wrvma winter 2015 newsletter - … · wrvma newsletter nysvms ... 24-hour care & monitoring •...

WRVMANewsletter

Winter 2015

Meal Periods in new YorkWhat HR and Business Owners Need to Know

CIATO IOSS NA ARY MN EI DRE ICT AE LV

R RTE OSE CH KC LAT NSE DW

2 Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association 3

in this issue: Winter 2015

Newsletter Editor: Stephanie Quirini (800) 876-9867 • [email protected]

Advertising: Stephanie Quirini (800) 876-9867 • [email protected]

Publication address: WRVMA Newsletter NYSVMS 100 Great Oaks Blvd., Ste. 127 Albany, NY 12203

WRVMA Newsletter, an official publication of the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association, is published quarterly and distributed free of charge to all active members of the WRVMA. Questions or comments regarding its content or distribution should be directed to the following address: NYSVMS, 100 Great Oaks Blvd., Ste. 127, Albany, NY 12203. Opinions expressed in articles and editorials of WRVMA Newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the WRVMA. None of the content of the WRVMA Newsletter may be reproduced or reprinted without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: 100 Great Oaks Blvd., Ste. 127 Albany, NY 12203

Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association 3

5 What to Do When an Employee Quits Without Notice

7 Disposing of Chemicals

12 NYS-VC Fall at Cornell University College of

Veterinary Medicine

14 Member Happenings

15 News to Use

Meal Periods in New YorkWhat HR and Business Owners Need to Know page 8

COMPLETE SPECIALTY SERVICES• Acupuncture• Cardiology• Critical Care & Emergency• Dentistry

• Dermatology/Allergy• Internal Medicine• Medical Oncology• Neurology

• Radiation Oncology• Radiology• Surgery

COMPLETE EMERGENCY SERVICES• 24-hour care & monitoring• Fully equipped intensive care unit• Emergency surgery• On-site diagnostic laboratory• Digital radiography & ultrasound

• Oxygen therapy• Advanced pain management• Continuous pulse/oxygen/blood/

ECG monitoring• Critical Care Specialist

What’s NEW at ASC? • We welcome KarenOberthaler, VMD, DACVIM-Oncology to our Oncology Department.• We also welcome our two new surgeons KendraHearon, VMD, DACVS, Fellow of Surgical

Oncology and CaraBlake, DVM, DACVS joining JenniferBonczynski, DVM, DACVS.

Animal Specialty Center

Emergency 24/7

OUR PASSION IS

COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALTY CARE

9 ODELL PLAZA, YONKERS, NY 10701 • AnimalSpecialtyCenter.com

914-457-4000

Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association 54 Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association

What to Do When an employee Quits Without notice

inDustrY

You’re swamped on a Monday morning and your employee suddenly wants to speak with you. He proceeds to tell you the disheartening news that he’s done. No notice, no resignation letter.

How should you let the team know about the news, without inciting panic that they’ll be overloaded with work? How will you find someone to step in and take his place on such short notice?

Though you can’t control the actions of the employee or force him to stay in a job, you

can mitigate the aftermath with a few small steps:

Communicate the news the right way. An employee’s sudden departure requires that you control the message-and communications all around it-as soon after the event as possible.

If you must make the announcement via email to communicate to the group quickly, schedule an in-person meeting for all impacted staff within a few hours, or the first thing in the morning the following business day.

