Latest MVMA News and Stories 

Stay up-to-date on the latest MVMA news and stories. If you have a story idea that the MVMA should be covering for the newsletter, social media or website, reach out to MVMA Marketing and Communications Manager Jenn Stromberg at [email protected]. Follow MVMA on Facebook and Instagram for additional updates.

Spotlight on the CHS Miracle of Birth Center and Its "Super Volunteers"

JULY 2025  Sitting down for a conversation with several current and former co-chairs of MVMA’s Miracle of Birth Center (MOBC) committee, it was apparent they share a bond born of working closely together over the course of many years. Currently a team of seven, made up of Drs. Mary Olson, Holly Neaton, Nancy Peterson, Kevin Haroldson, Katherine Pjevach, Marjorie Schleper, and Michaela Olson, these super volunteers are the driving forces behind the Miracle of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fair. Recently retired from their co-chair roles, Drs. Florian Ledermann (who first advocated for opening a birthing center at the fair) and Dave Wright have also been instrumental in making the MOBC happen nearly every summer since 2001.

Read the full story here.

A Visit to Access Veterinary Care

JULY 2025  Established in 2018, Access Veterinary Care has carved out a unique space in veterinary care in the Twin Cities. Access’s business model is helping bridge a gap in services and finding ways to make veterinary care more accessible. I recently visited the clinic, located in Crystal, MN, and spoke with owner Dr. William Frahm-Gilles and Director of Operations Tania Blake about how Access’ collaborative, community-minded model with a focus on education, transparency, and accessibility is making a difference for clients, patients, and partner clinics in the Twin Cities. 

Read the full story here.

Spotlight on the MVMA Surgery Suite Committee

MAY 2025  Each summer, more than 100 volunteers educate the public about veterinary medicine while performing a total of 48 live spay/neuter surgeries at MVMA’s Surgery Suite exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. Many of you are likely aware that MVMA recruits DVMs, technicians, and students for surgery suite volunteer shifts each day of the fair, but did you know that it also takes a committee of dedicated volunteers to plan and prepare for a successful Surgery Suite each year?

Read the full story here.

Dr. Scott Dee's Work Leads to Novel AVMA Biosecurity Policy

MAY 2025  An American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) policy on biosecurity was recently adopted thanks to the leadership of Dr. Scott Dee, Minnesota’s Alt Delegate to the AVMA. This novel policy has significant potential to expand awareness of effective, evidence-based biosecurity protocols originally developed for the swine industry—and pave the way for their application in other species. His work on this issue couldn’t be more timely, given the threat posed by avian influenza and other emerging diseases.

Read the full story here. 

Veterinary Technician Licensure Bill Passes in Minnesota

MAY 2024  After years of hard work at the legislature, we are proud to say that the Vet Tech Licensure Bill passed through the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Walz in May 2024. The legislation will take effect in 2026. 

The bill was amended to have a start date of 2026 to allow the MN Board of Veterinary Medicine to write the rules. Rule writing is expected to take 12–18 months. Dr. Al Balay and Kim Horne, CVT, who have co-led efforts to pass this legislation, along with Dr. Ann Brownlee and Sam Geiling, CVT, will participate in the rule writing process. 

We want to thank everyone who made this possible. Thank you for taking time and action to write or speak with legislators, attend the Day at the Capitol or help us advocate for the advancement of the profession. We expect a lot of questions about what happens next, and we look forward to communicating with you throughout the process. 

Read more from the AVMA here. 

MVMA Awarded "Best in Business" 

The MVMA was honored to receive a national “Best in Business” Award from the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE). 

The award recognized the MVMA’s efforts in launching a partnership between our association, Mission Animal Hospital and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School - Twin Cities. There are 37 Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study programs across the country with 100s of corporate partners, but until now, there had never been a partnership in a veterinary clinic.

“This partnership is a step in the right direction to help high school students from all backgrounds access the veterinary profession.” MVMA Executive Director Kelly Andrews said.

We are excited to announce we will be continue this partnership for the next academic year and our third year of partnership. Read more about the award and partnership in this feature from the American Animal Hospital Association. 

Mental Health and Wellness Benefit Making Large Impact

Over one year ago we introduced a new partnership with Restorative Path Counseling and Wellbeing. The MVMA recognizes that the Veterinary Profession and Community is selective on who they will approach with their struggles, and in an effort to reduce the barriers, we now provide access to a reliable and credible mental health professional (Mrs. Athena M. Diesch-Chham, MSW, LICSW) with 11 years of veterinary experience.

The impact of this partnership has shown how important and needed this benefit is. In the past year this benefit has paid for 251 therapy sessions and has helped 51 individuals across the entire state of Minnesota. The difference is being felt throughout veterinary clinics (3 practice managers and 8 technicians have used the benefit) and across all career stages (3 student members have also used the benefit).

 MVMA members and their team have access to…

 
Visit https://www.restorativepathcounseling.com/ or reach out to [email protected] to learn more.