Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists

Article   I              Board of Regents

Section 1              

A             The Board of Regents will control all business pertaining to the Academy.

B             The Regents shall consider and act upon all matters of the Academy relating to training, examination, certification, discipline and finance.

Section 2              

A             The Board of Regents shall be the executive body of the Academy and shall consider first, all business and policies pertaining to the affairs of the Academy.

B             The Board of Regents will consist of the Executive Secretary and the following elected officers: Past-President, President, President-Elect, Treasurer and three members-at- large.

Section 3              

The Regents will be elected by the membership.

Section 4              

A             Vacancies between elections occurring on the Board of Regents shall be filled by appointment by the Regents.

B             Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold the office until the expiration of the term in which the vacancy occurred.

Section 5             

Meetings

A             The Regents shall meet at least once each year. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or must be called by him/her at the request of not less than four members of the Regents.

B             Not less than five (5) days notice of the time and place of any special meeting and not less than thirty (30) days notice of the time and place of the regular meeting shall be given to each Regent member as it shall appear in the official records of the Academy.

C             Five voting members of the Regents present in person, on-line or on a conference call shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business that may come before the meeting.

Article   II             Duties of Regents

Section 1              

The President shall:

A             Serve for two (2) years.

B             Automatically become Past-president at the termination of his or her term of office.

C             Preside over all meetings of the Academy and the Board of Regents.

D             Coordinate activities of all Academy Committees.

Section 2              

The President-Elect shall:

A             Serve for two (2) years.

B             Automatically become President at the termination of his or her predecessor’s term of office.

C             Assume the responsibilities of the President if the President is unable to perform the duties of his or her office.

D             Be an ex officio member of the Examination Committee.

Section 3             

The Past-President shall:

A             Serve for two (2) years.

B             Serve as acting President, in case the President and President-Elect simultaneously are unable to perform the duties of President. The Past-President shall continue these duties until the next regularly scheduled business meeting or until either the President or President-Elect are able to resume the duties of President.

C             Be the Academy liaison to the membership.

Section 4             

The Executive Secretary shall:

A             Maintain the general records of the Academy and file all required reports pertaining thereto.

B             Attend all meetings of the Academy and the Regents and all meetings of the Credentials Approval Committee unless specified otherwise by the President.

C             Record and keep all original notes, minutes and records of all official Academy meetings and sessions for five (5) years or until the Regents approve of their disposal.

D             Maintain archival copies of all publications, documents, and other records of the Academy.

E             Process applications for VTS (Anesthesia) Certification Examination.

F              Handle all correspondence on behalf of the Academy.

G             Present a report of the activities of the office at the annual meeting of the Board of Regents and at such other times as determined by the Regents.

Section 5             

The Treasurer shall:

A             Serve for two (2) years unless required to continue in position for banking purposes.

B             Maintain the financial records of the organization and prepare them for audit when requested.

C             Prepare and present to the Regents at the annual meeting an annual operating budget.

D             Collect Academy dues and pay Academy expenses as directed by the Board of Regents.

E             Maintain a file of all vouchers and invoices accompanying them for a period of not less than five years.

F              Deposit all funds in the name of the Academy in a federally insured bank approved by the Regents.

G             Turn over all funds, properties and records to his or her successor.

H             Present a report of the financial status of the Academy at each annual meeting of the Academy and act at such other times as determined by the Regents.

I              Carry out other duties as determined by the Regents.

Section 6              

Members at Large shall:

A             Serve for six (6) years.

B             Serve in the fifth and sixth years of office as the Liaison to the ACVA.

C             Serve in the first and second year as liaison to the other VTS academies.

D             Assist with the business of the Academy

Article   III           Committees

Section 1              

The Academy shall have the following standing committees: Nomination/Election, Credentials, Examination, Recertification, Communications and Public Relations, Conference, Constitution and By-Laws, and Equipment Committees. Additional committees may be specified by the Regents.

Section 2              

Standing and ad hoc committee members and Chairpersons shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Regents. Terms of committee members shall overlap. The following shall apply to all committees unless otherwise explicitly stated:

     a)            If a committee member is unable to fulfill his or her term, a replacement shall be appointed by the President to fulfill the duration of the term.

