AARV Newsletter - January 2024

JANUARY 2024 | NEWS & UPDATES

In this issue ... apply for a new CRI Educational Grant by Jan. 31st, nominations open for PT Liaison and Legislative Liaison, Technician Corner, and more!

President's Message

Looking Forward to 2024!

Dear AARV Members:

Happy New Year! I hope you had a joyous and relaxing holiday season!

I am thrilled and humbled to serve as the AARV president for 2024. Working alongside the passionate and skilled board members, I am excited to continue advocating for our profession. The AARV is an extraordinary organization, leading the way in promoting rehabilitation awareness and providing support to rehabilitation professionals. I truly believe we have the best niche in veterinary medicine!

I would like to take a moment to thank our outgoing president, Dr. Pedro Rivera, for the dedication he brought to the board in 2023. His leadership through some very tedious tasks is so appreciated!

There is so much to look forward to in 2024! As you plan your events for this year, don't forget to add the Pain Management Forum, which will take place from April 14th to 16th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This event is hosted by the IVAPM, and the AARV will have an entire rehabilitation lecture track to help you expand your knowledge and practice.

If you have any questions or would like to reach out to me, please don’t hesitate to contact me at president@rehabvets.org.

Happy New Year!

Kara Amstutz, DVM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CVA, CCRT

Past President's Message

Blessed With A Volunteer Board That Went Above and Beyond Expectations!

Dear AARV Members:

2023 went by very fast, and the entire Board of Directors accomplished just about every single task that was entrusted to all of us. I was blessed to have worked with a volunteer board that went above and beyond any expectations. Our next president, Dr. Kara Amstutz, and president-elect, Ms. Sarah Ostrin, whom I consider leaders and visionaries, will take the reins shortly. I cannot wait to see our new trajectory and work side-by-side with the 2024 BOD.

With the utmost respect,

Pedro Luis Rivera, DVM, FACFN, DACVSMR, FCoAC

Apply for a New Educational Grant from Canine Rehabilitation Institute by January 31st!

CRI Educational Grant for Licensed Veterinary Technicians

The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians would like to make available an Educational Grant to its members covering 50% of the remaining tuition for Licensed Veterinary Technicians to earn Certification in Canine Rehabilitation as a CCRVT/CCRVN.

The value of this grant is $4,138.50.

For more information regarding this program, visit the Canine Rehabilitation Institute website at www.caninerehabinstitute.com.

Specific requirements for the Educational Grant:

Applicants must be licensed or credentialed (lic., cert., regist.) veterinary technicians.
Applicants must not have completed another rehabilitation program.
Applicants must be current AARV members in good standing and maintain their membership until completion.
Applicants must complete the official AARV Educational Grant Application Form and submit an essay describing how the grant would benefit the applicant, their practice, and their profession (1,000 word maximum).
Deadline for submission of the essay: January 31, 2024.

The grant winner is responsible for registering with, providing the required documentation to the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, attending all of the modules, and being financially responsible for the remainder of the tuition. This grant must be utilized within twelve months of the official announcement, and it is not transferable.

For complete details and instructions about how to apply, visit the Grant Opportunities page in the Members Area of the AARV website.

Nominations Are Open for PT Liaison and Legislative Liaison!

As we begin 2024, we are seeking nominations for PT Liaison and Legislative Liaison. The Legislative Liaison position is now open due to Dr. Kara Amstutz serving as President.

PT Liaison

The PT Liaison shall be a physical therapist who is an active member of the APTA-ARSIG and AARV member in good standing. This is a non-voting position. The PT liaison shall serve a three-year term.

Purpose: To serve as a liaison between the AARV and the APTA-SIG for animal rehabilitation.

General Roles:

Foster communication between veterinarians and physical therapists as related to the field of animal rehabilitation.
Provide insight from the physical therapist perspective as it relates to animal rehabilitation.
Encourage allied health membership and participation in the AARV.
Consult with the Legislative Liaison regarding the physical therapy and the veterinary state practice acts.
Provide monthly updates at the AARV Board of Directors meetings.

