(DENVER, Colorado) July 25, 2014—This week, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) awards Henry E. Childers, DVM, a small animal practitioner in Cranston, R.I., and assistant clinical professor at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, the 2014 AVMA Award.
During the AVMA’s Annual Convention in Denver, July 25–29, the AVMA honors some of the nation’s top veterinarians, individuals and organizations during several events and ceremonies. Each recipient has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of both animals and people across the country and around the globe. These recipients represent the very best in all areas of veterinary medicine, from education and public service to research and private practice.
The AVMA Award is given annually to a distinguished member of the association who has contributed to the advancement of veterinary medicine in its organizational aspects. Childers receives the award during the AVMA Convention’s Opening General Session at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 25, at the Bellco Theatre in the Colorado Convention Center.
After Childers received his DVM degree from Auburn University, he served two years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps before acquiring the Cranston Animal Hospital in 1957. He is only the second veterinarian to serve as both president of the AVMA (2005-2006) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
Childers has been active in organized veterinary medicine throughout his career. He served two terms as president of the Rhode Island VMA and was also secretary/treasurer, chair of the Continuing Education Committee for 15 years, and editor of the Rhode Island VMA newsletter. Childers served as president of the New England VMA and chaired the Rhode Island Veterinary Board of Examiners.
On a national level, Childers served on the AVMA Councils on Education and Public Relations, the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities, as a consultant to the National Board Examination committee, and seminar chair of the Scientific Program. He represented District I on the AVMA Executive Board, acting on behalf of veterinarians in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Besides his past presidency, Childer’s positions at AAHA also include chair of the Annual Scientific Meeting, president of the AAHA Foundation, and membership on the Review Board of the Foundation. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), where he chaired the Continuing Education Committee and served on the Council of Regents.
Throughout his career, Childers has been deservedly recognized by the profession with many awards and honors. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Distinguished Service Award from the Massachusetts VMA. In 1991, Childers was named AAHA’s Northeast Region Practitioner of the Year. The following year, he received the Charles H. Bild Award. Perhaps the greatest tribute to Childers’ remarkable dedication and accomplishments is the annual award that was established to honor him for sustained and extraordinary contributions to the education of Tufts veterinary students, The Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Childers Award.
For more information about the AVMA, please visit http://www.avma.org
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The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 85,000 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine. Its annual convention continues to be one of the largest gatherings of veterinarians in North America. Upcoming conventions will be held in Boston (July 10-15, 2015) and San Antonio (August 5-9, 2016).