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Left to right:  Physician Dr. Laura H. Kahn and Veterinarian Dr. Craig N. Carter, President, American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES)

 

Extraordinary One Health Leaders Awarded American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES) Gold Headed Cane (USA) Awards Today: A prominent physician and two notable veterinarians

Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP received the prestigious American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES) Gold Headed Cane Award at the August 2016 annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) convention in San Antonio, Texas (USA) on August 8, 2016 at a breakfast ceremony.   The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 86,500 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine.

An internationally renowned One Health physician, Dr. Kahn was a co-founder of the *One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team (OHI team) and the One Health Initiative website www.onehealthinitiative.com.  Kahn’s One Health colleagues of the OHI team, currently comprised of two physicians and two veterinarians, are the managers and creators of the One Health Initiative website.  The highly successful “One Health Initiative” website, frequently dubbed "the international clearing house for significant One Health information" and by some the "New York Times of One Health.", came to fruition on October 1, 2008.  See http://www.solutions-site.org/node/875 and http://goo.gl/s23bvb.

Kahn recently published her long awaited book via The Johns Hopkins University Press entitled “One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance” this month (August) https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/one-health-and-politics-antimicrobial-resistance.

W. Ron DeHaven, DVM, MBA https://goo.gl/MP7FzJ, an extraordinary retiring Executive Vice President of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was one of the two notable veterinarians to receive the AVES Gold Headed Cane Award. 

Russell W. Currier, DVM, MPH https://goo.gl/PBpt05, a Diplomate of the American College for Veterinary Preventive Medicine, retired from a remarkable career as an Iowa State Public Health Veterinarian also received the AVES Gold Headed Cane Award along with Drs. Kahn and DeHaven.  Dr. Currier currently presides as President of the American Veterinary Medical History Society.

Inaugurated by AVES in 1964, the Gold Headed Cane Award was approved as an AVMA award by the Executive Board in 1996 and is sponsored by Hartz Mountain Corporation, Secaucus, NJ (USA). The award recognizes the achievement of an individual concerned with animal health who has significantly advanced human health through the practice of veterinary epidemiology and public health. Dr. James H. Steele [DVM, MPH], founder of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) veterinary division in 1947 http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/news.php?query=james+h.+steele%2C+dvm%2C+mph, established the award to recognize the outstanding contributions of veterinarian, physician and scientist, Dr. Karl F. Meyer [DVM, PhD, MD (Hon.)]. Originally named the K.F. Meyer Gold Headed Cane Award, it was renamed the K.F. Meyer-James H. Steele Gold Headed Cane Award in 1985 to recognize Steele for his outstanding contributions to epidemiology and veterinary public health. Today, this award has gained in relevance and stature in concert with AVMA's and many other health oriented organizations' endorsement and development of the philosophy of One Health throughout the world.

In addition to Drs. Kahn, DeHaven and Currier receiving the prestigious K.F. Meyer-James H. Steele Gold-Headed Cane Award, Honorary AVES Diplomas were awarded to: Alan Beck, ScD https://goo.gl/QVDATW, Stephen A. Berger, MD (Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL - http://www.gideononline.com/about/team/), Norman F. Cheville, DVM, PhD https://goo.gl/hUohUs, Peter J. Costa, MPH https://goo.gl/vrmfI9, Wondwossen A. Gebreyes, DVM, PhD https://goo.gl/okmjjs, Cynthia Hoobler, DVM, MPH http://goo.gl/T0QtK9, Michele Jay-Russell, DVM, MPVM, PhD http://goo.gl/atbTN, Brian J. McCluskey, DVM, PhD http://goo.gl/CZ2T9X, Stephanie R. Miles-Richardson, DVM, PhD http://goo.gl/G1jFPR, and Brigadier General Erik H. Torring III, DVM, MPH http://goo.gl/NML4fO.

The AVES board is comprised of President, Craig N. Carter, DVM, PhD http://goo.gl/n4wi3s, Immediate Past President, Charles O. Thoen, DVM, PhD https://goo.gl/F6bJ9s, Lonnie King, DVM, MS, MPA http://goo.gl/T8jb8T, George W. Beran, DVM, PhD http://goo.gl/JRPZ07; Saul T. Wilson, DVM, MPH https://goo.gl/QWMAfO, Bruce Kaplan, DVM http://goo.gl/KujQkP and William Stokes, DVM http://goo.gl/IqVy8d.  

Note: Information regarding these award presentations was graciously provided by:

Georgette D. Wilson, DVM
Director, Scientific & Medical Affairs
The Hartz Mountain Corporation
400 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ  07094
Ph: (201)- 271-4800 ext. 7711
gwilson@hartz.com