Legislative Liaison

The Legislative Liaison shall serve a term of three years.

Purpose: To keep current on legislative issues that may impact animal rehabilitation.

General Roles:

Serve as the Liaison between AARV and the veterinary community including state boards regarding legislative issues related to animal rehabilitation.
Advocate for legislation identified as supportive of animal rehabilitation.
Attend the annual meeting of the AARV.

Information about board positions is provided on the Board of Directors Position Descriptions web page and in the AARV Bylaws (member log-in required).

How to Apply for a Board Position: To learn more about a position or nominate yourself or a colleague, please contact AARV President Dr. Kara Amstutz at president@rehabvets.org. If you are a nominee, please send your current CV and a letter of intent to president@rehabvets.org.

Get Involved, Be Part of the Solution!

TECHNICIAN CORNER

A Small Step for the AARV, But a Giant Leap for Credentialed Veterinary Technicians!

by Sarah Ostrin, CVT, VTS-Phys. Rehabilitation, CCRP, OCMC, CAPMC

AARV President-Elect and Technician Liaison

2023 was a monumental year for the AARV. We had a very successful Pain Management Forum and worked toward getting 2 new academic scholarships that technicians are eligible for, including a large animal option! We are very thankful to our long-time supporters at Healing Oasis Wellness Center and now to the Academy of Animal Sports Science and the Canine Rehabilitation Institute for these fantastic scholarships.

The board then worked diligently all year, reviewing the old Bylaws one line at a time and updating EVERYTHING – including the ability for a credentialed rehabilitation technician to be eligible for the presidency of the AARV. This is a monumental step for the association and a massive step forward for veterinary technicians everywhere. The opportunity to be the president of a veterinarian association is an honor and a step toward the recognition and appreciation that credentialed veterinary technicians all over have been working towards. I am also very proud to announce that there was a 95% acceptance of the new Bylaws among voting-eligible members. That said, the Board of Directors voted for their new president and president-elect for 2024 this last week.

“We at the APRVT are very excited to congratulate Dr. Kara Amstutz, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVPP, CVA, as the President for 2024 and Sarah Ostrin, CVT, VTS-Physical Rehabilitation, CCRP, OCMC, CAPMC, as the new President-Elect and 2025 President of the AARV.” - APRVT

I look forward to the new year ahead. While I have served as APRVT Technician Liaison for 2 years and will continue in that capacity during my year as President-Elect, I will take every opportunity to learn what is required of me and what the membership will need from me as president. I am humbled by the support and encouragement given to me by my fellow board members, and I look forward to hearing from the entire rehabilitation community about what they would like to see from me and the AARV in the future.

Lastly, the APRVT and I would like to express our immense gratitude to Dr. Pedro Rivera for always having a smile on his face, for his extreme dedication to everything he sets his mind to, for his incredible passion for the field of rehabilitation, and, most importantly, for always being a champion for veterinary technicians everywhere. Thank you for all you’ve done for the AARV this last year and for technicians everywhere.

“Remember to breathe; inhale courage, and exhale compassion.” – Sarah Ostrin

Don’t forget to email any questions or suggestions you have to technician@rehabvets.org.

Learn More About APRVT

The technicians of the APRVT would love to speak at your clinic or local conference! Contact us at vetrehabtechs@gmail.com to find someone in your area!

Please visit the APRVT website and social media sites to learn more about us and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter!

Facebook - Academy of Physical Rehabilitation Veterinary Technicians-APRVT
Instagram - APRVT_vetrehabtechs

Student Members:

Check Out the Student Section of Our Website!

by Britt Carr Benson, DVM, CCRT, DACVSMR

Education Liaison

Please see the student section of our website to view the benefits for student members. Membership is free to students enrolled in accredited veterinary, veterinary technician/nurse, and physical therapy programs.

To see a complete list of our current externship opportunities, visit our website, log into the Members Area, and go to the Student Job Shadowing/Externships page.

Do you have a student club at your university that is interested in learning more about rehabilitation and sports medicine? Register Your Club! We can help arrange a rehab lecture in your school for registered student clubs. Contact education@rehabvets.org for more information.

