Vivarium Operational Excellence Network

🎉 Heading to AALAS 2024 in Nashville? 🎉 Be sure to swing by the Vivarium Operational Excellence Network booth #2309 to meet Mary Spencer, BS, LATg and Jarrod Nichol! We’ve got a lot happening this year—2 panel discussions, 1 workshop, and we’re also returning once again to the Tecniplast Sneak Peek . Plus, don’t miss our (members only) pre-AALAS Speed Networking event to connect with fellow professionals before the week kicks off! Whether you’re attending our events or just want to stop by for a chat, we’d love to connect and hear about your animal care journey. See you in Nashville! 🐭✨ #AALAS2024 #VOENetwork #VivariumExcellence

🌟 Thank You to Our Sponsors! 🌟 We’re very excited about the upcoming VOEN Pre-AALAS Speed Networking event, where vivarium professionals will connect, share insights, and build valuable relationships ahead of AALAS 2024! Events like these aren’t possible without the incredible support of our sponsors. A special shoutout to Process Control Solutions (PCS), Animal Specialties and Provisions (ASAP), LabDiet, and The Gramercy Company for their generous contributions, providing snacks and beverages to keep everyone energized throughout the event. Thank you for helping us bring our community together and supporting our mission of operational excellence!

VOE-N Tabletop Sessions Join colleagues and collaborate to brainstorm solutions to common and uncommon challenges that affect Animal Care teams. Scenario: We operate a fast-paced, multi-client, high throughput CRO focused on Neurology. Many experiments require secondary testing in our facility following initial testing at the client location. Our facility has a segregated quarantine room, a rigid bio exclusion list, and a 28-day isolation policy driven by initial and final pathogen testing. The client is a young startup whose vivarium is only 6 months old and is unable to produce the request one year of facility health records generally required for this transfer. After Veterinary authorization and IACUC approval, initial testing shows the mice positive for Helicobacter and MNV. The assigned research is time sensitive, required to be completed in 14 days of arrival, and must take place on a specific piece of testing equipment in an unsegregated experimental room. Our facility has access to: ·        Quarantine Space ·        IVC caging systems. ·        A mobile VHP system ·        Disposable Caging options. ·        A walk-in autoclave. ·        A digital scheduling for Experimental rooms. What is the best course of action to ensure we maintain our SPF facility while accommodating the needed timeline for this important study?

When Mihir Jha and Srishti M. invited me to be part of The NextGrad Show, I was truly humbled that anyone would want to hear my career journey! 🎙️✨ But since I love to talk, of course, I said yes! We recorded this session during a quick lunch break because these days, every moment counts ⏳ but mentoring is something I always make time for. It was a wonderful experience talking all about McGill University, Vivarium Operational Excellence Network, and of course, eeva | Home Life Management. 🎉 To everyone who tunes in, I hope you enjoy! It was an absolute pleasure to record, and if even one person feels inspired by our conversation, then it’s all worth it. 🙌 I’ve been so fortunate to have had an incredible journey so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s next and the amazing people I’ll meet along the way. A huge thanks to Mihir and Srishti for this opportunity! 💫 🎥 Check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ezAz9HNk #Leadership #MentorshipMatters #CareerJourney #TheNextGradShow #eeva

VOE-N Tabletop Tuesday Sessions Join colleagues and collaborate to brainstorm solutions to common and uncommon challenges that effect Animal Care teams. Scenario: ·        Our SPF rodent facility houses 3500 IVC Mouse Cages and 900 IVC Rat cages, mostly conventional tabletop cage changes with the exception of two Immune compromised Colony rooms (one mouse room of 100 cages, one rat room of 55 cages). ·        All cages use ¼” bed-o-cobb, LabDiet 5001 (maintenance) ·        All cages are changed between 10 and 14 days, unless otherwise required. ·        Cage wash consists of 2 vertical rack washers, and one tunnel washer. o  A small laydown autoclave is located on site (8-10 cage throughput) Consecutively one rack washer and the tunnel washer have failed on a Tuesday. The Tunnel Washer has broken the gear on the drive belt and will take two weeks to repair and replace. On the same day we find an overnight power surge has erased the program on the PLC of the rack washer. Reprograming will take at minimum one week to repair. How do we ensure that adequate care is provided to the animals, maintaining all regulatory compliance and good biosecurity is maintained? Challenges: ·        > 2000 cage changes required. ·        Maintaining Aseptic conditions for 155 cages of immune compromised animals. What are your best approaches to keeping operations on track?

🚨 Exciting News for the VOE-Network! 🚨 We are thrilled to announce that Krystal Garrow has been named the new Executive Director of the Vivarium Operational Excellence Network! 🎉 Krystal brings over a decade of experience in veterinary technology and lab animal medicine, along with a passion for leadership, education, and fostering a culture of wellness and psychological safety in the workplace. Her dedication to continuous improvement and empowering others aligns perfectly with our mission of operational excellence. We are excited for this next chapter and look forward to the energy and fresh perspectives Krystal will bring to our network! Please join us in welcoming Krystal to the VOEN family! 👏👏

🐾 Join Us in collaboration with The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) for A Lean Safari at the Stone Zoo! 🌿 Zoo New England has been on a Lean journey for over 10 years, transforming how zoo employees work to make tasks easier, better, faster, and safer. In environments where mistakes can be costly—this continuous improvement program is essential for both animals and humans. This tour will give you an inside look at how Lean principles have improved safety, efficiency, and daily operations for zoo staff, making a real impact on their work. 📅 Mark your calendars for this unique experience! 🌍 **Registration is Required**

✨ A heartfelt THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors for making the 2024 "Transforming Workplaces" conference a huge success! ✨ As we wrap up this transformative event, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible support from our sponsors, whose contributions helped bring this conference to life. Special shoutout to our Silver-level sponsor, W. F. FISHER & SON, INC., for your extraordinary commitment to driving meaningful change and supporting our mission. We also want to acknowledge our Bronze-level sponsors for standing with us and helping make this event truly unforgettable: Inotiv LabVoice Medline Industries, LP RapID Lab ScottPharma Solutions Your belief in operational excellence and workplace transformation has been instrumental in uniting our community and inspiring lasting impact. We couldn’t have done it without you! Although the conference has ended, the conversations and connections continue. Together, we’re shaping the future of our industry—and we’re just getting started! 🚀

🎉 It's the final day of the VOE-Network’s 2nd Annual Virtual Conference! 🎉 We’ve had an incredible few days of learning, connecting, and growing together—and today is no different! As we wrap up, let’s bring our energy and enthusiasm to the final sessions and make the most of every opportunity to learn and engage. Reminder: Today is the last day to register and gain access to all of the conference sessions! Plus, all content will be available for 90 days post-event, so you can catch up on anything you miss or rewatch your favorite sessions. Register: https://lnkd.in/e77P-f8d Agenda: https://lnkd.in/e_GuzhBy Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far—our speakers, sponsors, and attendees. Let’s finish strong! 💪