One Health Champions

Shohreh Shahabi, MD, is the chief of the division of gynecologic oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Dr. Shahabi is an outstanding leader in gynecologic oncology, who puts her patients first. She is at the forefront of medical and surgical advances in her field, runs innovative clinical research programs and is instrumental in sharing her knowledge and experience with her residents and fellows who will be our future physician leaders,” said Serdar Bulun, MD, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Her expertise provides an opportunity to broaden the scope of patient care by putting research findings into clinical practice for personalized therapies.” Jointly with Sheldon Rubin, DVM, Dr. Shahabi graciously led the OCSA NW Side Team at their Dog Walk on September 13, 2015

Mario Javier Pineda, MD is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and an Assistant Professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is actively involved in the investigation of gynecologic malignancies at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. According to OCSA Board member Dr. Julian Schink, “he is the future.” Jointly with several veterinarians, including the former CEO of the One Health Commission, Dr. Roger Mahr, Dr. Pineda graciously led the OCSA St. Charles Dog Walk team at their Dog Walk on September 13, 2015.

Drucella Stingley, RN, received the Nancy Anderson Award for Excellence in Gynecologic Oncology Nursing in 2015. The award, presented by John Lurain, MD was established in 2010 in honor of Nancy Anderson, MSN, RN, by the family of Marcia Stenn, who lost her life to ovarian cancer. Dru, otherwise known as “one of the angels who rock” has made a huge difference in the lives of her patients. She was the oncology nurse caring for Susan Roman and Katelyn Klepitsch. And what does she do in her spare time? She runs full or half marathons or “walks” in support of ovarian cancer awareness and research, of course.

Lori Clemens, ovarian cancer survivor, was diagnosed in February 2003 at age 48. Her diagnosis was a fluke. She understands how very blessed she is. When she was diagnosed, she knew no one who had ovarian cancer let alone survived it. She gives back. She supports several ovarian cancer organizations including OCSA. She has created a monthly forum for ovarian cancer survivors to share stories and support each other. Just by chance, she attended the 2011 Dog Walk and was surprised to finally meet, in person, the ovarian cancer survivor she had been mentoring and it was none other than OCSA Advisory board member Dorothy Malone!! At that same event, she met OCSA co-founder Susan Roman too.

Deborah Lakamp, CAE, accepted the leadership role at the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association in the spring of 2015. She brings over 25 years of association management experience to her role as executive director.  Her background includes service in the agriculture, business, industry, social services and law enforcement professions.

One Health Conversation in her own words “One Health initiatives are the type of research, medicine and sharing that allows physicians and veterinarians to help both our human and fur family live healthier and longer lives. As a breast cancer survivor, I know that my diagnosis and treatment were more efficient and effective as is my preventative care in the future as a result of collaborations in the One Health arena.”

Dr. Tracy Myers, current president of the ISVMA, was born in Clarence, Missouri and raised on a row crop and swine farm. She graduated from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine in May 1998. She joined Whitney Veterinary Hospital in 2004. She has special interests in surgery and preventative medicine.

One Health Conversation in her own words: “Having taken care of thousands of large and small animals, it is amazing how similar animal and human health concerns occur in parallel tracks.  Exploring and sharing our expertise between the two professions is a bright spot in the future as it will likely lead to advances for animal and human health. I am excited to be part of a profession that is looking at the whole picture of human and animal health, the factors that influence health and, ultimately, the expanded options and cures we can offer our patients in the future.”

We treasure our partnership with the ISVMA first introduced in 2010 by OCSA’s Veterinary Outreach Program (VOP) member Dr. Rosemary LoGuidice.  Many along the way have helped forge this partnership including Brenda Weber, who was organizing the annual ISVMA Convention that year, and former executive director of the ISVMA, Peter Weber, MS, CAE whose professional staff included the current Executive Director Deborah Lakamp.

