"It's an opportunity for us to collaborate beyond our traditional professional definitions and roles," says Ames. "Veterinarians are trained as public health professionals and as comparative scientists – training which is unique in higher education and makes their skill set a perfect fit for One Health."
Ames, a 1978 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke about his involvement in One Health initiatives during a presentation at his alma mater on October 17. His lecture is part of the veterinary college's prestigious D.L.T. Smith Lecture series that honours the college's first dean, Dr. Larry Smith.
Ames' involvement with One Health began when he was a department head working with faculty on projects involving public health safety. Through collaboration with others from the comparative medicine area of One Health, their projects expanded to include research in comparative medicine as well as in zoonotic diseases and the diseases of food safety concern.
That collaborative philosophy led to the establishment of the University of Minnesota's Center for Animal Health and Food Safety in 2001, a source of pride for Ames who was closely involved in its formation.
The centre, which is administered under the U of M Colleges of Public Health, Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, brings together strategic partners with the goal of delivering public education programs, facilitating applied research and engaging in local and national outreach.
Ames is particularly proud of their success in using a collaborative approach both internally within the university and externally with other university partners.
"We've been able to access large funding opportunities so that we can put the concepts of One Health into practice and demonstrate their effectiveness."
Ames hopes to see a continued growth in the integration of their research grants and their professional education across the health sciences and emphasizes that there's still a great deal of work to be done to ensure that the strengths of the veterinary profession are fully utilized.
"We really need to think about how veterinarians fit into the health-care team on a day-to-day basis in terms of public health and community health, and not just in terms of animal health."
To Ames, there is increasing evidence of the interrelatedness between human and animal disease and of the value of a shared approach. He cites the opportunities for studying naturally occurring diseases such as cancer in companion animals as a way to better understand what's happening in humans.
He also refers to the increasing concern about emerging infectious diseases – another issue that requires a One Health approach, since dealing with them merely as a human problem is ineffective.
"More and more national and international agencies are funding the One Health approach for dealing with diseases such as avian influenza," says Ames. "Control programs need to focus on minimizing the spread from wild animals into poultry, wild birds into poultry and ultimately from poultry to humans."
In terms of the WCVM's growing involvement and commitment to One Health, Ames points out that the western Canadian veterinary college is perfectly positioned to promote One Health initiatives.
"They're a highly respected college in a university that has a similar breadth to only a few universities in North America, so if they can embrace the value of partnerships and collaborative activities, then they can achieve great things for that region as well as the world. They have a golden opportunity to lead through collaboration."
He emphasizes that it's important for alumni and stakeholders to understand and support One Health initiatives as an opportunity for the college to take on a leadership role as they expand the opportunities for veterinarians.
Ames adds that there are specific skill sets which are crucial for individuals working on One Health initiatives. In addition to bringing expertise in their particular discipline, they need to understand the concept of team and the concept of collaboration in order to appreciate the different professions and the role they play in the One Health team.
He recommends that veterinary students interested in becoming part of One Health initiatives should supplement their veterinary education by acquiring experience with provincial and national government agencies that deal with public health and food safety or with a national research institute that uses comparative models to study disease.
They can also get international experience by working on One Health initiatives in developing nations. Jobs such as these can provide the experience and understanding that can help them decide whether they wish to pursue additional training after graduation.
As Ames considers how One Health will affect health science education in the future, he emphasizes that there will always be a need for students to acquire expertise in their disciplines, but he foresees a growing emphasis on inter-professional education.
"The first need is for health care delivery, but as you learn about the other professions and appreciate their roles, then you can conceptualize how to partner with them to provide inter-professional health care delivery. It expands beyond physicians, pharmacists and nurses to include veterinarians, public health professionals, dentists – all professions necessary to achieve population health."
Ames, a 1978 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke about his involvement in One Health initiatives during a presentation at his alma mater on October 17. His lecture is part of the veterinary college's prestigious D.L.T. Smith Lecture series that honours the college's first dean, Dr. Larry Smith.
Ames' involvement with One Health began when he was a department head working with faculty on projects involving public health safety. Through collaboration with others from the comparative medicine area of One Health, their projects expanded to include research in comparative medicine as well as in zoonotic diseases and the diseases of food safety concern.
That collaborative philosophy led to the establishment of the University of Minnesota's Center for Animal Health and Food Safety in 2001, a source of pride for Ames who was closely involved in its formation.
The centre, which is administered under the U of M Colleges of Public Health, Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, brings together strategic partners with the goal of delivering public education programs, facilitating applied research and engaging in local and national outreach.
Ames is particularly proud of their success in using a collaborative approach both internally within the university and externally with other university partners.
"We've been able to access large funding opportunities so that we can put the concepts of One Health into practice and demonstrate their effectiveness."
Ames hopes to see a continued growth in the integration of their research grants and their professional education across the health sciences and emphasizes that there's still a great deal of work to be done to ensure that the strengths of the veterinary profession are fully utilized.
"We really need to think about how veterinarians fit into the health-care team on a day-to-day basis in terms of public health and community health, and not just in terms of animal health."
To Ames, there is increasing evidence of the interrelatedness between human and animal disease and of the value of a shared approach. He cites the opportunities for studying naturally occurring diseases such as cancer in companion animals as a way to better understand what's happening in humans.
He also refers to the increasing concern about emerging infectious diseases – another issue that requires a One Health approach, since dealing with them merely as a human problem is ineffective.
"More and more national and international agencies are funding the One Health approach for dealing with diseases such as avian influenza," says Ames. "Control programs need to focus on minimizing the spread from wild animals into poultry, wild birds into poultry and ultimately from poultry to humans."
In terms of the WCVM's growing involvement and commitment to One Health, Ames points out that the western Canadian veterinary college is perfectly positioned to promote One Health initiatives.
"They're a highly respected college in a university that has a similar breadth to only a few universities in North America, so if they can embrace the value of partnerships and collaborative activities, then they can achieve great things for that region as well as the world. They have a golden opportunity to lead through collaboration."
He emphasizes that it's important for alumni and stakeholders to understand and support One Health initiatives as an opportunity for the college to take on a leadership role as they expand the opportunities for veterinarians.
Ames adds that there are specific skill sets which are crucial for individuals working on One Health initiatives. In addition to bringing expertise in their particular discipline, they need to understand the concept of team and the concept of collaboration in order to appreciate the different professions and the role they play in the One Health team.
He recommends that veterinary students interested in becoming part of One Health initiatives should supplement their veterinary education by acquiring experience with provincial and national government agencies that deal with public health and food safety or with a national research institute that uses comparative models to study disease.
They can also get international experience by working on One Health initiatives in developing nations. Jobs such as these can provide the experience and understanding that can help them decide whether they wish to pursue additional training after graduation.
As Ames considers how One Health will affect health science education in the future, he emphasizes that there will always be a need for students to acquire expertise in their disciplines, but he foresees a growing emphasis on inter-professional education.
"The first need is for health care delivery, but as you learn about the other professions and appreciate their roles, then you can conceptualize how to partner with them to provide inter-professional health care delivery. It expands beyond physicians, pharmacists and nurses to include veterinarians, public health professionals, dentists – all professions necessary to achieve population health."
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