Submitted by: Kelly St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline)
In my last address, the year had started in full swing, with lots of meetings and travel, and much more to come. How quickly things can change! The recent pandemic has left all of our lives topsy-turvy and upside down. I suspect many of us are stressed by these changes and feeling a bit lost. Veterinary medicine is a demanding career, but now more than ever each day brings new and unexpected challenges.
One thing we must never lose sight of is that we are in this together. We need to stay connected, even as we social distance from one another. We need to stay focused and continue our good work.
The AAFP is also facing challenges as a result of the pandemic. I am proud to say that we have risen to the occasion and are still here working hard for you, our members. And for cats, of course! Our executive board are learning to adapt to this unprecedented situation. Our spring board meeting, which is usually an in-person meeting, became a shortened video conference. This was something we had not done before, but it went very well. We may have missed out on some of the bonding time that we enjoy together, but we worked hard and accomplished what was needed in spite of the challenges. We all realize that now, more than ever, we need to focus on our strategic plan, and the goals we have for the AAFP.
Many of us are learning to explore alternative ways to provide care to our patients. This might include telemedicine, as well as seeing our patients without the client present. Thankfully we have the technology to be able to video conference with our clients, allowing us to continue to provide care. At the AAFP, we continue to develop ways to provide online continuing education, toolkits, and other resources that are available to you directly online, allowing you to stay safely in your practice or home. Our first virtual eConference on April 6th included four amazing presentations and Q&A by Drs. Sarah Heath and Sheilah Robertson. We are looking forward to many other online learning opportunities, including the impending launch of our Cat Friendly Certificate program, our Retrovirus Toolkit, and many others. And of course, with the promise of normal days ahead, we look forward to welcoming all of you to Minneapolis for the 2020 Annual AAFP Conference.
As we move forward with our new realities, I wish you all safety and good health. Stay in touch; support each other. Taking care of each other has never been more important.
With Kindest Regards,
Kelly St. Denis
AAFP President 2020