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Alberta Veterinarian Awarded for her Contribution to the Advancement of Veterinary Medicine and Mental Health Initiatives
July 22, 2022
HALIFAX, N.S. – Dr. Kathy Keil has been honoured with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s (CVMA) Industry Award for her contributions to the advancement of veterinary medicine in industry and her devotion to promoting mental health.
Dr. Keil graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1997 after obtaining a BA and MA in Psychology. Five years after graduation and early in her industry career, Dr. Keil received the University of Guelph Alumni medal for community leadership. While working with Bayer Animal Health, she earned a President’s Award for spear-heading an after-hours call line and a Toronto United Way award for leading success in chairing Bayer’s 2001 record-breaking United Way campaign.
Her over 20-year career in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry includes providing customer support, monitoring field trials, and delivering professional skills and scientific training. She joined Merck Animal Health in 2016 and has consistently demonstrated her commitment to the veterinary profession. As a Merck Animal Health veterinarian, Dr. Keil spearheaded the Merck Animal Health-CVMA It’s Time to Talk about Mental Health in Veterinary Medicine awareness campaign.
“I have experienced her skills as she pursues the betterment of veterinary medicine. I have witnessed her dedication to the Time to Talk program in my roles as a participant, safety support provider, and presenter. No matter what is requested of her, she is always there to effectively support those around her with kind words, wisdom, and thoughtful actions,” emphasizes Dr. Karen Karsten.
Dr. Keil is dedicated to veterinary volunteerism. She has served as president of the Ontario Association of Industrial Veterinarians, volunteered on the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association board, served on the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) council, and is currently a member of the ABVMA Member Wellness Committee and chair of the CVMA Wellness Advisory Group.
“Dr. Keil’s dedication to the mental health space surrounding not only the veterinary profession, but the initiative as a whole, is both admirable and an inspiration to anyone that is fortunate enough to work with her. Her psychology background and recognition of psychological distress in veterinary medicine have led her to pursue mental health training from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Centre for Suicide Prevention including certification to teach suicide prevention,” says Dr. Leann Benedetti, founder of The Veterinary Coach.
“I personally saw her inspiring activism in its entirety when Dr. Keil invited me to participate in the Time to Talk mental health webinar in 2020. She gave me the opportunity to share my mental health journey with the hope of destigmatizing it for other vets. As host of the event, Dr. Keil made me feel welcome and supported all while communicating the importance of mental health initiatives for this profession,” says Dr. Josh Cousins, Prince George Veterinary Clinic.
The combination of the experience in Veterinary medicine and mental health is one that has been extremely beneficial to her career and those around her.
“Since 2019, I have also been working closely with Dr. Keil on a peer support initiative for veterinarians. Her widespread knowledge about mental health in veterinarians, as well as her innate drive to better the mental lives of her colleagues, has made her a perfect partner in this endeavour and I am honoured to be a part of it with her,” adds Dr. Cousins.
Dr. Keil finds peace and happiness living in Calgary with her husband Tom, two cats, Smidgen and Sven, their border collie, Taff, and Flora her dressage horse.
The CVMA Industry Award publicly acknowledges and celebrates the role of industry in veterinary medicine. The award formally recognizes a CVMA member for their contributions to the advancement of veterinary medicine.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is the national and international voice for Canada’s veterinarians, providing leadership and advocacy for veterinary medicine. Each year, CVMA proudly recognizes individuals and groups for their outstanding contribution to veterinary medicine. Visit canadianveterinarians.net to learn more about the CVMA.
Contact:
Ashley Dupont
Communications Officer
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)
613-236-1162 ext. 125
adupont@cvma-acmv.org