Section 3              

Nomination/Election Committee

A             The Nomination/Election Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson and at least two members of the Academy.

B             The committee shall be appointed not less than six months prior to the election date.

C             The Nomination/Election Committee shall present a slate of officers, to the Regents, composed of Academy members prior to the election as specified in Article V Section 4B of the Academy Bylaws. At least one qualified member for each position shall be presented by the Committee.

D             Elections shall be conducted by this committee according to Article V Section 4 of the Academy Bylaws.

Section 4              

Credentials Committee

A             This Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson plus at least four members of the Academy.

B             They shall be appointed for a three year period.

C             The duties of this committee shall be:

     a)            Provide an application form to prospective applicants through the AVTA website.

     b)            Update and improve the application forms as necessary.

     c)             Evaluate and certify eligibility of applicants requesting examination by the Academy.

     d)            Forward approved applications to the President and Board of Regents.

     e)             Notify the President of applicants who are not deemed eligible for examination and delineate the areas of deficiency.

Section 5             

Examination Committee

A             The Examination Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson and at least two members.

B             The President-Elect shall be an ex officio member of this committee.

C             The term of office for the Chairperson shall be two years and he or she must have at least one year prior experience on the committee. The term of office for other members shall be three years.

D             The Exam Committee shall have made available by the Treasurer, $500.00 for the chair and $500.00 for a second proctor (assigned by the exam committee chair) to off-set expenses for travelling to administer the exam each year.  These funds will only be used if the member’s place of employment does not provide reimbursement for travel.

E             The duties of this committee shall be:

     a)            Preparation, administration and grading of the examination. The passing score will be established by the Examination Committee with approval by the Regents. The method of establishing the passing scores will also be approved by the Regents.

     b)            Provide examinees with subject matter that will be covered on the upcoming examination.

     c)             Report to the President results of such examinations and make recommendations based on the proposed pass point.

     d)            At least one member of this committee will monitor the written examinations as designated by the Chairperson.

     e)             Administer an oral examination if required. The oral examination will be conducted by at least three (3) members of the committee as designated by the Chairperson.

     f)             Provide written summary of deficiencies in a letter of clarification through the Regents to individuals requesting that information following failure to pass examination.

Section 6              

Recertification Committee

A             The Recertification Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson and at least two members.

B             The term of office for the Chairperson shall be two years. The term of office for other members shall be three years.

C             The duties of this committee shall be:

     a)            Determine the distribution of hours used to satisfy the recertification process, with approval by the Board of Regents.

     b)            Evaluate member applications and hours for recertification.

     c)             Submit reviewed applications to the Regents for final approval.

Section 7              

Equipment Committee

A             This committee shall be composed of a Chairperson and at least two members.

B             The term of office for the Chairperson shall be two years. The term of office for other members shall be three years.

C             The duties of this committee shall be:

     a)            To obtain and make available to the membership, information concerning new and improved anesthesia and monitoring equipment.

     b)            To work with industry to facilitate information dissemination.

     c)             To provide the membership with standards for care and maintenance of anesthesia and monitoring equipment.

Section 8              

Communication and Public Relations Committee

A             Provide communications support for the academy.

B             Maintain and monitor the AVTA website.

C             Answer all AVTA questions coming through the website.

D             Working with the Executive Secretary and President, answer communications and disseminate information to the academy and the public.

E             Develop and distribute an AVTA newsletter.

F              Develop and maintain an Academy Brochure.

G             Promote and maintain the academy's public image.

Section 9              

Conference Committee

A             Develop and produce anesthesia related continuing education programs for the academy.

B             Organize programs for various seminars by contacting and using AVTA members as speakers. 

C             Set up all aspects of the IVECCS yearly meeting and other meetings requiring academy presence.

Section 10            

Constitution and By-Law Committee

A             Review and revise the Constitution and By-laws as necessary.

Article   IV           Dues, Fees, Fiscal Matters

Section 1              

A             Dues for members of the Academy shall be established by the Regents annually.