Be concise and professional in your explanation, but

Changing BehaviorChanging Lives

Veterinary Behavior Consultations, PCEllen M. Lindell, VMD

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists

Phone: 845-473-7406 Fax: 203-826-5570 E-mail: [email protected]

Offering behavior consultations in Westchester and Fairfield Counties since 1993

~~~~~~~~~~~Visit our website for a complete list of

convenient locations inWestchester, Fairfield, Dutchess

and New Haven counties

www.lindellvetbehavior.org

WE’RE HERE FOR YOUR PATIENTS, WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH YOU

914-241-7700 546 BEDFORD RD. (ROUTE 117)

BEDFORD HILLS, NY 10507Katonahbedfordvetcenter.com

Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center

KATONAH BEDFORD VETERINARY CENTER SPECIALTY SERVICES• Acupuncture

• Cardiology

• Clinical Studies

• Dentistry

• Dermatology/Allergy

• Emergency

• Internal Medicine

• Integrative Medicine

• Medical Oncology

• Ophthalmology

• Surgery

COMPLETE EMERGENCY SERVICES• 24-hour care & monitoring• Fully equipped intensive care unit• Emergency surgery• On-site diagnostic laboratory suite• Digital radiography & ultrasound

• Oxygen therapy• Advanced pain management• Continuous pulse/oxygen/blood/

ECG monitoring

What’s NEW at KBVC? •Opthalmology is back Full Time! We welcome CoreySchmidt,DVM,(practicelimitedtodiseasesoftheanimaleye)!

•Welcome our new surgeon ThomasMonaco,DVM,DACVS joining JosephPalamara,DVM,(practicelimitedtosurgery).

•Also welcomeAlexandraSahora-Andrews,DVM,DACVIM(Oncology),our new full time oncologist at KBVC, joining Drs.Gill&Bergman.

•Clinical studies in: feline anemia, canine MCT, T-cell lymphoma & canine osteosarcoma vaccine (OSA).

Emergency 24/7

ANC Veterinary CenterDental Referral Service

Offering:• Maxillofacial Resonstructive Surgery• Periodontal Surgery• Endontics

(Conventional & Surgical Root Canal Therapy)• Prostonodontics

(Metal & Fibercor Crowns, Bridges & Implants)• Orthodontics• Laser Oral Surgery (CO2)

Veterinary DentistThoulton W. Surgeon, DVM

Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary DentistryDipl. AVDC

1 Cottage PlaceNew Rochelle, NY 10801

Phone: (914) 235-8770Email: [email protected]

honest. Invite questions and concerns, and address them frankly. Your team deserves to know the news because the employee’s departure will affect them. You don’t, however, need to get into the details of the employee’s gripes or specific reasons for leaving.

Assure your team that finding a replacement is a top priority so they don’t feel that they’re left to carry an unnecessary burden.

Develop a hiring plan. Take stock of the most pressing tasks the employee’s departure has left without ownership, and discuss how the work will be dispersed

among the group in the short term based on each employee’s current bandwidth, and interests.

If there are too many tasks for the remaining staff to cover, talk to HR about using other employees or using temporary help. But give the more interesting and challenging duties to employees who express a desire to take on more responsibility, or be considered for potential promotion opportunities.

The employee’s departure may be jarring, but it doesn’t have to be a negative event that leaves employees feeling overwhelmed


with work they don’t want. In fact, the vacancy can serve as an effective tryout for employees wanting to fill that role.

Don’t take it personally. An employee’s unexpected departure can feel like a slap in the face to the manager. But they have the right to quit-just as you have the right to terminate them.

Keep your emotions out of the experience, and use it as an opportunity to learn more about your team and how they perceive their jobs, and work environment.

If employees who quit attribute their decision to unreasonable expectations, hours or unfair policies, take their feedback seriously. Consider sharing with the team and invite anyone who may be feeling the same way the opportunity to discuss their concerns and solve them.

Hands off their pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) say organizations are obligated to pay employees

for hours worked prior to their resignation-even if their departure costs the company in terms of lost productivity, and lack of appropriate resources.

Managers should never try to retaliate against an employee who walks out by recording fewer hours than they’ve actually worked or retaliating in any other way. Doing so could quickly spark a Department of Labor complaint.

