AZVT Conference Notes: Zoological Veterinary Medicine and Operations

Conference Leadership and Logistics:
- Chase, a veterinary technician at the Nashville Zoo, alongside the national crew, organized the Association of Zoological Veterinary Technicians (AZVT) conference.
- Unregistered attendees or those missing name tags must contact Chase or executive committee members to complete registration in the registration room.
- Store price raffle / door prize raffle tickets are distributed at the start of the conference. Attendees must write their first name and last initial on the back of each ticket and retain them for drawings throughout the event.
- Breakfast is provided at 10:00 AM. Food for attendees with specified dietary restrictions is stored separately and accessible by contacting event staff or executive members.
- Opening remarks were delivered by David "Dave" Aylor, Vice President of the Nashville Zoo.
AZVT Mission and Purpose:
- The AZVT conference provides a platform at the intersection of animal care, scientific research, conservation, and compassionate clinical management.
- Key institutional pillars of AZVT emphasize sharing clinical ideas, developing innovative veterinary techniques, and advancing global conservation efforts.
- The annual conference focuses on peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, refining support systems for zoological veterinary care, and applying advanced clinical knowledge back to host institutions.

Facility Milestones and Reach:
- The Nashville Zoo marks 30 years of operation at the Grasmere site starting next year.
- The institution actively participates in over 30 research programs annually.
- The zoo supports and contributes to over 35 local and global conservation initiatives.
Exhibits and Clinical Facilities:
- Key award-winning animal exhibits include:
- Expedition Peru
- Trek of the Andean Bear
- Tiger Crossroads
- The HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center was awarded the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Top Facilities Award.
- The veterinary center was designed specifically for advanced veterinary care and operational transparency, featuring direct public observation windows into surgical suites, animal nurseries, and daily veterinary care workflows.

Historical Progression of Veterinary Practice:
- Practical/Informal Era: Grounded in empirical observation, community practices, folk remedies, and practical knowledge shared across generations by farriers, farmers, animal keepers, and local experts.
- Formalized Scientific Era: Marked by structured anatomical studies, the establishment of veterinary colleges, standardized pharmacology, diagnostic imaging, laboratory testing, and clinical trials. Veterinary technicians became critical in translating scientific evidence into consistent, daily patient care.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration Era: Modern veterinary medicine utilizes AI technology to enhance clinical diagnostics, electronic medical record processing, workflow optimization, data analysis, and comparative research.
Role and Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Veterinary Care:
- Strengths: AI tools expedite pattern recognition across large datasets and optimize operational information management.
- Limitations: AI cannot replicate human clinical judgment, empathy, creative problem-solving, interprofessional collaboration, physical dexterity during procedures, precise recovery monitoring, or bond-building for cooperative animal care.
- Practical Example: AI algorithms cannot behaviorally condition or convince an Andean bear to present its leg or paw for a clinical procedure.

General Rules and Event Sponsorship:
- All personal mobile devices must remain on silent mode throughout presentation sessions.
- The welcome icebreaker event was sponsored by Zuquanic Labs and JD Medical.
Continuing Education (CE) Credit Mandates:
- Daily physical sign-in sheets are positioned at the rear table of the lecture hall.
- Attendees must physically sign in every day of the conference to receive official CE accreditation.
- Specific dietary restriction stickers (e.g., "no red meat") are provided at the sign-in table for attendees to affix directly to their conference identification badges.
Digital Access and Virtual Attendance Guidelines:
- Recorded video presentations are accessible to all registered attendees for 90 days post-conference.
- Live Virtual Attendees: Must watch a minimum of $80\%$ of live streamed presentation content to earn CE credit.
- On-Demand/Recorded Viewers: Must watch a minimum of $80\%$ of recorded presentation videos and successfully complete associated quizzes to earn CE credit.
- Virtual participants must ensure their access devices use updated internet browsers.
- All attendees must download the Cvent mobile application to access official welcome videos created by Chase and the event team, as well as participate in conference interactive games.

AZVT Merchandise Sales:
- Apparel featuring the updated AZVT logo includes long-sleeve shirts, short-sleeve shirts, and sweatshirts.
- The physical merchandise booth operates outside the registration area daily starting at 7:00 AM and during official schedule breaks until inventory sells out.
- An online merchandise store operates during the conference period, offering free domestic shipping (international shipping is excluded).
Job Board and Networking:
- A dedicated physical job board is positioned outside the registration room for institutions to post printed employment announcements.
Sustainability and Swag Exchange:
- A designated recycling collection box is stationed near the registration and sign-in area.
- Attendees may deposit unwanted swag bag items into the box for other participants to freely take.
Post-Conference Field Excursions:
- Participants registered for the post-conference trip to the Elephant Sanctuary must complete and sign liability waivers with Eileen at the merchandise table during scheduled breaks or lunch.

Aquatics Committee Transition:
- The Aquatics group, which originally functioned as a specialized subcommittee, was formally granted full standing committee status during the mid-year organizational meeting.
Committee Engagement Opportunities:
- Attendees seeking active involvement within AZVT governance and specialized discipline work can meet with committee chairs at the end of the final day of scheduled lectures.