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Introductory Message
Message from the Human Resources Manager
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Most people start their workday by reading a bunch of e-mails about upcoming projects or issues that need to be resolved that day. As the hospital’s Human Resources manager, I start my day by reading the awesome VPETT nominations, in which you recognize the great things your peers do to support each other, the awesome service everyone provides to our clients and referring veterinarians, and most importantly, the love and high-quality care our staff achieves to improve the lives of our patients. That’s an amazing way to start the day, and it always brings a smile to my face.
Recently, we surpassed our 800th VPETT recognition since May 2021. That’s a tremendous amount of recognition. The VPETT committee and VMTH leadership are so proud of each of you for recognizing the best in your colleagues. We understand how busy your schedules are, so it speaks volumes for you to take the time to recognize your colleagues.
THE VPETT Committee has added a few new members: Danielle Randall, Michelle Cardenas, and Melissa Bartholomew. They are making great additions to our team, which also includes myself, Harmony Lindberg, Soli Redfield, and Christina Sparkman. We’re excited for the energy and passion these new members will bring and look forward to new ideas to support you through your workday and to celebrate our excellent staff throughout the year.
Every month, we enjoy honoring a few recipients in this newsletter, and I hope that you will continue to use the VPETT recognition tool to nominate your co-workers. While VPETT is a great tool for supervisors to recognize their team members, most nominations come from staff and faculty. We’re pleased that nominations come from all areas of the hospital, and we encourage you to introduce VPETT to new staff members.
--David Lish
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VMTH Celebrates Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Day
The VMTH recently hosted the 44th annual Gerald V. Ling Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Day (VIRRS).
VIRRS is overseen by the House Officer Affairs Board, consisting of faculty members Drs. Jamie Burkitt (co-chair), Amandine Lejeune (co-chair), Allison Gagnon, Meera Heller, Richard Pereira, Natalia Vapniarsky-Arzi, and Kevin Woolard, with program support from staff members Nicole Adams, Simon Ehrlich, and Audra Johnson. Congratulations to the planning committee for organizing yet another successful VIRRS.
Award winners at the 2023 VIRRS included:
Gerald V. Ling Award
• Dr. Nicole Yang (resident), Radiology: “Dual Tracer 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET Protocol for Musculoskeletal Imaging in Dogs”
Outstanding Small Animal Research Study and Presentation Award #1
• Dr. Trey Callahan (resident), Oncology: “Use of Kahoot! in Small Group Teaching of Clinical Veterinary Oncology - an Assessment of Its Impact on Student Learning”
Outstanding Small Animal Research Study and Presentation Award #2
• Dr. Shirley Kot (resident), Dentistry and Oral Surgery: “Biomechanical Evaluation of Locking vs. Non-locking 2.0-mm Malleable L-miniplate Fixation of Simulated Caudal Mandibular Fractures in Cats”
Chris Smith Award for Outstanding Equine Research Study and Presentation
• Dr. Camilla Quattrini (resident), Large Animal Medicine (equine emphasis): “Evaluation of Serum sCD14 Concentration as a Biomarker of Illness and Sepsis in Neonatal Thoroughbred Foals”
Outstanding Large Animal Research Study and Presentation Award
• Dr. Martin Breen (resident), Dairy Production Medicine: “Effect of Group Housing of Prewean Dairy Calves on Health and Fecal Shedding of Antimicrobial Resistant Escherichia Coli and Enterococcus SPP”
Outstanding Avian, Exotics, Lab Animal or Poultry Research Study and Presentation Award
• Dr. Sara Adelman (resident), Ophthalmology: “The Role of Epithelial Membrane-Associated Mucin 4 (Muc4) in Ocular Surface Health and Corneal Wound Healing”
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School Retains Top Spot Nationally in QS Rankings
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine continues to be recognized for its leadership in the 2023 QS World University Rankings. Quacquarelli Symonds, considered one of the most influential international university rankings providers, ranked the school first in the nation and second in the world (behind London’s Royal Veterinary College). Since veterinary science was added to the rankings in 2015, UC Davis has been first in the world five times and is No. 2 for a fourth time. As one of the largest and most innovative veterinary hospitals in the world, the VMTH plays a large role in determining this ranking. Congratulations to all!