The bottom line: Though an employee leaving without notice is unprofessional, it doesn’t mean there isn’t some degree of validity to their reasons for doing so. The more you can eliminate those sources of dissatisfaction in the workplace, the more quickly you can rebuild a cohesive team.

Reprinted by permission of The HR Specialist, 7600A Leesburg Pike, #300-W, Falls Church, VA 22043-2004, (800) 543-2055, www.BusinessManagementDaily.com

Phone (914) 674-4141 Fax (914) 674-4140

Jane Cho, DVM, DACVO James Gaarder, DVM, DACVO

Providing personalized, attentive, and

experienced ophthalmic care

for your patients and clients

conscientious care by board-certified ophthalmologists in a personal setting over 30 years combined experience specializing in ophthalmology rapid communication with referring veterinarians easy to reach from all major Westchester roads

Veterinary Eye Specialists PLLC is an independent business providing ophthalmology services only.

www.vesny.com

Why Employees Leave:The Top 10 Aspects of Job SatisfactionWhen US employees were polled recently about the factors that contribute to their overall job satisfaction, the top factor, by a large margin, was respectful treatment of employees at all levels. It was rated as “very important” by 72% of workers. In fact, workers seem to value intangible factors the most. Here are the top 10:

Respectful treatment: 72%

Management-employee trust: 64%

Benefits: 63%

Compensation: 61%

Job Security: 59%

Relationship with boss: 58%

Opportunity to use skills: 56%

Respect for my ideas: 55%

Employer’s stability: 55%

Recognition for work: 54%

Source: Society for Human Resource Management report, April 2015.

Disposing of small amounts of chemical products doesn’t have to be complicated. Sure, we want to protect the environment and people and stay out of trouble with the government, but the answer may be simpler than expected. Most chemicals in the veterinary practice are pretty mild since they are usually formulations of a small amount of “active” ingredient mixed with a large amount of “inactive” or bulk ingredients. These mixture products, when diluted even further pose little risk to the environment or the general public. And most chemicals ultimately wind up in the trash during use-consider the disinfectant solution on the paper towels thrown in the trash hundreds of times a day!

Generally speaking there are five options for the disposal of expired or no-longer-used products in the veterinary practice:

Donate. If the product is not expired and is still useable, find a local animal shelter or another business that could use it instead of throwing it out.

Recycle. Many communities have recycling centers or hazardous waste days where individuals or small businesses can drop off unwanted or expired cleaning products and similar low hazard materials. Many of these chemical products are combined with other similar products and sent to a recycling center where they ultimately get reincorporated into new products instead of going into a landfill.

Recycling is mandated for many “heavy metal” products such as mercury or radiographic fixer solutions (X-ray processor filters separate the heavy metals from

the liquid. The liquid is discarded and the filter is recycled.)

Transform. Some materials are hazardous in one form, but not another. For instance, latex paint is a hazard in the liquid state, but is inert when dried, so just pouring it out on a piece of cardboard or plastic and allowing it to dry makes it perfectly suited to disposal in the regular trash.

Similarly, some liquid or gas materials (like alcohol or ethylene oxide) are hazardous to people in the practice because of the concentrations, but when “evaporated” or released in a well ventilated area, become so diluted in the atmosphere, they are not considered hazardous any longer.

Contain and discard. Some products like unused drugs or medications can’t be recycled and are not suitable for transformation, but because they are reasonably low hazard items and we’re only talking about very small quantities, they can be disposed of as regular trash.

It’s usually not a good idea to flush chemicals down the drain or toilet since most waste water treatment facilities are designed to remove organic pathogens and not chemicals. Flushing chemicals down the drain almost always ensure they will ultimately wind up in the water supply.

For dry material products, contain them in sturdy trash bags and discard small quantities in the regular trash. For drugs such as tablets or capsules, put them in a plastic zip lock bag and add a small amount of water to make them start to dissolve. Seal the bag and dispose of as regular trash.

