Experts on AI, the "Mystery Dog Illness" and the State of Pet Care in Ukraine to Speak at VMX 2024

World's largest and most comprehensive veterinary conference opens January 13 in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jan. 13 -17, 2024, the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) will host VMX 2024 in Orlando, FL, setting the direction for veterinary medicine in the new year and providing industry professionals with more than 800 continuing education and scientific sessions presented by world-renowned veterinary leaders. VMX features subject matter experts on the top current events in veterinary medicine to help veterinary professionals expand their skills and be on the cutting edge of what's new and notable.

"Breakthroughs in research and technological advancements, most notably AI, are providing additional resources to veterinary practices as global demand for veterinary professionals continues to rise and practices endeavor to keep up," said NAVC CEO Gene O'Neill. "VMX presents global veterinary leaders on the forefront of advances in veterinary medicine, providing the newest and most relevant education veterinary professionals need to excel in their careers and further the industry as a whole."

This year's conference includes researchers on the front lines breaking new ground and discovering insights about the "mystery dog respiratory illness" sweeping across the United States, AI experts on the cutting edge of new technology that is revolutionizing the industry and veterinary professionals from Ukraine discussing the state of animal health care in times of crisis.

VMX 2024 will feature world-renowned animal healthcare experts who are available for interviews. Look for more sessions and presenters who will be highlighted this month. See the VMX 2024 Full Program for session dates and times.

• David Needle, DVM, DIPL. ACVP: "Preliminary Findings in Atypical Canine Respiratory Syndrome Investigation in 2022-2023"

In the past few months, the University of New Hampshire has been at the forefront of the "mystery dog illness" seen in more than 15 states as veterinary professionals and scientists search for answers to this unknown respiratory disease. Dr. Needle, pathology section chief at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire, is working closely to understand the illness. He will be at VMX on Monday, January 15 to highlight the newest findings of this puzzling affliction and how the phenomenon may continue to impact dogs. His session takes place at 4:15 p.m. in the VMX Sound Stage, Booth 315, in the Expo Hall.

• Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA: "In Sickness and in Health – When To Test, for What, and How!"

Dr. Goldstein, vice president and chief medical officer of global diagnostics at Zoetis Inc., will present exciting advances in AI and the value responsible AI-based systems bring in interpreting diagnoses more quickly, accurately and affordably. He maintains that "veterinarians that use AI will replace veterinarians that don't use AI in the years to come" and will share more on January 16 at 4:05 p.m. in room N210 B at the Orange County Convention Center.

• Jonathan Lustgarten, MS, PhD, VMD, CSPO: "Transforming Veterinary Clinical Practice with AI" and "Using ChatGPT or Other Large Language Models in Veterinary Medicine"

Dr. Lustgarten, a senior biomedical informatics specialist at MARS Veterinary Health, develops and implements clinical and diagnostic AI-based solutions on their worldwide veterinary health platform. He is a past president of the Association for Veterinary Informatics and an expert on implementing AI in clinical practices from patient correspondence with ChatGPT to AI-driven healthcare-specific tools. He will lead two virtual sessions covering the impact of AI on veterinary practices, including simplifying processes and expediting treatment solutions, minimizing cost, and allowing dedicated time for more personalized care. His virtual sessions will take place January 13 from 8-8:50 a.m. and 9-9:50 a.m.

• Aaron Massecar, MA, PhD: "Future Trends in Veterinary Medicine: What's Here, What's Near, and What's Just Over the Horizon" and "It's Time for Veterinary Professionals To Help Shape the Future of AI"

More than 35 percent of veterinarians and practice owners are using AI in their practice, while approximately 11 percent have just discovered ChatGPT or are discussing integrating AI into their work, according to a survey conducted by Dr. Massecar, executive director of Veterinary Innovation Council at NAVC. In his presentations at VMX Dr. Massecar will speak to the reasons why practices are becoming more driven to use AI technology and what kinds of programs are available and currently being developed for veterinary practitioners. Dr. Massecar's sessions will take place January 15 from 1-1:50 p.m. and January 17 from 10-10:50 a.m. in the VMX Sound Stage, Booth 315, in the Expo Hall.

• Vlad Ushakov, DVM, PhD: "Two Years in the Life of Veterinarians in Ukraine"

Dr. Ushakov, president of the Ukrainian Small Animal Veterinary Association (USAVA), will share insights about how the association and veterinary professionals from around the world came together to provide medical equipment to 254 clinics, treat nearly 5,000 animals, spay and neuter more than 12,000 animals in 210 shelters, provide 16 families of lost colleagues with financial assistance and more across Ukraine. Thanks to these programs, the USAVA now counts 62,000 vaccinated animals, 30,000 microchips, thousands of rescued animals and 500 doctors provided with work in Ukraine, in addition to creating a "Ukrainian Charity Veterinary Clinic" to combat the growing population of stray animals, fight the spread of infections and help animals affected by war. His session takes place at 1-2 p.m.January 14 in the VMX Sound Stage Booth 315 in the Expo Hall.

Presented by the NAVC, the global leader in continuing education (CE) for veterinary professionals, this year's event will offer more than 900 CE hours at the in-person event in Orlando. VMX Virtual will include more than 200 virtual sessions covering industry trends across a wide variety of disciplines and species, live-streamed from the Expo Hall. 

Registration for VMX is open to veterinary professionals and students. Veterinary and veterinary nurse/technician students, as always, may attend for free, and guest registration is also available. Click here for VMX 2024 in-person event registration information.

Credentialed media may attend VMX for free, in-person or virtually. For more information on how to register, contact publicrelations@navc.com.

About the NAVC

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. The world's leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best medical care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including educational events, headlined by VMX, the world's largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; the veterinary industry's largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC's products and brands, visit navc.com. To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit navc.com/calendar/.

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SOURCE North American Veterinary Community