contributing to its efforts, please email the appropriate committee chair.
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The goal of JVDI in Focus is to bring attention to an interesting article appearing in the
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. This month’s focus is on an article in the upcoming January issue: “Association of plasma haptoglobin concentration and other biomarkers with bovine respiratory disease status in pre-weaned dairy calves” by Sonia J. Moisá, Sharif S. Aly, Terry W. Lehenbauer, William J. Love, Paul V. Rossitto, Alison L. Van Eenennaam, Sophia C. Trombetta, Eduarda M. Bortoluzzi, and Lindsey E. Hulbert.
J Vet Diagn Invest 2019;31(1)
Abstract. We conducted a nested, case-control study of pre-weaned dairy calves (
n = 477; 4 California dairy farms) to assess the association between bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and hematologic biomarkers, including plasma haptoglobin (Hp) and plasma bactericide (PB). At each location, heifer or bull dairy calves were observed 2–4 times per week until confirmed as BRD-positive using parallel interpretation of thoracic ultrasound examination and auscultation. In addition, control calves were enrolled after being confirmed as BRD-negative using ultrasound and auscultation. Complete blood counts (CBC), PB, and Hp concentrations were measured. Hp values were higher in calves with confirmed BRD than in controls (
p < 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) for the various biomarkers was obtained from the corresponding receiver operating characteristic curves. The AUC for Hp was 0.68, a value greater than those for PB or the remaining CBC parameters, indicating that Hp may be the most useful biomarker of BRD in pre-weaned dairy calves. The cutoff value for Hp was 0.195 g/L.
News
For an overview of the JVDI process, we have published the “Best Practices for Submitting, Reviewing, and Publishing in JVDI” on our website. Simply go to the
JVDI website, click the Submit Paper tab, then the link for our
best practices
. In this document, you’ll find helpful tips for determining if JVDI is the right journal for your article, preparing your manuscript and figures for publication, understanding the nuances of terminology in your field, as well as submitting your best review.
Questions or comments?
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AAVLD Members/Labs in the news
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This snow owl was spotted in Kansas on January 12th.
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The $65M laboratory expansion and renovation of the South Dakota State University - Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory is on schedule for phase 1 occupation late this summer.
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Worth Quoting – things to make us think and expand our perspectives
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HAPPY NEW YEAR AAVLD:
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.
Benjamin Franklin~
And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
Rainer Maria Rilke~
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
Oprah Winfrey~
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr~
Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.
Martin Luther King Jr~
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2019 Accreditation Audit Pool Training
Deadline has been extended to
January 24, 2019
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- AAVLD Accreditation Committee Meeting – February 4-5, 2019 Las Vegas.
- AAVLD Auditor Pool Training – February 6, 2019 Las Vegas.
- AAVLD Executive Board Meeting - February 7, 2019 Las Vegas
- USAHA/AAVLD Gov. Relations Mtg. – week of March 17, 2019 Washington DC
- The 19th International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (ISWAVLD 2019) 19-22 June 2019, The Empress Hotel and Convention Centre, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- AAVLD Annual Meeting - Providence Rhode Island, October 24 – 28 2019 Providence Rhode Island.
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AAVLD Foundation Committee
John Adaska - Chair
Donal O'Toole
Tim Baszler
David Zeman
Christie Mayo
Kristy Pabilonia
Beate Crossley
François Elvinger
Pat Halbur
Brett Webb
Jamie Henningson
Kerry Sondgeroth
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The AAVLD Foundation is a non-profit foundation that aims to raise funds for the advancement of veterinary diagnostics through scholarship programs, guest lectures, seminars, awards and research programs. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-exempt 501(c)(3), and can be added to your membership dues.
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