Pulse - January 2025 - 40

FROM THE SCVMA OFFICE JENNIFER HAWKINS, DVM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JHAWKINS@SCVMA.ORG
New Year, New (And Continued) Goals
E
very December, the SCVMA Board of Trustees meets to identify priorities for the following year.
The SCVMA remains committed to advancing our profession and supporting it with programs
and resources that will help in that endeavor.
For 2025. it was determined that much of what SCVMA is doing
works well and we will continue to improve, modify, and update our
programs and resources as appropriate.
Continuing Education
CE remains a major focus for SCVMA. In the survey we sent you last
year, you overwhelmingly told us that you want to keep the live webinars.
We will continue to deliver these to you throughout the year. Our live CE
events are also shaping up nicely for 2025-check out the SCVMA calendar
of events regularly for updates. As you may know, the Long Beach
Memorial venue is no longer available to us. As a result, we have been
using multiple venues throughout LA and Orange counties. SCVMA
will continue to offer a broad range of topics for all levels of veterinary
professional. We will again offer Leadership Training. The last two years
we've delivered Leadership Training Level I. In 2025, we'll offer Level II
Leadership Training to those who have completed Level I. All of these
are provided FREE to members, thanks to the continued support of our
amazing allied partners.
Chapters
I considered placing this topic under " Continuing Education " but, in
my opinion, chapters and their meetings are first about connection
and community; the continuing education component is an added
bonus. This is where you'll see those specialists who's voices you
hear regularly on the phone, but you might not be able to pick out
of a crowd! This is where veterinarians, hospital managers, RVTs,
and team members get to sit together, break bread and talk about
what they experience every day. With people who GET it. These
are the people that love popping cat bite abscesses just as
much as you do. And you can talk about it while eating-which
is encouraged!
There are seven geographical SCVMA chapters
as well as special interest chapters such as the
Veterinary Team Member, shelter chapter,
DVM2Kx, and equine chapters.
The volunteer leaders of these
groups make every effort to
make members feel welcome
and pair good
CE with good
company.
Resources and Benefits
We will continue to offer member benefits and share information critical
to our profession on all channels. Be sure to check out the Affinity
Partners under the " Resources " tab on our scvma.org webpage. Our
most recent additions to our Affinity Partner list include Epicur Pharmacy
and Vet's Choice Radiology. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and
Instagram for updates on CE and sharable tips for pet owners.
Inclusion and Diversity
This continues to be a focus of the SCVMA. With a newly formed
SCVMA DEI Committee, we aim to continue to be attentive to societal
issues and foster inclusion in our association and the profession.
Membership
Our membership remains strong but we'd like to do even better. We
know it can be challenging for many to make it to a Sunday meeting or
evening event. But we also know how critical it is to engage with other
colleagues. Many of us became members when a colleague encouraged
us to attend a meeting. Did you know that non-members attending a
chapter meeting for the first time can do so at no charge? And that
RVT student and DVM student membership is free? Look for more
membership incentives coming soon!
Pulse
For more than 70 years, we've been delivering the PULSE magazine
to you. We are working on the content calendar for 2025. You can
expect to see relevant topics about our profession both on the local and
national levels. We will continue to do profile stories on members, hospitals,
chapters, schools, and award winners. Be sure to check out the
PulsePoints for important SCVMA information.
Giving Back
June of this year will mark ten years of partnering with Downtown Dog
Rescue to deliver free wellness care for struggling pet owners. This partnership
helps ensure pets that otherwise may never see a veterinarian
are protected against infectious disease and less likely to spread zoonoses.
The SCVMA remains committed to this cause.
Going Forward
SCVMA will continue to focus on what it does well, while continuing
to change and improve based on our member needs and feedback.
Though the Board has its planning session in December, our conversations
continue throughout the year so that we can adjust, pivot, and
shift as needed. Please let us know how we're doing and we're always
open to your suggestions. Happy New Year!
40
JANUARY 2025
PULSE

http://www.scvma.org

Pulse - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pulse - January 2025