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01/28/2019 09:14 AMMiddletown, CT – On February 12, 2019, veterinarians are urged to attend Data Saves Lives, an informational hearing featuring experts from a successful data sharing network that's savings pets lives across the United Kingdom (UK). These experts are coming to Connecticut to talk with stakeholders from the state and professional veterinary community about establishing the nation's first veterinary data sharing network to help end unnecessary pet suffering and deaths.
The free talk is sponsored by Branford-based Bark to Be Heard, a 501-c4 non-profit working to create a statewide veterinary network in Connecticut that will be the first of its kind in the USA. Pet owners are also invited to show their support for this effort by attending Data Saves Lives on Tuesday, February 12, 5:30 – 8 p.m., at the Inn at Middletown, 70 Main St. in Middletown CT. Pet owners are welcome to attend.
Data Saves Lives will discuss a partnership between Connecticut veterinary professionals and the UK's SAVSNET (Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network), with a special focus on antimicrobial resistance and the Global AMR Challenge as it relates to companion animals and the One Health Initiative. Featured speakers will be SAVSNET's Dr. Alan Radford, University of Liverpool, [UK]; and Peter Alberti, Outreach Coordinator for Association for Veterinary Informatics.
After surveying hundreds of Connecticut pet owners, Bark to Be Heard has found 100 percent of those questioned believe that a veterinary network is necessary. The pet owners also said they would willingly consent to the use of their pets' medical records and would actively encourage their practitioner to participate. All were stunned to realize that this network does not currently exist. Additionally, data shared in real-time can alert health officials to trends that may impact human health, such as tracking Lyme disease outbreaks.
Veterinary data remains siloed, like scattered points on a map. Isn't it time we connect the dots and get a look at the BIG PICTURE? Better data means better treatment options, drug development and healthier pets, something every pet parent hopes for. Please join Bark to Be Heard for this important discussion. For more information, visit www.barktobeheard.org
About Bark to be Heard: One year after her pet's surgery, Lori Nicholson was forced to amputate her dog's leg because of a multi-drug-resistant-infection. She believes that had a surveillance network existed, veterinarians could have viewed the latest data on the treatment of infectious disease, especially for those pathogens that are highly resistant. Nicholson founded Bark to Be Heard as a non-profit organization that seeks to facilitate whatever tools are necessary to prevent suffering and unnecessary pet deaths. For more information, visit www.barktobeheard.org