OCSA Board member Kristin Junkas, DVM will make a presentation at the convention this year on Sunday, October 25 entitled Practicing with a “One Health” State of Mind. Dr. Junkas says, “Veterinarians are more than just medical providers for our animal patients. We impact our patient’s families in broader ways than sometimes we are even aware. As we care for the pets which we took an oath to serve on a daily basis, it is apparent that veterinarians can be part of a one health approach which encompasses diseases that affect both the animals as well as their human caregivers. We may also indirectly serve as guides to encourage owners to be more aware of their own health and well-being by pro-actively promoting preventative care and management of illnesses in our animal patients as demonstrated by this collaboration between the St. Charles, IL based Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness Organization and its innovative Veterinary Outreach Program.”

To learn more about the ISVMA 133rd Annual convention, please visit: https://isvma.org/2015ConventionBrochure.pdf

Celebrating 2 very special One Health Champions as we begin National Ovarian Cancer Month….Meet Dr. and Mrs. Roger Mahr

OCSA was first introduced to Dr. and Mrs. Roger Mahr in 2012 by Peter Weber, who at the time was the executive director of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association. Together this amazing couple have been THE catalysts who have promoted OCSA’s Mission “Fighting Ovarian Cancer with Animal Passion” as the perfect example of the “One Health Conversation”.

Roger is the former CEO of the One Health Commission. The “One Health Initiative” was established in 2007 through the collaborative vision of Roger Mahr, DVM and the late Ronald Davis, MD as concurrent presidents of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and American Medical Association (AMA) respectively. Marilyn Mahr was born and raised in Freeport, Illinois. Marilyn and Roger were married on June 24, 1972. Together they established Meadow View Veterinary Clinic in Geneva, Illinois in 1974. Marilyn supported the practice in various capacities, including office manager for over 20 years. During those years she actively promoted the veterinary medical profession in various leadership positions with the Auxiliaries to the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. A priority throughout Marilyn’s and Roger’s professional lives has been a strong dedication to their family.

It was at the Susan M. Roman Veterinary Scholarship dinner at The Signature Room at the 95th that Roger and Marilyn brought the world leadership of veterinary medicine together to honor the memory of our late co-founder. The dinner took place during the 150th anniversary of the American Veterinary Medical Association Conference that was held in Chicago. It was a magical night.

In Her Own Words:

Throughout our life together I have provided faithful support and encouragement to Roger in fulfilling his leadership commitments. Most recently, this included his service as president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. During that time he shared his vision for a One Health initiative calling for collaboration among all health professions and related entities to work together to improve the health of people, animals, and the environment. It was a privilege for us to travel together throughout our country and the world sharing and promoting that message.

OCSA is forever grateful to Roger and Marilyn for their enduring wisdom and kind support of our organization.

Meet Dr. Sheldon Rubin, Chief of Staff Emeritus, Blum Animal Hospital – Ten Veterinarian American Animal Hospital Association Certified Hospital in Chicago, celebrating 60 years of Pet Health Care has continued his professional involvement in many veterinary organizations helping to teach the public about “responsible pet ownership”. He is a nationally recognized pet health expert and has appeared on many television and radio shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Steve Dale’s Pet World.

His professional activities include leadership roles in the American Veterinary Medical Association; American Animal Hospital Association; Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association; Chicago Veterinary Medical Association; American Heartworm Association and the Feline Practitioners Association.  In addition to being a consultant for print media for the Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times, Pet Life, Parent Magazine, Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy and Good Housekeeping he is the author of six books published and distributed by Publications International.  He organized and was president of Chicago’s first emergency clinic offering emergency care for Chicago’s pets after hours and has been a key contributor to the success of the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago for over 30 years.

OCSA was first introduced to Dr. Rubin in January of 2013 by Roger Mahr, DVM.  It was at that time that he graciously agreed to be the keynote speaker at the Susan M. Roman Veterinary Scholarship Dinner that took place at The Signature Room at the 95th during the 150th Anniversary of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) convention in Chicago.  And we are happy to report that he continues to support our mission!

