Introductory Message
From the desk of the
Associate Dean for Veterinary Medical Center Operations
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As we inch closer and closer to ringing in 2022, I'm reminded of the incredible year we've had at the VMTH and what the New Year has in store for us. The entire team has endured unprecedented challenges that we hoped would be long behind us by now. Despite these challenges, the VMTH is thriving with exciting changes, notable successes, and financial stability.
I hope all of you will take time to reflect on the incredible work that you contribute to each day. Being on clinical duty for the Cardiology Service this week has reinforced my appreciation for the amazing teams providing exceptional patient care within the VMTH.
We have many exciting things to come in 2022, the most obvious example of which is seen in our hospital renovations and new construction. The new year will bring construction of our All Species Imaging Center and Advanced Veterinary Surgery Center, reimagining of the previous Large Animal Hospital Hay Barn space, the official opening of the new cardiology space, renovations to Small Animal Dermatology, and new Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Small Animal Emergency and Intensive Care, Behavior, and Nutrition spaces.
As we move into 2022, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our team members and acknowledge that it's our people that put the VMTH among the best in the world. Best wishes for an amazing start to the New Year!
--Dr. Joshua Stern
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Staff Update:
- Congratulations to Dr. Valerie Wiebe on her retirement. Dr. Wiebe led the VMTH Pharmacy for many years, and was the 2018 recipient of the Rachel Smith Award, the hospital’s highest honor for staff members. She always brought a dedication and a positive approach to patient care and client service, as well as outstanding support to staff, faculty, and students. Thank you, Dr. Wiebe, for the years of hard work and dedication to the VMTH.
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Faculty Update:
- Congratulations to the three new hospital Assistant Directors: Dr. Jonathan Dear - Assistant Director of the Small Animal Hospital; Dr. Julie Dechant - Assistant Director of the Large Animal Hospital; Dr. Steve Epstein - Assistant Director of the Small Animal Hospital. Each of these Assistant Directors will be appointed for a 3-year term starting January 1, 2022. Your engagement with our search process was greatly appreciated and the feedback is incredibly valuable. We will share with each appointee the feedback that was received and will be working to ensure that our new leaders have the tools necessary to grow in these roles. This will include training opportunities in leadership. We are so thankful that these faculty are willing to take on this additional responsibility and hope you will help us welcome them into their new roles.
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Facilities Update:
- Expansion of the small animal ER/ICU is underway, and the service has temporarily moved to Ward 3 during renovations. The blood gas machine, Omnicell, and all other associated ECC equipment is now located in Ward 3. Please use the centrifuge in the front of Ward 4 for PCV/TPs to minimize congestion in the ER. A huge thanks to Cole Jacobsen, Charlie Porter, Ramon Andres, Debbie Davis, and the IT team for doing so much to make the move possible. Work continues on the demolition and renovation of VMTH 1071. Estimated completion for this space is the end of January and Central Supply will then occupy the room while their current area is being renovated. Infrastructure changes will continue to occur over the next several weeks with some disruption to the south and west side of the VMTH, particularly in the parking lot and between buildings, as the construction crews are digging several trenches to identify utilities, create new plumbing lines, HVAC, and mechanical tie-ins for the new All Species Imaging Center and other related projects. As always, we truly appreciate your patience during this period of construction; the new facilities are greatly needed and will be a vast improvement for our clinical services, teaching, patient care delivery, and all who work in those spaces.
- Hopefully Instinct is becoming more familiar to you all and you are enjoying viewing your patient charts remotely. We really appreciate everyone working with us to get this system running smoothly. Don’t hesitate to contact us for questions or comments at instinct@ucdavis.edu. Please review these recurring issues: The controlled substance log: it is a legal requirement that we have a clinician signature on this log for each 24-hour period. Clinicians are welcome/encouraged to start a new sheet for the next 24-hour period if one is not already in the binder. Clinicians are also encouraged to add a patient sticker, drug dose, and signature for their patients. The patient care team will also try to ensure the sticker and drug dose is added so hopefully between everyone, we will record all drugs appropriately. But we need the clinician signature! Approving orders every morning: please review your orders daily and click the approval button by 10 a.m. The orders are considered current until noon (after which we cannot continue patient care if you have not approved the orders), but we need some grace time to inform clinicians who have not signed orders in an effort to ensure no patient has an interruption in their care. Proper labels: please label cases that do not have a student assigned as “no student” under the patient alerts on the left-hand side of the treatment sheet.
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Recognitions
NOMINATE YOUR COLLEAGUES TODAY
Recognize the hard work
your team performs every day.
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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 December.
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December Recipients:
Bianca Velazquez, an animal health technician in the Radiation Oncology Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural belief of One Team, which contributed to the key results of Outstanding Patient Care, Employee Engagement, and Client/rDVM Satisfaction.
“Bianca is always a ray of sunshine. She is a hard worker and a team player who is a valuable addition to the team. She always steps up when necessary, and I appreciate her so much.”
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Sharon Farnham, a client service representative in Large Animal, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Pursue Excellence, One Team, and Trusted Dialogue, which contributed to the key results of Outstanding Patient Care and Fiscal Health.
“Sharon is consistent with great customer service in Large Animal, as clients depend on Sharon to take care of their monthly charges. Sharon has been instrumental in helping get the Accounts Receivable numbers down through cashiering and collecting on deposits. Sharon always finds a way to get it done and done well. Thank you.”
Thank you, Bianca and Sharon, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.
In addition, Erica Robinson and Christina Steckley also received awards for recognizing their colleagues’ hard work.
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Key Cultural Pillar
“Realize Our Vision”
"I would like to share River’s story, as this one truly is a miracle. Neurology residents Amanda Xue and Wojciech Panek, student Canna Takise, and many others are to thank for saving his life. Everyone has been extraordinary in his care. When River suddenly collapsed and was unable to move his hind legs, I immediately drove 3 hours to UC Davis. Upon arrival, we were met by hospital staff who took River directly to the emergency and neurology teams where he was diagnosed with a ruptured lumbar disc and hemorrhage compressing his spinal cord. After surgery to repair the injury, he was hospitalized all week, including in the ICU. Thank you for the around-the-clock care. I am happy to report that River is starting to regain motor function in his hind end. With time, rest, and supportive care, his coordination is returning. He will have a long rehabilitation ahead of him, but if any dog can pull through, it’s him. My decision to drive him to UC Davis goes without question. Our most sincere thank you!" --Client Lin Drafton
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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.
- As 2021 comes to a close, New Year’s resolutions might be on your mind. If you want those resolutions to stick, consider setting Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timebound (SMART) goals. This format allows us to ask ourselves the why, how, and when of goal setting as well as evaluating goals so we can adjust accordingly. SMART goals can set us up for success. Learn more about SMART goals in this video.
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