As one of the staff at Today’s Veterinary Practice, I’ve been privileged to be part of the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) for more than a year now. As I reflect on that association, I must tell you that I have been impressed and, in many ways, blown away by what NAVC brings to our profession.
This organization has very grand, worldwide goals, focuses on the betterment of veterinary medicine, and moves incredibly fast once a decision has been made. Coming, as I do, from the background of academia, this is quite refreshing as, in comparison, we often move at a glacial pace!
Learn More
Learn more about the Veterinary Innovation Council by visiting navc.com/veterinary-innovation-council.
A Collaborative Initiative
I’d like to tell you about a new NAVC endeavor that fits perfectly into that operational pattern: the Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC). The VIC is an industry-wide initiative that will operate in a collaborative, project-driven manner to compel positive change by finding innovative approaches to challenges in animal health care.
The VIC will seek to identify global issues; bring together creative leaders in the profession and industry to identify opportunities that can help caregivers, academics, suppliers, and consumers; then serve as a resource to drive change. Like NAVC, it is expected that the VIC will move quickly and decisively in areas of high impact.
The goals of the VIC are to:
- Convene talent from across the profession to tackle global challenges that require collaboration and innovation
- Develop realistic, innovative solutions capable of transforming areas of critical value to the veterinary profession and the animal health industry
- Collaborate with professional organizations, companies, and nonprofits to implement the innovations and reforms.
Broad Representation & Reach
The VIC will utilize experts across the industry and focus on results rather than process. Board members include leaders that provide broad representation of the veterinary profession, including Tom Bohn (NAVC CEO); veterinarians who are successful in multiple areas of the profession, including forensics and law as well as veterinary specialty and general practice; veterinarians representing academia and industry; and veterinary technicians.
Topics to be addressed will be decided by the VIC Board annually. Preliminary discussions have identified the implementation of telemedicine/mobile medicine and training of certified veterinary technicians as some initial topics. These approaches are used extensively in human health care, and are examples of possible ways to expand veterinary markets and client care, even on a global basis.
Big Ideas Welcome
Do you have big ideas for the VIC? Either topics that should be addressed or exciting new ways to think about them? Something that could change our profession for the better?
This is your opportunity to harness the ability of the NAVC and the VIC to rapidly and effectively make changes that can have a huge impact for animal health care in the future. If you have ideas or suggestions, please contact Dr. Mia Cary, the NAVC Chief Innovation Officer and VIC Board Member, directly at MCary@NAVC.com.
I am proud to be part of the NAVC family, and you can bet that I will be thinking about this new initiative and what it can mean to our profession. Stand by for more information as they begin their important work.