A dynamic new program designed to strengthen veterinary practices by supporting inclusion and encouraging open workplace dialogue about complex topics such as race and sexual harassment has been launched by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). "The Brave Space program was created to provide learners the opportunity to expand their knowledge, engage in self-awareness building processes and ultimately come out as a more intentionally committed ally for promoting safe, inclusive environments for every member of the profession," said Dr. Douglas Kratt, AVMA president. The Brave Space Certificate Program is a robust,...

AVMA’s diversity and inclusion webpage has webinars, podcasts, and other resources – including a book list that can serve as a starting point for those who want to become stronger allies in pursuit of racial justice and equity.  A growing library of webinars on AVMA Axon® empowers veterinary professionals to combat bias and help make the veterinary profession and veterinary practices more welcoming to all people. Three CE webinars are now available for all veterinary professionals to view free of charge: Diversity, marginalization and intersectionality Unconscious bias: How it affects...

A new AAVMC study finds that admission offers from veterinary medical schools tend to be lower or higher for certain groups, indicating that unintended bias still exists despite recent efforts to be more inclusive and adopt more holistic admissions practices.  The study recommends that schools focus more attention on overcoming barriers to admission based on factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, culture or socioeconomic status. The AAVMC’s DiVersity Matters program has worked to draw attention to the need for veterinary medicine to be more inclusive and advocates for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented persons as...

Dear VMAE Members: The pressures of the pandemic forced veterinary associations and their member hospitals to change how they conducted business. Association concerns heard during the VMAE | Fall Conference 2020 included how to drive association value, relevance and connectivity during COVID-19. Veterinary associations adapted how they defined and created value for their members, including remote continuing education and networking opportunities. While it is yet unknown which newer innovations adopted during the pandemic association members will expect to continue, what is clear is the need for resources to help veterinary hospitals thrive....

Greetings, colleagues – The message below was disseminated by AVMA to its members late on Friday, and is provided here for your reference and as a follow-up to my listserv post on Friday afternoon on the topic of veterinarians as vaccinators.  Thanks go to Dr. Ashley Morgan, AVMA’s director of the state advocacy division, for sharing this clear and helpful information – and additional thanks to AVMA for the successful effort to be afforded liability protection under the PREP Act.  Important details below. Cheers, Ralph The AVMA has been actively advocating at the federal...

Greetings, colleagues – AVMA and AAVMC have been working collaboratively over the past few days to put together a webinar next Thursday, to which VMAE members are invited.  You are also encouraged to share this information with those you believe will benefit from the content: Suicide prevention and mental health Thursday, March 18 – Noon to 2 PM Central time – Live webinar Save your seat now to join experts from the AVMA and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) for a conversation about supporting mental health in the veterinary profession. This...

Greetings, colleagues - With enthusiasm and excitement I'm delighted to share that registration for VMAE | ThinkWORKS 2021 is now open! This edition of ThinkWORKS is about Harnessing the Power of the Pause. Our thought leader and facilitator is Mary Byers, CAE - whose brilliant mind and kind spirit will engage us in thoughtful foresight and planning to build stronger, more relevant and innovative organizations going forward. Mary will share insightful content, lead guided thought processes, provide a decision-making framework, and help you construct a 90-day post-event sprint. Plus you'll experience LightBox...

The last couple months have been energetic ones, thanks to you! From conferences to program launches and new member orientations to committee meetings, there’s been lots of terrific interaction and education. Take a look at this menu of offerings: VMAE On Demand In case you weren’t able to participate in a live session here’s an inventory of recent recordings that are available on demand: Leading Your Members Into the Next Normal – This virtual town hall was held on November 12 for VMA executives with Drs. Karen Felsted, Matt Salois, and Peter...