For liquid medications, put a generous amount of cat litter or absorbent towels inside of a zip lock bag and squirt (or pour) the medication in the absorbent. Dispose of the bag as regular trash.

Contract. If none of the other options are viable because of the product or because of a large quantity involved (more than 5 gallons of most products), then a commercial chemical waste treatment company is the answer. Search the internet or look in the

telephone directory under “waste removal” for local companies.

Of course, local disposal regulations must be observed so when in doubt, contact the municipal waste management authority (this is NOT an OSHA issue) for guidance. By understanding all the options, the practice can protect the staff, protect the environment and comply with governmental regulations.

Republished with permission from The Veterinary Safety & Health Digest

inDustrY

Disposing of Chemicals


Meal PerioDs in neW YorkWhat HR and Business Owners Need to Know

cannot be revoked without a change in circumstances.

Employers do not have to pay employees for their meal period breaks, as long as the meal period qualifies as a bona fide meal period. To be bona fide, the meal period must meet the following three conditions: (1) the period generally must be 30 minutes or longer; (2) the employee must be completely relieved of his or her duties for the purpose of eating a regular meal; and (3) the employee must be allowed to leave his or her workstation--but not necessarily the employer’s premises or worksite--and must be substantially relieved from his or her duties during the meal period.

Employers may apply to the commissioner of the NY DOL for a shorter meal period time. If granted, the commissioner’s permit must be in writing and

conspicuously posted in the main entrance of the employer’s place of business. While the commissioner has the discretion to grant a waiver, she also retains the right to revoke the permit at any time. An application may be found at http://www.labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/wp/ls284.pdf.

So now that you are clear on the meal period obligations of New York employers, let’s talk about some of the meal period-related issues employers often struggle with.

Should we have employees document when they take meal periods? That depends, would you like to comply with your legal obligation to maintain accurate records of the hours worked by your employees? I’m thinking you do (or should). But let’s say you’re among the increasingly small number of employers who pay employees for their meal periods—does that mean you don’t need to document meal periods? Well, would you like to be able to prove to a DOL investigator that your employees actually take their legally required meal periods? Again, I’m thinking you do (or should). Yet, this question comes up a lot. Short(ish) answer—employers are well advised to have employees record the start and end time of their meal periods to insure

hours worked are accurately documented and to document compliance with New York’s meal period requirements.

Related question—can we just automatically deduct for the meal period (i.e., reduce hours worked each day by the 30 or 60 minute meal period)? If you can be certain that every employee for whom

Meal Period GuidelinesDespite these New York Labor Law provisions, the NY DOL’s interpretive guidelines (https://labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/wp/LS443.pdf) provide that the Department will, as a matter of course, permit all employers to provide shorter meal periods of not less than 30 minutes, so long as there is no indication of hardship to employees.

While employees cannot generally waive their right to a meal period, where only one person is on duty or is the only person employed in a specific occupation, the employee may eat on the job without being relieved, where the employee voluntarily consents to the arrangement and is paid for the meal period. According to the NY DOL, to obtain voluntary consent, an employer must explain to the employee that the nature of the industry in

which the employer operates necessitates one-employee shifts and the employee’s meal periods may be interrupted. The employer must then obtain an acknowledgement, that the NY DOL would prefer to be in writing, from the employee. Mere acceptance of a job or continued employment without objection is insufficient to establish an employee’s consent. According to the NY DOL, once an affirmative acknowledgement is given by an employee, it