The One Health concept in his own words:

After practicing for 45 plus years, I now have a great opportunity to look back and reflect on the reasons I love my profession so much.  It wasn’t just the adrenalin rush after performing a life saving surgery, or delivering a litter of puppies or kittens, or calming a pet owner at midnight because of an emergency, but it was the feeling of accomplishment in helping an animal and of course its owner. Yes the veterinarian is the “other family doctor” and my colleagues can attest to the comment often received, “I wish you were my doctor.”  But I have always felt that I was only a very small part of what my colleagues had accomplished before me. Almost every major medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has been achieved by work with animals by veterinarians working side by side with human researchers. While there was no name for this cooperation, I always knew deep down inside that this is what “One Health” is all about.  What is my small contribution?  Speaking and writing to the public about zoonosis, the importance of annual pet examinations, and bringing awareness to emerging disease outbreaks which have triggered the realization that human, animal, and environment health are linked, are just a few.  So doing my small part in raising awareness of the importance that veterinarians play in this collaborative effort now known as “One-Health,” is what I believe has allowed me to proudly say that I looked forward to getting up every day and making a difference in the lives of people and their pets.  Thank you OCSA for including veterinarians in your outreach. If we can save one human life because of your efforts I have another reason to love my profession.

In honor of the 152nd annual American Veterinary Medical Association Convention that will convene in Boston from July 10-14, 2015, it is our very great honor to introduce you to One Health Champion Ron DeHaven, DVM.

Meet Dr. Ron DeHaven, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), where he served over 86,500 members of the AVMA. He had been in this position since August 2007. Dr. DeHaven has more than two decades of experience with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) serving as the Administrator of the agency from 2004 to 2007. In that capacity he was responsible for 8,300 employees serving in 30 countries and an annual budget of $1.9 billion. He gained national prominence in 2003 and 2004 when bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and H5N1 avian influenza were making national headlines. Dr. DeHaven was commissioned into the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and has received two Presidential Rank Awards for his leadership. He was honored by the AVMA for his veterinary contributions with the Meritorious Service Award in 2004.

It was at the January 2013 Launch of OCSA’s Veterinary Outreach Program that Peter Weber, MS, CAE and former Executive Director of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association introduced the OCSA team to Dr. DeHaven. And since that time, we have had the honor and privilege to work with Dr. DeHaven on several One Health Initiatives including OCSA’s veterinary outreach program that also includes joint projects with students at accredited colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and abroad.

The One Health concept in his own words:

“While we may not think of ourselves in this context, virtually all veterinarians are One Health practitioners. Whether they are vaccinating against a zoonotic disease like rabies and leptospirosis or treating an illness or injury, by caring for our pets, veterinarians are contributing to the health and well-being of the people whose lives those pets touch. Our food animal veterinary colleagues, working in both public and private practice, ensure we have a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. Laboratory animal veterinarians care for the animals that have been instrumental in so many medical breakthroughs, while zoo and wildlife veterinarians protect our environment while also ensuring the health and sustainability of wild animal populations for future generations to see and enjoy. At the American Veterinary Medical Association, we talk about the passion that veterinarians have for the profession. It is that passion of our members that makes my job enjoyable and rewarding.

The use of dogs to detect diseases in humans – including ovarian cancer – is a particularly exciting area where animals can directly help promote human health. These are but a few examples that get to the heart of the One Health concept; the health of animals, people, and the environment are inextricably linked.

I am pleased and honored to be the OCSA One Health Champion for July 2015. OCSA is helping to promote the One Health concept by connecting the human and veterinary health professions in combating this devastating disease – a disease that affects so many lives. Thank you for all you are doing.”

Dr. Rosemary LoGiudice, DVM, CCRT, CVA, CVSMT, Member CoAC, partner/owner of Integrative Pet Care Hanover Park and owner of Animal Rehabilitation and Therapy was the first woman President of the Illinois Veterinary Medical Association and is the immediate Past President of the American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians. In additions to her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 1981, she is a certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through Canine Rehabilitation Institute; Veterinary Acupuncturist through Chi Institute for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and is a certified Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapist (otherwise known as Veterinary or Animal Chiropractic) through Healing Oasis. She served on the staff of the American Veterinary Association (AVMA) where she supported the One Health Initiative which was established in 2007 through the collaborative vision of Roger Mahr, DVM and Ronald Davis, MD as concurrent presidents of the AVMA and American Medical Association, respectively.

In 2010, during Dr. LoGiudice’s tenure as Director of the Chicago Center for Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kurt Klepitsch introduced the OCSA Co-Founders to Dr. LoGiudice. It was at that time she became a key advisor during the initial planning stages of OCSA’s Veterinary Outreach Program.

