From foot-and-mouth disease to One Health: 75 years of regional cooperation for veterinary public health in the Americas - Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

It’s Fall Semester, and we’re back! What an exciting time for students, faculty, and staff. As we return to the hustle and bustle amid chilly mornings and a landscape of glorious gold and crimson leaves, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the spring and summer accomplishments of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Public Health community. Dr. Allick continued to build connections across teaching, research, mentorship, and community engagement for the Washington State University (WSU) Public Health Program. Two undergraduates engaged actively in research, including a former Public Health 101 student Riley Sharp (now an undergraduate researcher collaborating with Dr. Allick) who developed a project on college students’ knowledge and perceptions of dementia and aging, and another, Leah Grier, who explored disability access while completing a summer internship at Seattle Children’s.

Fifteen second-year veterinary students will each receive $20,000, along with mentorship and leadership training that continues after graduation. The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and Chewy Health have opened nominations for the 2027 Chewy Veterinary Leaders Program, which will award $20,000 scholarships to 15 second-year veterinary students, the organizations announced October 1. The program recognizes students from backgrounds with limited access to veterinary careers who have shown interest in developing as leaders, according to the AAVMC. Recipients will be chosen from nominations submitted by AAVMC member institutions, and scholarship funds will be paid directly to each recipient’s institution for the fall 2027 semester. Nominations close November 4, 2026. Support extends beyond the scholarshipFinancial aid is only one component of the program. Selected students also receive professional development resources, including monthly conversations facilitated by MentorVet, and attend an in-person leadership summit at Chewy’s headquarters in Florida. The program continues after students leave veterinary school.

Among cancer patients, the high financial cost of cancer care is a prevalent problem. This financial burden is also associated with potentially harmful behavioral strategies that patients might use to cope with costs, such as delaying or forgoing treatment and skipping medications. Collectively, researchers refer to this impact as financial toxicity.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) could transform diabetes management for millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes who don't take insulin, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The clinical trial found that adults using CGMs spent approximately five additional hours each day within their target blood sugar range compared with those receiving routine care. Nearly twice as many CGM users also achieved an A1c level below 7%, a common treatment goal for people with diabetes.