Meal periods—while the law has remained essentially unchanged for decades, employers continue to struggle with balancing operational demands with legal obligations. This is particularly troubling given that noncompliance could easily form the basis for a complaint from a disgruntled current or former employee. Fear not! After reading this, you will have the information you need to insure you are in compliance.

Break PeriodsLet’s start with the easy part—though most employees think otherwise, neither state nor federal law requires employers to provide employees rest breaks. However, if an employer chooses to offer rest breaks, any such breaks lasting 20 minutes or less must be included in the employees’ hours worked.

Meal PeriodsNew York law specifically requires meal periods for all employees. Under New York’s Labor Law, factory and manufacturing employers must give their employees 60 minutes for a noontime meal (between 11 am and 2 pm) while non-factory employers must provide employees with 30 minutes. In addition, employers must offer an additional meal period to employees who work a shift that begins before 11 am and continues after 7 pm. This second meal period must be at least 20 minutes long and occur between 5 and 7 pm.

If an employee works a shift lasting more than six hours that begins between 1 and 6 am, the employee is entitled to a meal period at a time mid-way between the beginning and end of the employee’s shift. If employed in a factory or other manufacturing setting, the meal period must be 60 minutes long. If employed by a non-factory employer, the meal period must be 45 minutes long.

While employees cannot generally waive their right to a meal period, where only one person is on duty or is the only person employed in a specific occupation, the employee may eat on the job without being relieved, where the employee voluntarily consents to the arrangement and is paid for the meal period.


THE 1ST & ONLY VETERINARY HOSPITAL CARING EXCLUSIVELY FOR BIRDS & EXOTIC PETS IN WESTCHESTER & CONNECTICUT

709 Bedford Road (Route 117, off Saw Mill Parkway), Bedford Hills, NY

Tel: (914) 864-1414 Fax: (914) 864-1413 [email protected] www.avianexoticsvet.com Follow us on Facebook: Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics

COMPREHENSIVE CARE, BOARDING, & EMERGENCY PHONE CONSULTATIONS, 24/7 For birds, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, smaller rodents (rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, degus),

amphibians, & other exotic species such as pot-bellied pigs, wallabies, prairie dogs, & sugar gliders

Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice) Owner, Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics

President, Association of Avian Veterinarians, 2009-2010 The only full-time, residency-trained, bird specialist & vet caring solely for exotic pets in Westchester & Connecticut

Michelle Ravich, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice)

Lauren Thielen, DVM Intern and residency-trained in avian/exotic pet medicine and surgery

Offering more than 20 years of experience in complete medical and surgical care & boarding of these special pets, including wellness check-ups, post-purchase examinations, diagnostic services & hospitalization for illness, surgery, dental care, grooming, boarding,

geriatric care, emergency services, & behavior counseling

Office hours Monday-Saturday by appointment & Sunday for emergencies

an automatic deduction is taken takes his/her full meal period each day, sure. But if your workplace is like most workplaces, automatically deducting for meal periods is fraught with risk. Why? Imagine this scenario—a DOL investigator shows up onsite to conduct an audit. After reviewing your policies and learning you automatically deduct for meal periods, the investigator asks to meet with select employees. “Have you ever missed a meal period?” the investigator asks. “Have any of your meal periods been less than 30 minutes?” “Has the employer always adjusted the automatic deduction to ensure you were paid for all time worked?” Next employee please... I think you see where I’m going with this.

I’m not saying automatic deductions are not doable, but if you are going to automatically deduct for meal periods you need

to be aware of the concerns/risks involved and take steps to mitigate these risks. I have worked with several clients who, while aware of the concerns, have opted to automatically deduct. Together we have drafted appropriate policies and implemented training to insure that employees’ time records accurately reflect their hours worked and that supervisors are diligently and consistently enforcing this.

Can we provide employees with the option of leaving early at the end of their shift instead of taking their meal period? As a preliminary matter, New York’s Labor Law provides that the “noonday meal period is recognized as extending from eleven o’clock in the morning to two o’clock in the afternoon”. If an employee’s