B             Dues become payable on January 1 of each calendar year. Dues are delinquent March 31 and if not paid by May 1 membership will be discontinued. 

C             A penalty fee may be applied to late dues payments.

Section 2              

A             Application fee for the VTS (Anesthesia) certifying examination will be set by the Regents. 

B             Fees are non-refundable.

Section 3              

Examination fee for the VTS (Anesthesia) certifying examination will be set by the Regents for all eligible candidates qualifying for the examination. Fees are non-refundable.

Section 4              

The Regents shall approve the annual operating budget for the Academy.

Section 5              

The fiscal year of Academy shall be from January 1 to December 31.

Section 6             

A             No monies may be reimbursed to any member for travel expenses for Academy business, unless it falls under the exam committee Article 3 Section 5-D. 

B             Any request for reimbursement must be approved by the Regents prior to the expenditure.

Article   V             Conduct of Business

Section 1             

The Academy shall meet at least once annually for the purpose of conducting and reviewing the business of the Academy. Additional meetings of the Academy shall be held if requested by the Regents. Written notice to all members shall precede the meeting date by at least 30 days. The conduct of all meetings shall follow the procedures set forth in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order when applicable and when they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Academy.

Section 2             

Active Academy members who are current in their dues are eligible to attend business meetings of the Academy and vote.

Section 3             

A quorum for business meetings of the Academy shall consist of the members’ present eligible to vote.

Section 4             

Election of Regents

A             Election of President-Elect, Treasurer and three members-at-large shall take place biennially by mail or e-mail ballot.  The person receiving the most votes is elected. A tie vote with two candidates shall be decided by the President casting the deciding vote.

B             A proposed slate of officers shall be presented by the Nomination/Election Committee to the Regents at least 90 days prior to the election. Recommendations for additional nominations will be solicited from the membership by the Nomination/Election Committee.

C             The election shall be held no less than 60 days prior to annual business meeting of the Academy. Results will be announced at the annual business meeting and the new officers will assume office at the end of the annual business meeting.

Section 5              

E-Mail ballots may be utilized in the event that membership approval on an issue that is desired by the Regents prior to the next annual meeting. To conduct an e-mail ballot, the motion approved by the Regents, must be sent to all the members eligible to vote at least thirty (30) days prior to the mailing of the ballot.

Article   VI           Examination, Certification and Re-certification

Section 1              

Credential requirements dictate that each applicant, before he or she is declared eligible for examination:

A             Must be a graduate of an AVMA approved Veterinary Technician school and /or be legally credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician in some State or Province of the United States, Canada or other country.

B             After graduating from a recognized school of Veterinary Technology and/or becoming credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician, meet training requirements, as specified.

     a)            A minimum of 6000 hours of work experience in the field of veterinary medicine. Seventy five percent of the experience (4500 hours minimum) must be in the practice of anesthesia. All experience must be completed within five years prior to submission of the application.

C             A minimum of forty hours advanced continuing education in anesthesia and related specialties. CE presentations may be given by any VTS or Diplomat of the American or European Colleges of Veterinary Medicine including those with resident status. CE in related specialties must provide information that is helpful in anesthesia management.

     a)            The continuing education must be completed within the five years immediately prior to the application submission deadline.

     b)            Proof of attendance, name of speaker, topic and length of talk is required for organized conference seminars.

     c)             A letter from supervising ACVA member or VTS (Anesthesia) is required for externship or in-residence training. This letter should include number of hours and topics covered.

D             Provide documentary evidence of advanced competence in veterinary anesthesia through clinical experience.

E             Completion of the Advanced Veterinary Anesthesia Skill Form. The skill form documents those anesthesia skills that have been mastered by the candidate and are necessary to practice veterinary anesthesia at an advanced level. The list will be provided by the Credentials committee. The skills form is subject to change based upon the standard of care in veterinary anesthesia.

F              A Case record log is maintained for one year immediately prior to the application submission deadline. A minimum of fifty cases should be recorded. The cases should reflect the mastery of advanced anesthesia management and nursing skills. The log should include the following: date, patient identification (name or number), species/breed, age, sex, weight, diagnosis, length of anesthesia, drugs used, final outcome, and summary of anesthesia, monitoring techniques and procedures performed by the applicant on the patient. Case logs must include patients with ASA ratings I - VE.