Join Our Speaker Registry!

The AARV wants you to be a speaker! We are developing a speaker registry and are requesting that interested members apply. This is an opportunity to engage in rehab education in your area of expertise! Consideration will be given to AARV members with accredited veterinary sports medicine/rehabilitation certification or ACVSMR diplomate or resident status. Venues may include, but are not restricted to, state, national and sports medicine/rehab specialty CE conferences, meetings and/or student club events. Speakers will be eligible for reimbursement for some travel expenses, which can be discussed upon application.

If you are interested in being a part of our speaker registry, please email president@rehabvets.org with the following information:

Full name and college degrees
Other certificates of attendance or certifications
AARV membership (must be current)
Area(s) of interest
Home state and radius willing to travel
Venues of interest, including virtual lectures, in-person lectures, professional CE events, student group lectures

Thanks so much for your willingness to share your knowledge!

Thank You to Our Mentors!

The AARV would like to thank all of the rehabilitation professionals who have volunteered to mentor and offer job shadowing/externships to veterinary and veterinary technician students who are interested in rehabilitation. To see a complete list of our current externship opportunities, visit our website, log into the Members Area, and go to the Student Job Shadowing/Externships page.

If you would like to join our mentor list, please email Dr. Britt Carr Benson, Education Liaison, at education@rehabvets.org.

AARV Now Has More Than 1,200 Articles of Interest in Its Database!

AARV's searchable Articles of Interest Database has expanded to include 1,205 articles! The database now includes Articles of Interest for all of 2016 through December 2022 and is available to AARV members in the Members area of its website.

AARV will keep adding journal articles to the database each month to develop its usefulness as a research tool. We also will continue to include links to our past Articles of Interest from 2010 to the present in PDF format. All Articles of Interest have been selected by AARV founder Dr. Julia Tomlinson because of their relevance to the field of veterinary rehabilitation.

To search the database, log in to the Members Area of the website and go to the Articles of Interest Database page. Enter a keyword, author's name, or other search term to begin your search. A list of matching article abstracts will be displayed. A link to the full version of the journal article will be provided if available.

Our thanks to Dr. Julia Tomlinson for selecting relevant journal articles each month and Dr. Bruce Henderson, Secretary, for preparing the articles for the database.

Check the AARV Calendar for Upcoming Events

Want to learn which courses are coming up at Academy of Animal Sport Science (AASS), Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), Chi University, CuraCore® VET, Healing Oasis Wellness Center, Northeast Seminars/NC State Veterinary Medicine, and University of Tennessee/Veterinary Academy of Higher Learning? Check the AARV Calendar of Events on our website, which contains upcoming rehabilitation classes and other continuing education events. You can also visit AARV's Training in Animal Rehabilitation page to learn more about these educational programs and find links to their websites.

Do you have an event to add to the AARV calendar? All calendar posts are now free for AARV members. Please send your calendar event to info@rehabvets.org and be sure to include the name of the event, speaker, topic, date, time, location and URL. Rehabilitation related events/classes only, please.

Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn!

Let's network! Connect with the AARV on LinkedIn by clicking on this link or the LinkedIn logo at right.

Interested in submitting an employment ad or becoming a sponsor? See the Employment Ad page and the Advertisement or Sponsorship page on our website to submit your ad or learn more.

RESIDENCY & JOB POSTINGS

Our residency and job postings can be found in the Members Area of our website, available to current AARV members.

Current postings include:

Residency - Small Animal Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Minnesota
Rehabilitation Veterinarian, Idaho
Rehabilitation Technician, Illinois
Rehabilitation Veterinarian, Ohio

For complete details, log in to the AARV Members Area using your username and password, then go to the Employment Opportunities page to learn more about each job and how to apply.

To submit an employment ad, visit the Employment Ad page.

Please take a moment to visit our sponsors!

We've learned that some email programs may cut off the end of our newsletter. If you don't see the AARV mailing address at the end of the newsletter, click on "View Entire Message" to see our complete newsletter including special offers from our sponsors.

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