Here are some COVID-19 resources that may be helpful to colleagues ... there is an abundance of information out there! On the topic of "change" - provided by Gina Fortunato: HRDQ:  Mastering the Change Curve William Bridges:  Transition Model   On finding the positive and empowering teams - provided by Dr. Wendy Hauser: Scott Berinato - Harvard Business Law. That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief Creating Sustainable Success: Scenario Planning for Coronavirus & Future Disruptions Webinar hosted by Anders Sorman-Nilsson AVMA COVID 19 site (updated daily) For ideas about how to structure merit based bonuses (Today's Veterinary Business) COVID 19 in Veterinary and Animal Group Health Settings: Protecting People and Animals Empowering and protecting your family through the COVID-19 Pandemic    

In her presentation on the topic of Maintaining & Enhancing the Human-Animal Bond Through Telemedicine Dr. Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD discussed how telemedicine can serve to connect veterinary professionals with pet owners, and best practices for implementing telemedicine in the context of current legal concerns and standards.We contacted Dr. Lacroix to comment further in light of the current environment and the coronavirus crisis, as veterinary practices are needing to try and maintain relationships and provide continuity of care and services to clients. Here is what she had to say:"Check and lobby your states to allow the adoption of the American Association of Veterinary State Board’s interpretation of “sufficient knowledge” so veterinarians can - on a case by case basis - determine whether they can provide medical advice without a physical examination. considering softening the physical examination requirement of the required VCPR. Below is from Pennsylvania which suggests out of state health care professionals could provide telemedicine to Pennsylvania residents. The implications still need to be clarified. Also the FDA has relaxed certain of its guidelines" ... >>>  FDA pushes telework visits for veterinarians to encourage social distancing In an effort to encourage social distancing between veterinarians and owners of sick animals, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it would waive portions of the federal veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) that requires in-person visits. Typically, the federal VCPR definition requires that veterinarians physically examine animal patients or visit the locations where the animals are kept. The FDA said that under the relaxed guidelines, the owner of a sick dog could share a video with a veterinarian and the veterinarian could prescribe a drug not approved for use in pets (when other drugs are not readily available). Or the a vet could remotely examine and diagnose a group of farm animals, and then authorize the use of certain drugs in the animals’ feed. “We need to provide veterinarians with the latitude to expand the use of telemedicine in the care of animals, not only pets but also the animals that produce our food,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement. “The FDA is providing flexibility that will help veterinarians maintain the health of animals during the pandemic, while allowing for the social distancing that is so important in limiting the further spread of coronavirus disease across the country and the world.” The agency cautioned that veterinarians still need to consider their state and local VCPR requirements. <<<   CONTACT your state board to get the answer for your state.

The economic impacts of COVID-19 are already hitting close to home for many … and it’s just the tip of an iceberg. The fallout of this is going to be substantial and felt for a long time to come.  Veterinary practices - although getting advice from the AVMA and their state VMAs (I hope) - seem to be scrambling in their response and are inconsistent in their protocols / operations. For example, there is - as of this afternoon - no hard and fast indication on whether veterinary practices are even considered “essential” services. In NY, the NYSVMS is taking a position (after consulting with their attorney) that they are “essential” although our Governor and the Federal government has not declared so (yet).  Just today I learned of one animal-related business in NYC shutting down - effective immediately - after 23 years in business. Because people are having to self-isolate for the next 3 weeks (minimum) - they have no need for the services that this business provides. One of the largest restrauteurs in NYC laid off 2000 people - bam. The economic impact of this is going to be felt for a long time, and I think it's going to affect our profession in a big way. This forum provides for the sharing and exchange of ideas and concerns. I'm starting this thread and invite colleagues to share what's on their minds, as well as steps your practices are taking to protect and serve (humans and animals) in this unprecedented time. What is on your mind? What worries you most (if anything)? What steps have you implemented to try and get on the "up side" of all that is happening ... to protect yourself, your co-workers and/or staff, and the public? What information or guidance are you seeking? 

