There has been a significant increase in coronavirus cases in Yolo County and surrounding areas. The one report of a positive individual in our VMTH family has been the result of community spread, which has been typical for other reports of positive individuals on campus. In order to minimize the number of positive individuals in the VMTH, please continue your efforts to adhere to policy as it relates to mask wearing and other preventative protocols. Masks must be worn at all times in the VMTH, unless you are alone in your private office or in a designated eating space. This includes talking on the phone. Please also maintain an awareness of your surroundings; avoid congregation in spaces with others. Because most of the cases on campus have reflected community exposures, we strongly encourage everyone to act in a responsible manner when outside the workplace. By staying away from large public or private gatherings, and properly wearing a mask when in public places, community exposure and spread that could result in introduction of infections into the VMTH will be minimized. Our ability to limit transmission both inside and outside the workplace could have a direct result on our maintenance of clinical teaching, service, and research activities on which our community depends. If ever there was a time for us to come together and collectively get on board with an initiative, this is it. I appreciate everyone’s attention to this matter and continued collegiality in support of a positive workplace culture. I commend all of you for your dedication to patient care and clinical instruction during this unique time. Please stay strong. We will overcome this.
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Dr. Jane Sykes
Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
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Thank you for wearing a mask and your dedication to keeping our workplace as safe as possible.
- CCAH front door
- VMTH east door (near the annex)
- VMTH west door (LAC entrance)
Before entering, you will need to complete the
online daily symptom screening survey. Please be truthful. It is absolutely critical you stay home if you are unwell in order to reduce the risk of introducing infection into the workplace.
Items needed at all times in the VMTH include:
- a mask
- your identification badge
- daily colored dot for badge showing you are approved to be in the building
We appreciate your dedication to the safety of all our team members.
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Recognitions
The hospital’s Focused Recognition Award Program provides an opportunity to highlight our ongoing Cultural Journey and recognize those who have provided remarkable progress within our five Cultural Beliefs: One Team, Trusted Dialogue, Pursue Excellence, Realize Our Vision, and Value People.
July recipients:
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Gabrielle Wilson was recognized for exemplifying our Cultural Beliefs of
One Team and
Value People, which contributed to the Key Result of
Outstanding Patient Care.
“Gabrielle took time out of her day to assist some colleagues from a different service who were in need. Gabrielle offered to help with equipment in the halls when we had our hands full with an unstable patient. She went out of her way and brought our equipment downstairs to CAPE, freeing us to concentrate on the patient. She exemplified the concept of 'One Team' that we should all strive for by offering to help us out even though she did not know us.”
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Megan Wright was recognized for exemplifying our Cultural Belief of
One Team, which contributed to the Key Result of
Outstanding Patient Care.
“Megan regularly goes above and beyond to help her team and others in the hospital. She recently came in on her day off to help with receiving due to low short staffing. Thank you, Megan!
”
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Key Cultural Pillar
"Trusted Dialogue"
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In 2015, Izzie, a 6-year-old female yellow Labrador retriever, came to the VMTH after two other veterinarians both offered palliative care as the best option for the tennis ball sized mast cell tumor on her head. But our Oncology Service offered something different – hope. They had a long discussion with Izzie’s owners and discussed many options that the other veterinarians did not have the resources to provide. “From the first moment we met with the UC Davis team, we trusted what they were going to be able to do for Izzie,” said her owner Morgan. “We knew that she was in good hands.” After a thoughtful decision process, Izzie began a series of oral chemotherapy treatments meant to inhibit the growth of mast cells and cause cell death. After several bi-weekly treatments, Izzie’s tumor diminished to an immeasurable size. “We are so grateful for the extraordinary care that they gave Izzie,” said Morgan. “Every person we met truly cared about her case and tried to ease our fears while giving us all the information we needed in regards to her treatment and prognosis. On top of the outstanding care that we received, we had amazing results!” Unfortunately, Izzie’s tumor returned a year later, but it was small enough for surgery to be a safer option than before. The Soft Tissue Surgery Service worked with Izzie’s oncology team to successfully remove the tumor with no complications. Now five years later, Izzie is still going strong.
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COVID-19 Update:
- It is imperative that everyone wears masks at all times when in the VMTH (unless you are in a private office alone or a designated eating space), so that we can continue to teach students and care for patients. If you see someone not wearing a mask properly, please remind them that they need to adhere to hospital policy. Should an individual repeatedly be seen not wearing a mask, it may be grounds for disciplinary action from campus.
- One of the most clustered spaces in the hospital is the Small Animal Clinic anesthesia prep room. Unless you are assisting with a patient induction or surgical prep, please do not enter this area. If you have questions regarding induction times, please call the anesthesia office at 752-6898. The Anesthesia Service requests that services limit those assisting with induction and preparation of their patients to no more than one technician and one clinician.
- With limited number of spaces available for people to eat inside the VMTH, several options have been created outdoors and in the breezeway. Please try to distance as much as possible from others and minimize time spent to just that required to eat and drink when utilizing these areas.
- VMTH faculty and staff are invited to a Q&A session on workplace safety as it relates to COVID-19. This will take place by Zoom on Monday, July 27 at 3 p.m. with the VMTH leadership team, Educational Access team, and Dr. Stuart Cohen, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Health. Please check your email for the invitation and link to this session.
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VMC Phase I Update:
- SVM Dean Michael Lairmore and Assistant Dean of Advancement Hyemi Sevening joined Drs. Kate Hopper and Jane Sykes for a small ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Feline Treatment and Housing Suite on July 20. The Ward 3 redesign gives us a dedicated space to hospitalize and treat cats in the same area, and we look forward to seeing this new suite create a more efficient work environment for technicians, as they care for multiple patients. We are so excited to have a brand new space in the hospital! We are so thankful to the anonymous donor that allowed this to happen.
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Wellness Tip of the Month:
Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support/grief counselor, offers a brief tip on managing stress through the current crisis. Please see the
full website of services that Florence offers.
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? It could be due to stress since sleep helps us manage our cortisol levels. As you may know, cortisol is known as the stress hormone. In this article from The American Institute of Stress, you will discover how stress impacts sleep, as well as tips and tricks that can lead to a better night’s rest.
- House Officers are invited to participate in “Take-A-Break Thursdays,” the VMTH’s new virtual drop-in group facilitated by Florence. This group allows House Officers to share whatever is on their mind and to receive support in a safe, confidential space. Register here
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