Submitted by: Paula A. Monroe-Aldridge, DVM
I owe a great deal to this organization. For my entire career, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has provided me with the tools that I need to deliver exceptional care to my feline patients, and it is certain that the AAFP is an enormous part of why feline care has advanced to where it is today. I want to take this opportunity to thank the founders, past presidents, board members, staff members, and all the volunteers over the years for bringing us to this point. I am honored and proud to serve as president for the association that has done so very much to advance the field of feline medicine and surgery.
In collaboration with the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the Cat Friendly Practice® program (CFP) has evolved into a global initiative and continues to progress. The results of the recent CFP survey are proof of the amazing difference it is making. This year, I want to concentrate on getting the CFP ideology into our veterinary schools and veterinary technician programs. The Board will discuss how to accomplish this task during our upcoming strategic planning session, and I cannot think of better places to nurture a veterinary cultural change towards cats. We all realize the key role veterinary technicians play in patient care within our hospitals and young veterinarians are the future of our profession.
We have already begun outreach to these groups and provide complimentary access to feline resources, webinars, and toolkits to both technicians and veterinary students. We plan to continue our partnership with the Winn Feline Foundation to provide scholarships for veterinary students, and have recently developed a partnership with NAVTA to see how we can assist with improved feline content in technician program curriculums. As feline practitioners, collaborating with these organizations will help us provide excellent care to patients, increase our number of feline visits, and decrease the stress associated with these visits. In turn, it will help our practices progress, thrive, and grow.
We have also begun reaching out to cat caregivers via social media. Our staff has done an incredible job establishing our presence on social media. Last January, we launched The Cat Community and if you have not yet utilized this amazing tool for your clients, be sure to check it out! Informed cat owners will only improve the welfare of our feline companions and help bring to light the need to seek regular veterinary care.
This is an exciting time in AAFP. Our membership has grown to almost 4,000 members, we have helped over 1,150 practices earn Cat Friendly Practice® designations, and there were almost 1,200 in attendance at our annual fall conference! We will continue to provide our members with the most up-to-date research and continuing education with JSFM, Open Reports, VIN Rounds, and webinars. We are looking to expand the content on our YouTube channel with educational videos for both your staff and your clients. Our committees are always hard at work behind-the-scenes, meticulously developing guidelines for best practices, welfare statements, and client brochures as well as continuing to improve the CFP program, among many other projects. If you have interest in helping AAFP evolve and grow, please consider getting involved by volunteering. For more information on volunteering, click here.
Speaking of volunteers, our 2018 Conference Planning Task Force is hard at work tending to details for this year’s fall conference in Charlotte, NC. With an incredible line up of speakers on the topics of Senior & Geriatric Care and Emergency & Critical Care, it will NOT disappoint. I hope to meet you all there!
Looking forward to a fantastically feline focused year ahead,
Paula A. Monroe-Aldridge, DVM