Radiologists Win Awards at National Conference

The Diagnostic Imaging Service won awards at the 2022 American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) annual scientific meeting, held recently in Reno, Nevada. Dr. Mathieu Spriet won the ACVR Diplomate Abstract Award and also presented a keynote address. Radiology resident Dr. Nicole Yang won a Resident Abstract Award and former resident (completed in 2021) Dr. Sabrina Wilson won a Resident Author Award. Additionally, Dr. Katherine Hansen from the Radiation Oncology Service presented an abstract of her research at the conference.

Knights Landing Clinic Featured on Podcast

The Knights Landing One Health Center, was featured in a recent episode of the UC Davis podcast, Unfold. The veterinary clinic, run by the VMTH’s Access To Care Program, treats pets from the underserved community that otherwise would not have access to veterinary care. About 1,000 people live in Knights Landing, California, a rural agricultural area in Yolo County located about 20 miles north of campus. The episode features Drs. Kristin Jankowski and Erik Olstad.

VMC/Construction Update:

• Improvements to utility infrastructure have sprawled throughout the hospital complex over the last year in preparation for All Species Imaging Center (ASIC) construction to begin. In December, construction will be concentrated within the actual ASIC footprint and the VMTH loading dock, as well as the completion of the new equine induction/recovery stalls in B-Barn. In January, the newly enlarged and remodeled small animal ER/ICU will officially open, providing much needed space for around-the-clock management of the VMTH’s most critical patients.

Faculty Update:

• Please welcome Dr. Lauren Charnock as a new Assistant Professor in the Ophthalmology Service. Dr. Charnock completed pre-veterinary studies in biochemistry (2013) at the University of Winnipeg, Canada and earned her DVM (2017) from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She completed a small animal rotating internship (2018) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada and a specialty internship in comparative ophthalmology (2019) at Auburn University. She continued at Auburn and completed her residency in comparative ophthalmology (2019-2022) and a MS (2022). Her research interests and expertise are in corneal surgery and equine ophthalmology.

Please utilize the PerfectForm icon link available on every VMTH desktop (or through VIPER>VMTH>Forms>VPETT) to nominate your colleagues for recognition of an outstanding example of one of our five Cultural Pillars: Realize Our Vision, Value People, Pursue Excellence, One Team, Trusted Dialogue.

The Cultural Pillars Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the VPETT Recognition Award for the month of November.

November Recipients:

Nicole Dacus, a technician in the Ophthalmology Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People, Pursue Excellence, and One Team, which contributed to the key results of Excellence in Patient Care and Employee Engagement.

“We wanted to say a big thank you to Nicole. She totally helped us out today—in a pinch—with providing coverage at Community Practice. The day would not have been as smooth without your help. Thanks again for your help, and for that we would like to recognize you for demonstrating the meaning of One Team, Value People, and Pursue Excellence.”

Dulce Santos, a technician in the Pharmacy, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People and One Team, which contributed to the key results of Excellence in Patient Care, and Employee Engagement.

“Dulce is always positive, hard working, and takes initiative to stay busy finding things to do to keep pharmacy organized and running smoothly. She is a per diem employee, but you would never know that because she takes pride and effort in her work as a full time employee would. She is a valued member of this team, and we thank her for all she does without ever being asked.”

Thank you, Nicole and Dulce, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.

Key Cultural Pillar

“Pursue Excellence"

Chime, a 1-year-old Holstein heifer, was fresh off a win at a local fair this past spring—with another show just a month away—when she began to show signs of abdominal discomfort or colic, and abnormal fecal production. Her primary veterinarian performed a rectal exam and palpated a mass in the abdomen, causing concern of a potential intestinal blockage. Due to the seriousness of this, she was referred to the Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service for further evaluation and treatment. Once at the Large Animal Clinic, an ultrasound confirmed an abnormal intestine associated with significant intestinal swelling, which indicated that Chime needed surgery to examine the area and clear the obstruction. Surgery confirmed an intussusception – when part of an intestine folds into itself. The tissue and blood supply to that blocked section of bowel was no longer viable, and a section of her intestine had to be removed. Chime tolerated surgery well and was managed with antibiotics, IV fluids, and pain medication during her 4-day hospitalization. She recovered so well that her owners were able to keep their commitment to showing her in the Chowchilla Madera County Fair just a month after surgery, where Chime won Supreme Champion in the Yearling Heifer category. Chime’s winning streak continued in September when she posted another victory at the Madera District Fair.

Wellness Tip of the Month

Florence Soares-Dabalos, MS, LMFT, the VMTH’s client support and wellness professional, offers a brief tip on managing stress through the current crisis. Please see full website of services that Florence offers, including a section on House Officer Wellness.

• Our 4^th factor in our resiliency series is self-awareness, knowing how our thoughts can influence our feelings and behaviors. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), therapists listen for any negative thoughts and beliefs contributing to difficulties in one’s life, including communication problems, difficulty sleeping, or feeling like we don’t belong. We can increase our self-awareness by challenging those negative thoughts with facts. To help with this understanding, I’ll use myself as an example. Let’s say I tell myself in a critical voice, “You can’t help animals! You shouldn’t be at the VMTH.” If I allow that thought to linger, it might make me feel helpless. But, if I challenge that thought by asking, “Is it true that I can’t help animals and I shouldn’t be at the VMTH?”, I can start gathering evidence to decrease feeling helpless. The fact is I’m a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, which means I have specialized training in relationships and attachment, including the human-animal bond. I can even look at the VMTH as an extended family with each service as a nuclear family with shared values and goals around animal health. While it’s out of my scope of practice to provide veterinary medicine services, the service I offer can indirectly improve the quality of relationships between veterinarian, client, and animal, which in turn can have a positive impact on patient care. The evidence supports that I can help animals, even if indirectly, which rids me of feeling helpless. In fact, it makes me happy! If you want to learn more about CBT and how to challenge your negative thoughts to increase self-awareness, watch this 3-min video. If you need professional help in challenging negative thoughts or beliefs, don’t hesitate to reach out to ASAP.