shift extends across the noonday meal period, allowing the employee to take his/her “meal period” by leaving early would not comply with the law.

That said, the NY DOL has suggested that an employer and employee may agree that “the employee may work through a meal period in exchange for being able to leave work early on an occasional basis due to employee needs. However, the employer and employee cannot agree to such a situation on a long-term, regular basis.” If the NY DOL says an employer can do it there’s no worries, right? Well... here’s my concern, what is “occasional”? what is a “long-term, regular basis”? Or more concretely—where are you going to draw the line and tell employees that it was permissible the first three times but a fourth occasion would make it too “regular” to be permissible? Also, who is going to keep track of

New York State Spring Veterinary ConferenceMay 13-15, 2016 Hilton WestchesterRye Brook, NY

Save the Date

Hosted by New York State Veterinary Medical Society & Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

how many times each employee has been permitted to do this? Bottom line—operationally, it just makes more sense to not open this door as doing so is likely to lead to abuse.

The information contained in this post is not a substitute for professional counseling or advice.Attorney Advertising. Prior Results Do Not Guarantee a Similar Outcome.John Bagyi, Esq., SPHR, SHRM-SCPManagement-Side Labor & Employment AttorneyBond Schoeneck & King, Albany, NY


nYs-VC Fall at Cornell university College of Veterinary Medicine

assoCiation

The NYS Fall Veterinary Conference held October16-18 at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine was a great success! Over 560 veterinarians and veterinary technicians attended the conference.

This conference featured seminars with 43 speakers who presented on various subjects including: oncology, companion animal reproduction, exotic species, practical pharmacology, antibiotic resistance, wound management, controlled substances and general care of pet pigs with a dedicated veterinary technician track and equine track.

Friday night the Welcome Reception with the exhibitors included a silent auction and a Finger Lakes wine and beer tasting. The NYS-VC Celebration dinner held on Saturday at Celebrations Banquet Facility honored the following award recipients: NYSVMS Veterinarian of the Year: Laura Cook, DVM, a Central NY VMA member; NYSVMS Distinguished Life Service Award: Laurel Kaddatz, DVM, a WRVMA member; NYS-VC 2014 Outstanding Speaker Award: Ursula Krotscheck, DVM, DACVIM; Cornell University Hospital for Animals Outstanding

Special thanks to the NYS-VC Fall sponsors:

Clinical Service Award: John Randolph, DVM, DACVIM and Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service: Paul Pion, DVM, DACVIM.

There were 35 vendors dedicated to all aspects of veterinary practice that attendees could meet with during the conference.

New this year was the Floating Classroom Cruise on Cayuga Lake where attendees could learn about harmful algal blooms that affect domestic animals and common causes of fish kills in the Finger Lakes.

At the Annual Business Meeting, Margret “Meg” Thompson, DVM, DACVR, Interim Director of Cornell University Hospital for Animals was elected as President-elect; Walter McCarthy, DVM was elected as AVMA Delegate and Eric Bregman, DVM as AVMA Alternate Delegate and Allan Bregman, DVM was elected as Treasurer to replace Lawrence Bartholf, DVM who is retiring.

Save the date for the 2016 NYS-VC Spring May 13-15 at Westchester Hilton in Rye Brook.

Laura Cook, DVM (right), accepts the 2015 NYSVMS Veterinarian of the Year award from NYSVMS President Dean Snyder, DVM. (Photo credit: Rene van Ee, DVM)

Laurel Kaddatz, DVM (left), accepts the 2015 NYSVMS Distinguished Life Service award from NYSVMS President

Dean Snyder, DVM. (Photo credit: Rene van Ee, DVM)

Forty-three speakers presented on various subjects in both classroom and labratory settings. (Photo credit: Michael Carroll, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine)


Member happenings assoCiation

New York State Education Department

Board for Veterinary Medicine (518) 474-3817, Ext. 210

License Registration/Renewals (518) 474-3817, Ext. 410

Pre-registration (518) 474-3817, Ext. 250

Office of Professional Discipline (800) 442-8106

New York State Department of Health

Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (866) 811-7957