In her own words:

“I believe that the One Health Concept is a hugely important initiative for veterinary and human medical professionals to work together for improvement of animal and human health. Early in our veterinary training, we revognize how many conditions and diseases affect animals and people. Veterinarians are often the professionals that are at the front line of public health. Veterinarians are often the people who recognize that there is a problem that may affect an animal’s owner or caretaker, and even a zoonotic problem. The One Health Concept opened the door to provide the veterinary and human medical professions to recognize  and appreciate each other’s expertise and put that expertise to work. It is amazing how much personal information a client will tell me as a veterinarian when I am working with their companion animal. Often times, this information is health related, and I have frequently referred the client to see their health care professional, when they did not realize they had a serious problem. One Health situations can be affecting a large population, or an individual. Either way, it is a valuable way to recognize a problem and begin to help.”

On a personal note, Rosemary enjoys playing and working with her English cocker spaniel, Otter, who loves water and field activities, and people! Rosemary, who is also a firearm and hunter safety instructor, also enjoys music, golf, and the shooting sports.

Dr. Kristin Junkas, Chief of Staff of Wright Animal Hospital in Des Plaines, IL, grew up in Minnesota and now resides in St. Charles, Illinois. She received her undergraduate degree at Luther College in 1992 and then attended Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, earning a DVM degree in 1996. After completing a small animal rotating medicine and surgery internship at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Junkas performed 18 months of oncology residency training at Illinois as well. As part of her educational requirement, she published the article “Treatment of Canine Lympoma with COPLA/LVP” in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

In November of 2013, representing OCSA, she discussed our support of the “One Health Concept” in a presentation to Veterinary Students at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. She will conduct a one-hour lunch and learn presentation on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at the ISVMA Convention at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, IL. She will reveal how she practices the One Health concept on a daily basis at Wright Animal Hospital. The lecture will be part of the Continuing Education (CE) that is routinely offered at the convention.

Wright Animal Hospital, 265 S. River Road, Des Plaines, Illinois, was recently renovated and will host a Open House on May 16, 2015 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. They’ll have food, fun, giveaways, a raffle, tours, a pet photo booth, adoptions and more! See all of the new improvements they’ve made to the hospital. And you will be able to meet the staff and doctors.

Kris will officiate at the St. Charles location of the OCSA 5K Dog Walk & Fun Run on September 13, 2015. OCSA Board President, Marcy Twardak, will officiate at the Edison park location. See details below.

OCSA 5K Dog Walk & Fun Run on September 13, 2015

Join OCSA at one of two locations for its annual 5K Dog Walk and Fun Run! Registration begins at 8:30AM with Opening Ceremonies at 9:30AM. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for students, $20 for children. $10 for scouts, dogs and include an OCSA t-shirt for the walkers and Teal bandana for the participating pooches.

Bunker Hill Forest Preserve: Touhy and Harts Road, Niles, IL 60714
Register today HERE!

Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve: 37W700 Dean Street, St. Charles, IL 60175
Register today HERE!

Dr. Ksiazek was an outstanding career U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army veterinarian, having retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of active duty service.  Following his military service, Dr. Ksiazek joined and eventually became Chief of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Special Pathogens Branch, where he coordinated outbreak and control responses to pathogens such as Ebola, Marburg, and SARS.  He is currently a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Director of the High Containment Operations Core at the Galveston National Laboratory.

Through his professional life Dr. Ksiazek has been privileged to have served in a number of locations where events presented great opportunities for him to assume significant leadership and responsibility.   A few that particularly come to mind include:

Dr. Ksiazek expressed that the Nipah virus Swine outbreak in Malaysia was the most impactful of these experiences for him personally, particularly from a One Health perspective.   The virus had a wildlife reservoir, most likely the Malayan flying fox.  The virus then transferred to domestic pigs and became an epidemic disease within the swine population, spreading around the country because of poor biosecurity between swine operations.  It then infected humans through their direct contact with infected pigs.  Ultimately, the successful control efforts resulted from the critical teamwork amongst the animal and human health professionals and authorities, involving human clinical investigations in conjunction with laboratory testing and surveillance of livestock and wildlife, to determine the spread and the initial source of the virus.

