We know many of you attend the AVMA’s Veterinary Leadership Conference in Chicago with your delegations. We have two events scheduled for you specifically. First, the VMAE | AVMA President-President Elect Forum will take place on Friday, January 6, 2023, 3:00-4:30 PM. This session is offered as part of the overall VLC conference. The session, titled Governance Essentials: Advancing the Board/Staff Partnership, is designed for Executive Directors and CEOs of veterinary medical associations to attend with one or two elected officers. Debbie Trueblood, CAE, Senior Consultant, Association Management Center, will...

VMAE has been invited by the AVMA and Mars Veterinary Health to participate in an industry-wide working group aimed at strengthening the relationship between veterinary teams and pet owners. The group has convened and is developing a list of shared expectations and responsibilities that the profession and pet owners can leverage to further a mutual understanding and respect toward one another. We will share with you the document when completed....

GENUS, the weekly digital newsletter developed for your VMA’s members, is now available from VMAE. This offering is designed for VMAs to connect their members with professional and personal leadership and business development content through curated articles from trusted sources. Join us for an informational webinar on Thursday, January 12, 2023, 12-1 PM CT, to learn more about this member benefit and hear from those using GENUS currently....

Beginning in November 2021, VMAE has hosted a monthly series of webinars with best-in-class presenters to share insights that inform and inspire veterinary professionals on the many facets of practice health. The one-hour webinars (offered live and then available on demand) are available to VMA executives at no charge, so they in turn can offer the webinars to their members as a complimentary, value-added benefit of VMA membership. Given the changing landscape of veterinary practice over the past year, the VMAE Practice Health Committee determined that the term “veterinary practice...

Journey for Teams, the ambitious diversity, equity and inclusion initiative launched by VMAE and AVMA, announced the release of the first monthly learning module for workplaces in the veterinary profession. The module is titled “Fostering an Extraordinary Workplace - The Power of Diversity,” covering the importance of valuing diversity, self-reflection and a personal assessment of cultural knowledge, and encourages making a commitment to at least one action step. The release of the initial module follows last month’s unveiling of the “Welcome Webinar,” which outlines the Journey for Teams pathway, and the...

The VMAE resource pages contain value proposition statements about VMA membership that you can incorporate into your communications and membership renewal messaging points? This content, including sample renewal and prospective member letters, was developed by a VMAE Marketing Task Force and its consultant in 2020....

As mentioned earlier, VMAE participated in the Pet Healthcare Industry Summit, hosted by Banfield Pet Hospital in September. A wide-ranging professional and industry group ideated on potential solutions to address barriers in veterinary medicine around Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, mental health, and the talent challenges. To continue the conversation, the summit organizers pulled together a recap summarizing the “big ideas” that came out of the table discussions, which we would like to share with you as likely relevant to the conversations going on within your own VMAs. VMAE will continue...

The AVMA conducted language-focused research with pet owners across the United States to learn more about harnessing language to improve patient care. The research led to the development of tools and resources designed to assist veterinary teams integrate key words and phrases into daily conversations with clients. By using specific words and phrases, veterinary teams can build stronger and more trusting client relationships, increase compliance, and maximize patient outcomes. The Language of Veterinary Care research and tools are made possible in part by educational funding from CareCredit and Pets Best...

Fear Free, LLC, announced that over 100,000 veterinary and pet professionals have now earned the Fear Free Certified professional designation. Through the certification, veterinary professionals, animal trainers, pet sitters, groomers, and pet board and daycare providers can help prevent and ease fear, anxiety, and stress in animals. “Hitting this amazing milestone is a testament to how widely Fear Free education and certification has been embraced by those in the animal care industry,” said Ruth Garcia, CEO of Fear Free. “As we continue to build out the ecosystem of Fear Free Certified...

The Veterinary Hope Foundation is a non-profit committed to helping veterinarians and veterinary teams who are struggling with their mental health. The foundation employs nine licensed mental health professionals who lead veterinary support groups at no charge. There are support groups for new moms, shelter veterinarians, livestock veterinarians, practice owners, practice managers, and veterinary technicians. New groups are forming to meet the needs of those who reach out. Those interested in joining a support group can do so at www.veterinaryhope.org. “We’ve found that group members quickly form deep, authentic bonds because...