Communicable Disease Questions (518) 474-3186

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Rabies Lab (518) 869-4526

Rabies Certificate Questions (518) 457-0707

important Phone numbers and Contacts

Drug Enforcement Agency

New York State Division (800) 882-9539

NYSVMS

Albany Headquarters (800) 876-9867

NYSVMS Affinity Partners

Bruneau Saxton (800) 387-0685

Care Credit (800) 300-3046, Ext. 4519

EnergyPlus (877) 770-3372

TekCollect (866) 652-6500

USI Affinity (210) 524-2030

neWs to use

JUDY PAWLUSIOW MS, DVM Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SAIM)

Mobile Internal Medicine Specialist 516.457.2663 (CELL) 516.596.1242 (FAX)

email: [email protected]

www.advancedveterinarymobile.com

Serving veterinarians of Long Island, the 5 Boroughs of NYC,Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam and Orange counties for 18 years.

Providing ultrasonography, echocardiography, endoscopy andinternal medicine consultations.

As I wrote this Member Happenings, tragedy struck the city of Paris as a result of a terrorist attack. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their families during this difficult time.

So, of course I’m going to talk about the weather. As I think about ski season, as I wrote this it is 75 degrees in November. I know, however, that this won’t last and we’ll be on schedule for some local skiing by the end of the year.

There actually has been a lot happening-some great and some sad.

Al Schreier had an Aortic Valve Replacement at Cornell’s Weill Medical Center in NYC and is feeling great! His doctors wanted him to take it easy after the surgery, but according to Al, there was no need. I have to clarify as to whether he got a pig or cow valve so we know whether he can or can’t be kosher.

It is with a heavy heart to report the passing of Steve Shaff, DVM on Oct. 23, 2015. He was a tough man with such a kind heart and I truly enjoyed being able to spend my first job out of vet school with him at Cat’s Exclusive, in addition to working with my dad! He was 92 years old and lived his life to the fullest. Our local colleague, Jeffrey Hubscher is his nephew so if you’d like to send personal condolences and share stories, I’m sure Jeffrey would be happy to hear from you! www.legacy.com/obituaries/poughkeepsiejournal/obituary.aspx?pid=176227905

So, for those of you who don’t follow my personal life closely, I’ll catch you up to speed. My mother, Lucy, has been battling dementia for too many years and has been at Sunrise in New City on the 3rd floor memory unit since March 2014. My father, Burt, has decided to move into Sunrise downstairs this past March 2015 in the non-dementia portion of the senior facility. Two

weeks ago, he finally sold his beautiful home in Upper Nyack closing on Dec. 16th. What that means is that my crazy, hectic life now has another aspect of insanity added to it. We are going through EVERY piece of paper, clothing, jewelry, office equipment, furniture, etc. and getting ready for the ever popular estate sale before donating the rest we don’t want or need and then the dumpster. I think the dumpster is the saddest thing and I am not looking forward to that. By the way, seeing how well organized my mother (and father) are with their paperwork is unbelievable. Everything is filed and labeled- I even found birthday cards that both my sister and I made for them; every map from every trip; letters from overseas were organized by whom they were from;-why can’t I be that organized? I have saved the Westchester-Rockland bylaws that my dad has and I believe even the letter of incorporation of WRVMA-found in a file, of course!

I’m hoping that all of you who had to change their health insurance from Health Republic is hanging in there! As most of you know, the most reasonable health insurance offered through the NYS Health Marketplace has gone bankrupt and any of us with the insurance is without a carrier as of Nov. 30th, regardless of when your policy contract was ending. The NYS Marketplace has assured me that they are working on getting new policies that will both be cost and coverage similar, but I have heard that many of my colleagues have already bitten the bullet and switched before these “new” plans are out. I’m keeping my fingers crossed about this. I’ll let you know if I messed up or not!

Enjoy the holiday season!

Dr. Mo Maureen Saunders, DVM

16 Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association

100 Great Oaks Blvd., Ste. 127 • Albany, NY 12203

Presorted Standard

US Postage PAID

Albany, NY Permit No. 79

wrvma winter 2015 newsletter - … · wrvma newsletter nysvms ... 24-hour care & monitoring •...

Documents