Honoring Dr. Katherine Polak for her global contributions to animal welfare and shelter medicine.

The Bridge Club, in partnership with London Vet Show, IDEXX, Fear Free, and Virbac, proudly announces the winners of the 2024 UK Bright Minds awards, celebrating veterinary professionals who are reshaping the future of the industry through leadership, innovation, and wellness advocacy. The event, held at the prestigious London Vet Show, recognised three exemplary professionals making a profound impact in veterinary medicine across the United Kingdom. Winners were honoured in three key categories: Industry Influencer, Practice Game Changer, and Wellness Champion. 2024 UK Bright Minds Award Winners: • Industry Influencers: Dr. Jose Novo Matos and Dr. Kieran Borgeat Dr. Matos and Dr. Borgeat co-founded The Animal Heartbeat, the first podcast dedicated to veterinary cardiology, in Spring 2023. With a global reach and over 22,000 downloads, The Animal Heartbeat has become an essential resource, sharing specialised cardiology knowledge and inspiring veterinary professionals worldwide. • Practice Game Changer: Debbie Robinson, ILM, ICF, ANLP Debbie Robinson has dedicated over 30 years to empowering veterinary teams by fostering positive workplace cultures and enhancing leadership capabilities. Through her transformative coaching, Debbie has enabled countless professionals to reach their potential and set a new benchmark for compassionate leadership. -MORE-   • Wellness Champion: Dr. Katie Ford BVSc(Hons) CertAVP(SAM) PGCert MRCVS MCMA Dr. Katie Ford, a small animal vet turned professional coach, is a renowned advocate for wellbeing within the veterinary profession. Her book series, To an Amazing Vet, has inspired veterinary professionals globally. Through Vet Empowered, which she co-founded, she offers groundbreaking personal development and group coaching to support mental health and resilience. The awards presentation took place on the first day of the London Vet Show, where winners were celebrated on stage. Each award recipient received a £500 financial prize and a specially designed trophy, marking their contributions to the veterinary profession.

It's the day after the 2024 election and there were many bills that were passed or did not pass that will have a tremendous impact on veterinary medicine. This conversation by The Bridge Club, reviews the highs, lows and what this means for the future of veterinary medicine. Thank you to Animal Policy Group for tracking more than 2300 bills in 2024 to help guide this conversation. To access the report mention, visit: https://4b338d76-4bcd-40f1-ad81-751de424895f.usrfiles.com/ugd/4b338d_473536ae8a264d788ef6f0a7775aff9a.pdf

The Bridge Club, in collaboration with Closer Still Media, proudly announced the winners of the inaugural Bright Minds awards during Singapore Vet 2024. This prestigious event recognizes the industry's leading innovators, game-changers, and wellness advocates who are elevating veterinary medicine in Southeast Asia and beyond. 2024 Singapore Bright Minds Award Winners: • Industry Influencer: Lianne Mellin, BVSc (Hons) Known for her educational YouTube channel "Your Vet Lianne," Lianne has captivated audiences with her engaging content that bridges the gap between veterinary students and the public, showcasing the realities of veterinary life. • Practice Game Changer: Dr. Russell Chandler, BVSc CertSAO MSc(OrthoEng) MSc(StemCells) MRCVS Dr. Chandler brought Wimba orthosis technology to Singapore, establishing the first Zero Pain Certified Practice in the region. His collaborations with NUS on stem cell therapies are revolutionizing veterinary orthopedic care. • Wellness Champion: Dr. Giana Gomes, PhD MVM BVM RTT Therapist Founder of Trueselfhealing, Dr. Gomes is a leading advocate for mental wellness in the veterinary community, supporting professionals facing burnout and emotional fatigue through counseling and compassion fatigue programs.

The Bridge Club, a critical conversation company advancing veterinary medicine, proudly announces Dr. Katherine Polak DVM MPH MS DACVPM DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice) as the recipient of the 2025 Bridge Club ICON Award. Dr. Polak’s global contributions to animal welfare and shelter medicine, along with her tireless leadership in animal welfare advocacy, set her apart in this year’s category, which focused on individuals making a significant global impact in veterinary medicine. She will be honored in Orlando, Florida on January 25.

In this day and age where most practices face staffing challenges, we are going to put the lens on one of our most valuable resources: Veterinary Technicians. Join us for an important conversation about the challenges faced, proposed solutions and we want to hear from you, what should be prioritized

In this exclusive conversation, we are joined by Heather Prendergast, RVT, CVPM, SPHR, current President of the Board for Viticus Group; Beckie Mossor, RVT and President-elect for NAVTA and Sam Geiling, RVT, member of NAVTA's Government Relations Committee to discuss the state of title protection for veterinary technicians. We will dive into the current state of affairs by state.