Oregon VMA – March 1-3, 2024
Event
The Oregon VMA (OVMA) held its Oregon Veterinary Conference from March 1-3 in Corvallis.
Awards
Meritorious Service Award
Dr. Thomas Keck (Washington State ’82), Dallas. A mixed animal veterinarian, Dr. Keck owned Dallas Animal Clinic prior to retirement. He is a past president and a past district director of the OVMA. Dr. Keck served eight years on the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board, including a year as chair. He has also served on the board of directors of the Marion-Polk Veterinary Association.
Veterinary Service Award
Helen Beaman, Newport. Beaman is a cognitive behavioral therapist, based in Newport. She developed a series of training modules for veterinary professionals on managing anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout; cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, including breathing strategies, meditation, and visualization; how to handle difficult thoughts and feelings; and why establishing boundaries is vital to maintaining mental health.
President’s Awards
Dr. Michael Huber (California-Davis ’80), Corvallis, and clinical practice veterinarians. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Huber is a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine and a clinician at the university’s Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Clinical practice veterinarians were recognized for their adaptability, persistence, and resilience in the face of challenges presented to the practice of veterinary medicine by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business
There was an overview of issues being discussed on the national level and in Oregon, including telemedicine and the veterinarian-client-patient relationship and midlevel practitioners. Discussions were held and updates were provided on the OVMA’s success in stopping xylazine from being designated a scheduled drug in Oregon; a proposed rule, still under consideration by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy, that would restrict veterinarians from dispensing compounded medication from office stock to no more than a five-day supply for initial course of treatment; the challenges to include veterinarians in Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program; the OVMA’s support of House Bill 4043-B, which increases penalties for individuals who are convicted for the most serious crimes against animals in the state; and the association’s success in stopping legislation from moving forward that would have required equine veterinarians from reporting to the Oregon Racing Commission any known abuse, injury, or inadequate health of a horse associated with horse racing in the state.
Officials
Dr. Charles Hurty, Siletz, president; Dr. Lynn Healy, Hillsboro, president-elect; Dr. Jill Parker, Philomath, immediate past president; and Glenn Kolb, Salem, executive director