PRESIDENT’S NOTE  —  NOVEMBER 2023

This is my last President’s letter of 2023. It represents the end of my first year serving in the position. While there has been a learning curve for me, I hope everyone is enjoying our meetings and I am excited about doing even better in 2024. We have some great presenters lined up! I also have to extend tremendous appreciation to my fellow officers who really did the hard work. Together we are focused on continuing to make your SFVMA a valuable resource for networking, engaging CE, as well as a conduit to veterinary projects in the community. Remember that this is your VMA. We welcome feedback on how we can make it the best it can be.

If you are like me, the year seems to have flown by and it feels strange gearing up for holidays already. I know Halloween has only just past, but the holiday spirit will be in the air in the blink of an eye. Also, I won’t have another chance to say Happy Thanksgiving or Seasons Greetings to everyone. So there it was, and I’ll throw in a Happy New Year, too.

That said, there is a lot to cover in this letter, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. If you are scrolling with one hand and power eating a lunch with the other during your “working lunch break” like so many of our members, you are not alone, and I will avoid wasting your time. First, I want to acknowledge the changing veterinary landscape in the post-COVID lockdown era. I am impressed by the way that our local practices have adapted to the economic, demographic, and industry changes we have been faced with. Congratulations to everyone that has faced adversity in the Bay Area and stayed around to keep practicing here. We are adjusting to new colleagues joining our community and the loss of others to re-location, retirement, and passing on. While it is sometimes difficult to face change, we seem to be on course to continue improving the quality of care for our clients and patients in the Bay Area. I am confident that we will adapt to future challenges, like adjusting to the use of telemedicine in the profession. …