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Biological Media Services to Host Open House
Biological Media Services (BMS) has moved to Tupper Hall. To celebrate their new facility, they will be hosting an open house on April 5 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Tupper Hall rooms 2121, 2125, and 2116. Come meet their team, see their new manufacturing operation, and discover how they can meet the needs of your laboratory. BMS is a UC Davis self-sustaining biological products manufacturing operation within the VMTH that serves the SVM, VMTH, CAHFS, VMTRC, campus research laboratories, and many universities and veterinary clinics throughout the country. They produce classic petri dish, broth, tissue culture media, and provide custom media production. Provide them with a recipe, and they will create the product for you.
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Staff Update:
- Please welcome Audra Johnson as the new House Officer Affairs Coordinator. In this role, she is responsible for organizing and administering a wide variety of activities related to the VMTH’s extensive House Officer Program, working with residents, interns, and fellows from onboarding to commencement. This also includes administrative and event support for our House Officer Wellness Program in addition to our CVMO office and leadership team. Audra has been with UC Davis for 10 years as an event planner. Prior to UC Davis, she served as a hospital administrator at various small animal hospitals throughout the Los Angeles area. In addition to her love of animals, Audra is a world traveler, having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and searched out anacondas in the Peruvian Amazon.
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Faculty Update:
- Congratulations to Dr. Boaz Arzi, chief of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, on becoming the first veterinarian accepted as an affiliate member to the American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons (ASTMJS). Dr. Arzi recently gave a keynote address at the 2023 ASTMJS Annual Meeting. The lecture, entitled “A Comparative Glance into the TMJ in Veterinary Medicine,” was well received by the physician members.
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- Congratulations to Dr. Philipp Mayhew for being named the 2023 recipient of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Simon Award, for contributions to the advancement of all small animal surgery in its widest context. BSAVA awards recognize outstanding contributions in the field of small animal veterinary practice, celebrating the veterinary profession’s unsung heroes.
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COVID-19 Update:
- UC Davis Chancellor Gary May announced the end of the Campus Interim Public Health Policy as of February 28, 2023 in coordination with the end of the County, State, and Federal Emergency Public Health Orders. This will bring changes to policies and protocols we have used for the past 3 years. The Daily Symptom Survey is no longer in use. Reports of positive cases of COVID-19 are strongly encouraged, but not required. It is also strongly encouraged to report positive cases, mask in crowded indoor spaces, and test for COVID-19 if symptomatic. It remains mandatory to stay home if sick and to document your vaccination series in Health e-messaging.
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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 March.
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March Recipients:
March recipients:
Lindsay Haren, an animal health technician in the Oncology Service, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural belief of Pursue Excellence, which contributed to the key result of Excellence in Patient Care.
“During a procedure that developed a complication, Lindsay stayed late to ensure good patient care and to support our resident. Lindsay goes above and beyond and always puts our patients first. Our service is lucky to have her and her kind heart.”
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Kathleen McGinley, a Client Services representative in the Call Center, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Realize Our Vision, Value People, and Pursue Excellence, which contributed to the key result of Excellence in Patient Care.
“Thank you for exceeding client expectations and taking such good care of Odie and his parents. You are appreciated.”
Thank you, Lindsay and Kathleen, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH.
In addition, Haleigh Hernandez and Sydney Anderson also received awards for recognizing the hard work of their colleagues.
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Key Cultural Pillar
“Realize Our Vision"
Members of the Ophthalmology Service and the Access To Care Program recently cared for Gratitude, a 7-month-old kitten, who presented with symblepharon in her left eye. This blinding condition occurs when the conjunctiva—the pink tissue surrounding the eye—fuses with other nearby surface structures of the eye or eyelid soon after birth, likely secondary to a feline herpesvirus infection on the ocular surface. While the disease is seen commonly in feline practices, its clinical significance can vary widely, and outcomes are poorly documented in academic veterinary literature. Over the past 20 years, research on the condition has been described in only five published papers, covering just 20 kittens. Gratitude’s case became part of a larger study, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, which doubled the number of kittens ever described with this condition, and represents a large retrospective study of kittens with this condition all seen at a single institution over 20 years. The paper gives a better evaluation of the signalment, medical and surgical treatment options, and outcome for kittens with the disease.
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Equine Medicine Saves Donkey from Oleander Poisoning
Congratulations to Drs. Fiona Wensley and Mallory Lehman, along with the entire equine emergency and medicine teams, for saving Lily, an 11-year-old female donkey with oleander poisoning. Lily was hospitalized for six days, but she made a full recovery and is back to her old self with the rest of her herd.
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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 each month on managing stress during busy and demanding careers. Please see the full website of services that Florence offers, including a section on House Officer Wellness.
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