Pulse - January 2022 - 9

JIM BELL SCVMA PROFILE
Mahan Recipient Sees
Community as Key to Future,
Praises SCVMA
D
r. Emily Beeler, 2022 recipient of the H.
Don Mahan Memorial Award, sees the
Mahan legacy as " public veterinary medicine
- the heart of what the SCVMA is doing
- and what public health does, too.
" Both SCVMA and public health look at the big picture.
We provide information about what's happening
locally, so we can bring the whole community together
to respond.
" This award is such a great honor. I have really just
tried to emulate what I've seen so many people do in
SCVMA and public health. " Dr. Beeler, who focuses
on emerging infectious diseases, has worked for the Los
Angeles County Veterinary Public Health Program since
2005. In the spring of 2020, she moved to the agency's
COVID Liaison Unit.
She said that the work of tracking and stopping infectious
diseases " includes finding community-wide strategies
to do it. SCVMA fosters a sense of camaraderie and
being in this together. This is absolutely essential for getting
through COVID and other diseases. "
The concept of One Health, she said, " is related to the
fact that the animals we're helping are part of a larger
community. There is an interplay of societal and environmental
issues that affect our animal patients. "
Dr. Peter Weinstein, who left his 14-year tenure as
SCVMA's executive director at the end of October, said
that he consulted regularly with LA County Veterinary
Health during his time as executive director and has
known Dr. Beeler for years.
" It was always invaluable to have Dr Beeler's ear on
global public health discussions, " he said. " No matter
how busy she was putting out fires (metaphorically) in
the LA region during the pandemic, she always found
time for the SCVMA.
" Her commitment, actually the commitment of the
entire LA County Veterinary Public Health Program, is
integral to the role that the SCVMA plays in the community
and the role our members play in their community
and practices. [Dr. Raymond de Villa, SCVMA's
outgoing president, will present the LA County agency
with the SCVMA President's Award at the annual
SCVMA Celebration.]
" Dr. Beeler was a frequent and eager volunteer to
speak at SCVMA continuing education programs on a
wide variety of public health topics, " Dr. Weinstein said.
PULSE
JANUARY 2022
Allyne Moon, SCVMA's membership secretary,
nominated Dr. Beeler for the Mahan Award. " She has
been a font of information during the COVID pandemic
and before, " Allyne said. " I reported infectious
diseases to her when I was with the Long Beach Animal
Shelter and she was gracious enough to lecture
the Paraprofessional Group (now called the Veterinary
Team Member Group) when I chaired it. And she
has been persistent in her efforts to educate the petowning
public and veterinary service providers about
rabies, parvo and most recently, COVID. "
Now working in the COVID Liaison Unit of the
county's Public Health agency, Dr. Beeler provides information
to the veterinary community and to other stakeholders,
such as the television, film and live performance
industries. She says that stakeholders in the community
do " the heavy lifting of enacting COVID safety measures.
We want to make sure they can quickly talk to us
and get the information they need, " she said.
She is convinced of the value of SCVMA and
similar organizations going forward. " One thing I've
learned from COVID is that associations like the
SCVMA are important for addressing new and difficult
situations. That's true not just in veterinary medicine
but other sections of society. Associations are
absolutely critical for quickly gathering and sharing
information. "
Dr. Beeler singled out general practitioners for praise.
" They really are the backbone of One Health and veterinary
medicine. They are always learning about a broad
array of issues. They are ready to step in and help with
almost any problem that appears. Their flexibility is so
admirable. They get out of their comfort zone to help
people and animals. That is so crucial. "
con gtinued
9
Pulse - January 2022

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