As noted above, Dr. Ksiazek believes it has been his good fortune to be in the right place at the right time on many occasions throughout his professional career.   And in that same manner, he is honored to be recognized by OCSA as a One Health Champion.

“Between animal and human medicine, there are no dividing lines – nor should there be” – Rudolf Ludwig Karl Virchow (Oct. 13, 1821 – Sept. 5, 1902)

Veterinary Pathologists are very much like the crime scene investigators on numerous police dramas. They delve into a mystery like the 1999 virus that spread in New York City that left several crows dead on the ground an look for clues to solve it.

It was Dr. McNamara who was the veterinary pathologist at the Bronx Zoo, who set to work, examining the dead birds and analyzing the tissue samples. She was instrumental in helping to diagnose the condition know as the WEST NILE VIRUS.

She currently serves as Professor of Pathology at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California. She specializes in the recognition and understanding of the diseases of captive and free-ranging wildlife and is best known for her work on the West Nile Virus. She is credited as having “served a central role as a unifying force, molding and sometimes forcing interrelationships between local and federal government agencies and private enterprises, enabling progress toward the common goal of monitoring a newly emerging disease in the United States.”

Dr. McNamara is the recipient of numerous awards including the first ever ACVP Scientific Achievement Award and in July of  2002, she received The President’s Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association in recognition of her contributions and dedication to the animal, human and public health for overcoming obstacles; identifying the West Nile Virus and for utilizing the facilities of zoos to establish surveillance and to monitor programs to control and combat the disease.

OCSA leadership had the great honor to meet Dr. McNamara at Western University of Heath Sciences in Pomona, California in February of 2013. Please take a moment to watch the video where she endorses OCSA and our collaboration with the veterinary community to advance the One Health Concept.

Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP (Western University) Endorses OCSA

“Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.”

Dr. Kaplan is a retired veterinarian experienced in the fields of small animal medicine/surgery, epidemiology, and food safety and is a former public affairs professional. He currently devotes his time to promoting the “One Health” movement with One Health collaborators, Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP; Thomas P. Monath, MD; Jack Woodall, PhD and Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH. A One Health leader, he is the primary contents manager for the One Health Initiative website, and serves as a contributing editor on the editorial board of the One Health Newsletter.

Dr. Kaplan has been a pet care columnist for the Louisville Courier Journal and St. Petersburg Times. He has co-authored a monthly food safety columns for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) that was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical for three years. He has published several scientific articles on canine and feline medical and surgical concepts in veterinary medical professional journals. In addition he has written and co-authored numerous One Health articles for newspapers, professional journals and book chapters.

As a ten year cancer survivor, his perpetual optimism and breadth of knowledge continue to inspire many in the “One Health” movement and beyond.

Having spent his childhood in the company of a wide variety of animals, Will fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a small animal veterinarian in 2000 when he graduated from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He was particularly captivated by his patients with cancer and decided to pursue his interest further. In 2002, he returned to school, receiving a MD degree from the University of Vermont. He currently is on faculty at Duke University with an adjunct appointment at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. He spends the first part of the week taking care of humans with cancer and the latter part of the week taking care of animals with cancer. As an Orthopaedic Oncologist, he specializes in preserving and reconstructing limbs that have been jeopardized by a type of cancer called Sarcoma. This type of cancer, like many others, is much more common in dogs than it is in humans. Given his dual roles in human and animal health, Will is committed to using a One Medicine approach to solving the terrible problem that cancer presents to all of us, whether we walk on two legs or four. He runs a lab at Duke that attempts to identify common elements between types of cancer across different species.

For more information about Dr. Eward, click here.

Darlene Arden, CABC is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant, author, journalist, blogger and frequent guest on radio and television. Her passion for animals shines through everything she does. Darlene frequently interviews veterinarians, bringing the most accurate information to the public. A proponent of the One Health Initiative before it existed, Darlene all but begged medical doctors to attend veterinary conferences in order to learn about what would eventually reach human medicine. “If banging my head against the wall burned calories, I would look like a Supermodel.” Her very kind and thoughtful support for OCSA is dedicated in loving memory of her dear friend Nancy Jensen-Norris.

To learn more about Darlene, visit her website: www.darlenearden.com