dvm360® celebrates Veterinary Heroes™ who are elevating the profession

Veterinary Heroes^TM award recipients on stage, during the gala in their honor at the Marriott Downtown in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday, August 25, 2022. Pictured are (left to right) Alexandre Contreras, VT; keynote speaker Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA; Andi Flory, DVM, DACVIM; Matt McGlasson, DVM, CVPM; Mary Beth LaBee; Jennifer Conrad, DVM, Donna M. Raditic, DVM, CVA, DACVIM; and James Noxon, DVM, DACVIM.

dvm360® recognized the 2022 Veterinary Heroes™ honorees at the program’s second annual awards gala, held at the Marriott hotel in Kansas City on Thursday, August 25, 2022. Sponsored by Blue Buffalo Natural, Clevor, Phovia, Dr. Treat, Merck, and Zoetis, the program celebrated the achievements of remarkable veterinary professionals who have worked to advance the field of veterinary medicine and make a difference in animal care.

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, delivered the evening’s keynote address. “We've got to be proud of what we do every day…Tonight's winners have made a difference in our world and the world that they touch, and more importantly, somebody recognized the difference they made and said, ‘You are my hero’,” he said during his presentation.

The gala was attended by Veterinary Heroes™, as well as their guests, event sponsors, and other industry leaders in veterinary medicine. The event began with a cocktail hour, followed by a 3-course dinner and awards reception. Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, dvm360®’s chief veterinary officer, was the event’s master of ceremonies.

“We had a wonderful evening celebrating heroes from all aspects of the veterinary profession with colleagues and industry partners. I can’t think of a better way to kick of our Fetch dvm360® Kansas City conference than this,” Christman said.

As their names were announced, winners Mary Beth LaBee (Client Service Representative), James Noxon, DVM, DACVIM (Dermatology), Jennifer Conrad, DVM (Feline Medicine), Donna M. Raditic, DVM, CVA, DACVIM (Nutrition), Andi Flory, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), Matt McGlasson, DVM, CVPM (Practice Management), and Alexandre Contreras, VT (Veterinary Paraprofessional) were brought to the stage to receive their award, a custom statue, and deliver short remarks to the audience. They later stood together on stage, taking photos.

“Our profession is amazing,” said Raditic in an interview during the cocktail hour. “It’s a journey for all of us, and everybody has got to find their way through this journey, but I also think that we all have to stand together, we have to be strong, and we have to support each other.”

Veterinary Heroes™ who were unable to attend the awards gala were also acknowledged and celebrated with prerecorded acceptance speeches from Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC (Emergency Medicine), Jessica Price, DVM (General Practitioner), Tammy Anderson, DVM, DACVIM (Internal Medicine), and Randy Acker, DVM, DACVS (Surgery), played on large screens during the event.

The Veterinary Heroes™ program recognizes the outstanding individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to help animals in all facets of the profession. Each winner was nominated by 1 or more of their peers for exemplifying leadership and achievement in improving patient outcomes. The winners were then selected after thoughtful consideration by a panel of distinguished judges.

After 2 increasingly successful years of the Veterinary Heroes™ program, dvm360® intends to continue the awards program annually at its 2023 Fetch dvm360® Conference in Kansas City. Nominations for next year’s Veterinary Heroes™ will open in the coming months. Look for an announcement in an upcoming issue of dvm360® and at dvm360.com.