In spite of our best intentions, an attempt to be funny or inject humor into any given situation can backfire on us.  Whether it's among family, friends or co-workers, words said in jest can still sting, be hurtful, or even be perceived as offensive.  So, why am I writing about being humorous?!? Well, because day to day - regardless of one's profession, education status, or employment - we all may use humor as a means of “breaking the ice,” putting someone else at ease, or for helping to bring relief to stress and tension in a difficult moment of time. In their workplace a leader, supervisor, or teacher may draw on humor in an effort to promote a positive, upbeat environment, collegiality, and camaraderie among co-workers and peers.I recently came across an interesting research article that examined the effect of an instructor’s use of humor - in the college science classroom setting - on their students and students’ perceptions.  The basis for this study was centered around the commonly held belief that humor positively impacts engagement and learning in the classroom - however, according to the authors, no formal study had examined this in the context of college science courses “which are often perceived as difficult and competitive” or “stressful.” The authors also remind us that though many students may find their instructor’s to be “funny,” other students may not, and could potentially perceive their humor as offensive.  This publication reported on college science students': 1. Level of appreciation of an instructor’s use of humor in the classroom. 2. Level of attention and sense of belonging when instructor’s used humor, and the effect of gender on what was or was not found to be funny or offensive.3. Joke subject matter found to funny, unfunny, or offensive. Although most of the findings are expected and understood, I do believe that information revealed from this study of college science students can serve to remind us of the potentially negative effects of humor when used among those we work or play with or supervise. So what did they find?  Well, as most of us would expect, the vast majority of students (over 98%) appreciated an instructor’s use of humor in the classroom and indicated it positively impacted the atmosphere, their experience in the classroom, and their relationship with the instructor. Nearly ¼ of the students also indicated that an instructor’s use of humor in the classroom enhanced their attention, learning, and retention of the material. That's all really good. But what if their instructors were not so funny and jokes fall flat? Well, when students perceived their instructor's humor to be “unfunny,” there were no adverse impacts on their attention, learning, or sense of belonging in the classroom. They simply didn’t find their instructors or jokes to be funny. When “unfunny” was also perceived as “offensive” however, there were several negative impacts on students including their sense of belonging among others in the classroom and on their sense of the instructor’s relatability. As one might expect, the study did find an effect of gender in what was or was not perceived as offensive. So what subject matter for jokes is universally funny? The top 3 subjects that were deemed funny and seemingly “safe” among the majority of students - irrespective of gender and age - were jokes about science, college, and television. Others included food puns, animals, and sports.   Subject matter that was considered potentially “offensive” included jokes about social identity (including: disability, religion or faith, gender, ethnicity or race, sexual identity, and sexual orientation). Females were more likely to find jokes about social identity offensive compared to males. Other potentially offensive subjects included jokes about body weight, genitalia, old people, divorce, sex, politics, farts or poop. The researchers concluded that the majority of students appreciated use of humor by their instructors in college science classrooms, and that humor construed as offensive serves to alienate students in their sense of belonging and their instructor’s relatability. Furthermore, there are significant gender differences in what is generally perceived as offensive. Our world is an ever evolving “melting pot,” and social identities may or may not be apparent or visible to us. If we’re to take anything away from this information it’s to remember that if we’re going to use humor in our interactions we should stick to universally accepted jokes that perhaps relate to cute animals, television, food, and sports (or perhaps related to our chosen profession among peers). As if you haven’t heard it before, we’d all be wise to keep jokes about politics, sex, gender, age, religion, and sexual identity and orientation to ourselves. At a minimum they should be kept out of the workplace.

Which of the following are among your greatest assets? Your vehicle or means of transportation Your house or dwelling Your health Your most precious and valued possession(s) Your income that helps you pay your bills &/or your future earning ability   Do you have insurance to protect against adverse circumstances that could affect Your vehicle or means of transportation? Your home or the contents of your dwelling? Your health? Your most prized possession(s)? Your income?   If you're not skimming and actually read #5 above you may be saying ... What ... insurance to protect my income? I'm guessing that - at a minimum - virtually everyone has health, homeowner's or renter's, and auto insurance. Gotta have it. If you get sick or injured, health care costs could wipe you out. What could it cost to repair or replace your car, home, or personal belongings damaged due to an adverse event or catastrophy? Without insurance how would you fare? After all, "life happens!"  Those who have a spouse, children, or other dependents also commonly buy life insurance as a means of providing for them in their absence. Health is surely one of our greatest assets. "Without your health you have nothing." We've already established the importance of health insurance, but what if your health status took a toll on your ability to do the work you do? The work that provides you with the standard of living you have achieved and enables you to take care of your debt obligations? Health care professionals generally invest a lot of time and money in their education. Doctors or veterinarians that go on to specialize in a discipline or develop a specific skill that elevates their day to day practice duties often achieve a higher income based on their ability to perform those specific tasks. Doctor or not - anyone who has a distinct skill or craft that enables them to earn an income because of that skill - should they become unable to do that work, their income is likely to suffer. Incomes for most grow over time - this is particularly true for professionals. Salaries for new grads are generally less than for those a few years out of veterinary school. As a person's income grows, there is often a change in their standard of living and lifestyle. More money in often means more money to spend ... whether it's on a bigger house, nicer car, play things, vacations, etc.  "Life happens." It happened to me and it could happen to you, too. It took "life happening" for me to realize just how unaware I had been in my early 30's when I had thought "that could never happen to me." Well "it" did and it derailed my career as a practicing ophthalmologist.      I am grateful for many things in my life, one of which is for listening to a colleague early on in my career who came from the insurance world. I was certainly unaware, and maybe even a bit cocky, but I listened and heeded advice from a couple of insurance experts (even though I truly believed it to be overkill). Disability insurance is not a sexy subject. Trust me. However, you need to know about it, and even if you think you have it through your employer, there's a lot more to know. I look forward to presenting on this topic at the upcoming AVMA Convention and have also shared key considerations for colleagues in a recent VetVine video. An investment of 23 minutes of your time could be life altering.