G             Four case reports of no more than five pages each, double spaced. Case reports must demonstrate expertise in the management of a variety of challenging anesthesia cases, such as ASA ratings III - VE. The case reports should be selected from the case record log. Case reports must be the original work of the applicant.

H             One letter of recommendation from a VTS or a Diplomat of any American College of Veterinary Medicine and one from a supervising veterinarian. These letters should detail such things as training program, ethical behavior, and quality of skills and relationship of letter writer to applicant.

Section 2              

Applicant procedures for admission to examination for VTS (Anesthesia) status are as follows:

A             Application for examination must be made to the Executive Secretary on a form provided by the Academy, and filed along with the prescribed application fee and required documents on or prior to the calendar date 8 months preceding the scheduled examination. The application fee will not be refunded if applicant is not eligible to take the examination.

B             Eligibility rulings are made by the Regents on recommendation by the Credentials Committee, and applicants will be notified of results no less than 6 months preceding the scheduled examination date.

C             The applicant is required to sign the following agreement when he or she applies:

I hereby submit my credentials to the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists for consideration for examination in accordance with its rules and enclose the required application fee. I agree that prior to or subsequent to my examination the AVTA Board of Regents may investigate my standing as a technician, including my reputation for complying with the standards of ethics of the profession. I understand and agree that the application fee shall be nonrefundable. I agree to abide by the decisions of the Board of Regents and thereby voluntarily release, discharge, waive and relinquish any and all actions or causes of actions against the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists and each and all of its members, regents, officers, examiners and assigns from and against any liability whatsoever in respect of any decisions or acts that they may make in connection with this application, the examination, the grades on such examinations and/or the granting or issuance, or failure thereof, of any certificate, except as specifically provided by the Constitution and Bylaws of this organization. I agree to exempt and relieve, defend and indemnify, and hold harmless the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists, and each and all of its members, regents, officers, examiners and assigns against any and all claims, demands and/or proceedings, including court costs and attorney’s fees, brought by or prosecuted for my benefit, extended to all claims of every kind and nature whatsoever whether known or unknown at this time. I further agree that any certificate which may be granted and issued to me shall be and remain the property of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists. I certify that all information provided by me on the application is true and correct. I acknowledge that I have read, understand and agree to abide by the above two paragraphs.

Section 3              

Examinations

A             Candidates approved by the Credentials Committee and Board of Regents, upon receipt of the prescribed examination fee by the stated due date, will be advised of the exam format no less than three months prior to examination.

B             Examinations will be given at least once every other year.

C             Examinations will be prepared and administered by the Examination Committee.

D             Passing scores will be proposed by the Examination Committee and approved by the Board of Regents.

E             The examination will be a multiple choice examination. The examination committee may include oral examination, latent image, computer simulations or use audiovisual aids as, part of the testing process.

     a)            Topics to be covered on the examination are those that are crucial to anesthesia. Topics included but not limited to the following are: Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Endocrine, Hematology/Immunology, anesthesia for Neurology/Orthopedic, Gastrointestinal, Renal/Hepatic patients, Anesthesia/Post- anesthesia care, analgesia and Triage/Emergency Care.

     b)            Ancillary diagnostic techniques will be included in each topic where appropriate. Anatomy and physiology, data collection/identification of problems will also be covered. The VTS (Anesthesia) has to have an understanding of clinical techniques and how procedures are performed. Therefore, the examination will include indications, equipment needed, complications, and troubleshooting with regard to common clinical procedures.

F              A minimum passing score as established by the Examination Committee and approved by the Regents, must be achieved to obtain VTS (Anesthesia) status.

     a)            All candidates sitting for an examination will be notified of the results of the examination by letter or e-mail, postmarked on the same date, not later than 60 days following the date of the examination.

     b)            Candidates who have failed the examination:

          1.             Will upon written request through the Executive Secretary to the Regents within 30 days of notification; be given written clarification as to the areas of deficiencies. The letter of clarification of deficiencies will be provided by mail within 60 days of receipt of the candidate’s request.

