Happy Holidays

As the holiday season is upon us, VMTH leadership would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the staff, faculty, and students who will be working during this period. As a 24/7 facility, we realize that people are often working when others are at home with family and friends. We appreciate everything you do to support our clients and patients - you truly are making a difference for our community. For those of you working throughout the holidays, please remember that Scrubs Cafe will be closed from December 18 - January 7. The VMTH recently hosted Dean Mark Stetter for the filming of this festive episode of “Mondays with Mark.” Here’s wishing you a season filled with a sleigh-load of laughter, warmth, and holiday magic!

Faculty Update:

• Thank you to Drs. Karl Jandrey, Erik Olstad, and Jane Sykes who responded to dozens of media inquiries over the past few weeks regarding a respiratory illness affecting dogs nationwide. Thanks to their efforts, UC Davis was at the forefront of expert advice on this topic, resulting in hundreds of news postings throughout the country, most notably, NPR, ABC, NBC, CBS, Sacramento Bee, and The Guardian. Additionally, the school was able to create an Animal Health Topic on the subject that was referenced by media and government officials.

Trainer’s Corner

Welcome to the Trainer’s Corner, a new monthly feature where hospital Technician Trainer Jody Nugent-Deal, RVT, VTS, will post upcoming CE events for VMTH veterinary technicians and assistants, as well as other helpful information on various topics in veterinary medicine. Starting next month, all CE information will be housed and easily accessible in a special link on VIPER. In 2024, our CE will have a monthly theme. January’s theme is One Health, the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Be on the lookout for upcoming in-person and on-demand CE lectures starting this spring. If you have ideas for CE topics or speakers, email Jody at jpnugent@ucdavis.edu.

Recognitions

December’s recipients of the VPETT Recognition Award:

Navelini Surat, a laboratory technician in the Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural belief of One Team, which contributed to the key result of Excellence in Patient Care.

“Navi is a go-getter and a team player. She has a voracious appetite to learn all facets of CLR, along with the other departments within the labs. Navi ensures that preliminary and finalized reference lab results are uploaded to patient records and strives to ensure the success of the labs with her attention to detail and positive attitude. She is willing to loan a helping hand whenever needed.”

Devona Vasquez, an animal health technician in the OR, was recognized for exemplifying our cultural beliefs of Value People and One Team, which contributed to the key result of Excellence in Patient Care.

“Devona helps me several times a week. She is always willing to log into the Omnicell so I can start pulling the premeds/inductions for all of our morning cases. It is so helpful, and I’m very grateful for her.”

Thank you, Navelini and Devona, for your hard work and dedication to the VMTH. Ramon Fuentes and Diana Taylor also received awards for recognizing their fellow employees.

Please utilize the PerfectForm icon link available on every VMTH desktop (or through VIPER>VMTH>Forms>VPETT) to recognize your colleagues’ hard work.

Upcoming Changes to VPETT

We just surpassed 1,000 VPETT nominations since the program’s inception in May 2021! Unfortunately, nominations have dropped off, so the VPETT Committee revised the nomination form to make it easier for you to describe why you are recognizing your peers. The revised form focuses on our cultural pillars, as those provide a better description of the core behaviors and competencies that make each of you stand out. The key results served us well, but it’s become clear the focus of the recognition centers on those qualities that make each of us a better colleague and employee, which directly contributes to our mission of delivering outstanding care. Therefore, the revised form will start in January and only focus on the five cultural pillars. Additionally, we will provide an expanded area for you to describe why you are recognizing your co-worker. We hope this change will increase VPETT nominations, and we will continue to offer the dedicated “Employee of the Month” parking space and an additional award.

Key Cultural Pillar



“Realize Our Vision”

Makenna, an approximate 6-month-old kitten, was brought to the VMTH after suffering severe burns of unknown origin. After being initially treated in the Emergency Room, Makenna’s case was transferred to the Access To Care Program which handles burn cases. Faculty, students, and hospital veterinary technicians began the daily maintenance of her injuries, which involved cleaning and medicating the wounds, as well as bandage changes. Two weeks later, Makenna underwent surgery with the Soft Tissue Surgery Service to remove scar tissue and reconstruct the affected area, allowing free movement of her back legs, giving her a much better range of motion in her pelvic limbs than she had before the surgery. A month later, students on rotation in the Community Surgery Service spayed her. After nearly two months of care, Makenna fully recovered from her burns. Funding for Makenna’s care was provided by the school’s donor supported Veterinary Catastrophic Need Fund. Overall, this case represented a wonderful example of the school’s commitment to the animals and families of our community.

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.

• Recently, I came across this Zoetis website article as I was researching burnout in veterinary medicine. The article states, “Your mental health and wellbeing should never take a backseat to your professional responsibilities. Veterinary professionals face unseen challenges, such as depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation, that are not signs of weakness or things you can ‘walk off.’” I wonder how many of us, no matter our role at the VMTH, just keep going because we feel such a heavy, personal obligation to work or each other? You’re not alone. I hope the article will resonate with you in a way that you can follow some of its suggestions to help next time you’re experiencing burnout.