The Ohio Veterinary Newsletter, distributed by the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine's Veterinary Extension Unit, has been revived, with the goal of providing relevant, research-based news on grants, research findings, opportunities and more to veterinarians across the state.
Research is continually published at land-grant universities, including Ohio State, but since this data isn't widely distributed or easily visible, veterinarians who could be putting the findings into practice are often unaware that the information exists. To combat this problem, The Ohio Veterinary Newsletter is now being sent weekly, according to Veterinary Extension Program Coordinator Jeff Workman, with the primary audiences being animal practitioners working in population or production medicine and Extension educators.
The Ohio Veterinary Newsletter's most recent issue, Vol 40, No. 15, was published Dec. 5. It contains summaries of three recently completed studies and lists several upcoming events.
"We have decided to resume this effort for the entire Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and will periodically send out electronic notices containing pertinent news from the Department; unbiased, research-based information with practical relevance for veterinary practitioners working in food animal, equine and shelter medicine, as well as a calendar of upcoming opportunities," Workman said.
The newsletter first began in 1974, Workman said, but was modified to an online version about 10 years ago due to the costs of printing and mailing. This version failed to acquire a significant audience and eventually died off. Now, in an era where more people have Internet access than ever before, the Veterinary Extension program hopes the newsletter will be more successful. Its return was also due to demand from veterinary practitioners.
"We've seen a huge increase in the number of practicing veterinarians who regularly use email," Workman said. "Our hope is that practitioners can receive this on their phone, quickly scan the contents and then read what is of interest and relevant to their work."
This year is the 100-year anniversary of the national Cooperative Extension System, according to Ohio State Extension, also making 2014 a good time for the publication's rebirth. Agriculture remains the No. 1 industry in Ohio, accounting for approximately $3 billion of the gross state product.
Past Ohio Veterinary Newsletters can be accessed here.