          2.             May retake the exam two (2) times in the next two years (a total of three (3) times) without reapplying to the academy. The candidate must pay the applicable examination fee each year by the prescribed time.

Section 4             

Certification

A             Candidates must successfully pass the certifying examination.

B             Final approval for VTS (Anesthesia) status must be granted by The Board of Regents.

C             A certificate will be issued to the VTS (Anesthesia) by the Executive Secretary upon direction of the Regents.

D             VTS (Anesthesia) certification is conferred for a period of five years. The certification period will begin on the first day of the month that the examination is passed and end on the same date five years later.

Section 5             

Appeals

A             Candidates denied eligibility to sit for the VTS (Anesthesia) Certification Examination may appeal this decision within 30 calendar days of receipt of the letter of notification. The appeal must be made by written or e-mail petition to the Executive Secretary and shall include a statement of the grounds for reconsideration and appropriate documentation.   All appeal decisions will be based on the original submitted application. Candidates may not submit additional data to augment the original application.

B             Upon receipt of an appeal, the Executive Secretary shall notify the Chair of the Board of Regents and the Chair of the Credentials Committee. The Chair of the Regents will appoint a committee of 5 VTS (Anesthesia) s to serve as an ad hoc Appeal Committee within 15 calendar days of receiving notification of the appeal. This committee will consist of 2 members of the credentials committee; 2 members of the examination committee; and 1 regent.

C             The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall submit to the Appeal Committee a written statement indicating the reasons for rejecting the candidate. The complete application file of the candidate will be provided for the Appeal Committee to review.

D             The Appeal Committee shall review the appeal(s) and render the recommendation(s) to the Regents within 30 calendar days from the date the committee was appointed.

     a)            The Board of Regents will render a decision on the appeal upon the recommendation of the Appeal Committee and notify the petitioner of the decision within 16 calendar days after receipt of the report of the Appeal Committee. The decision of the Regents shall be final.

E             The procedure for the Appeals Process will be included with all application forms.

F              Failure of the examination is not appealable.

G             Appeals of other adverse decisions by the Academy, including VTS (Anesthesia) suspensions, may be made by written petition through the Chair of the Regents. An ad hoc Appeal Committee will be established and the petitioner notified of the appeal process and timetable.

Section 6              

Recertification

A             Recertification may be obtained through one of two options.

     a)            Completion of fifty (50) hours of advanced continuing education pertaining to anesthesia and other pertinent medical and surgical topics per five year period. The hours may be obtained through attendance at seminars pertaining to anesthesia; contribution to professional publications; presentation of anesthesia programs; and self study or in-service training. The distribution of hours will be determined by the Recertification committee with final approval by the Regents.

     b)            Retaking the VTS (Anesthesia) examination.

Section 7              

Candidates are encouraged to be a member of Local, State, Provincial, or National Veterinary Technician Association and/or NAVTA.

Article   VII          Discipline

Section 1            

Repossession of Certificates

A             Certificates remain the property of the Academy and shall be repossessed when:

     a)            The issuance of such a certificate or its receipt violates the provisions of the Academy’s Constitution or Bylaws

B             The VTS (Anesthesia) fails to maintain acceptable standards of competence in veterinary anesthesia as determined through investigation by the Regents.

C             The VTS (Anesthesia) fails to complete the recertification process by the deadline.

Section 2              

A member accused of unethical conduct, incompetence, fraud or other charges that discredit the Academy will be investigated. Such charges must be made in writing to the Regents. If action is warranted, the accused member will be notified in writing and given full opportunity to respond in writing and through a hearing before the Regents. Disciplinary action may be recommended by the Regents. This action will be executed following an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the Academy membership.

Article   VIII        Amendments

Section 1             

Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted to the Regents for study ninety (90) days before a scheduled meeting of the Academy or the distribution of a mail ballot to the membership.  Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the entire membership with a recommendation by the Regents at least thirty (30) days prior to counting of mail ballot or a voice vote of the members. An affirmative vote shall require a simple majority of those who respond.