Blogs

2021 is here and the VHMA, like most of us, is looking forward to the year ahead with guarded optimism. The association is also looking back---looking back over 40 years and the journey that brought VHMA to where it is today. This year marks VHMA’s 40^th anniversary---40 years of innovation, evolution, and growth.

VHMA was established by a dedicated core of 13 managers who desired to professionalize practice management and bring accountability to the position. Education, training, and resources provided by VHMA would help to transform the position into a profession characterized by integrity, knowledge, and competence.

Throughout the year VHMA will be publishing a series entitled, That was then, this is now. By interviewing founders, past and current officers, long time members, and others, we will explore the history of the association, pinpoint pivotal developments, and discuss how VHMA's past has impacted its future. 

Question: What events led up to the founding of VHMA?

Mark Opperman (MO): At the time, I was successfully managing a 12-doctor veterinary practice. It was unheard of to have a non-DVM in that position. In fact, it was such an anomaly that Veterinary Economics featured me and my work in an article and I was eventually invited to speak and lecture at conferences.

While speaking at a hospital design conference, I met with 13 colleagues who were working in similar positions and we discussed the lack of resources and information available to those of us who were managing veterinary practices. This led me to the idea of creating an association for practice managers that would provide resources, education, and shared information so managers did not have to reinvent the wheel every time they were faced with a practice issue.

What was the association’s initial focus?

MO: Initially we devoted our time to a newsletter, the annual conference, a forms bank (where member could search for templates they could use in the practice), and networking.

No staff, no email 40 years ago…how did you manage to pull all this information together?

MO: I used my office staff and resources initially. There were no funds in the association. My assistant literally typed newsletters and we printed, folded, stuffed envelopes, and mailed them. It was this way for a few years until we had some funds to pay for an assistant in the VHMA. 

The newsletter was a critical resource that was used to highlight compelling issues in the field. At the annual meeting we would collaborate and decide which topics would be addressed throughout the year. Editorship was rotated among members and writing projects were assigned. Our dedicated group was able to do all this and organize annual meetings all while running our practices!

What was your vision for the association when it was formed?

MO: Because I was a manager running a veterinary hospital and had received industry attention for my role, I began receiving calls from people in similar positions who were interested in discussing issues, finding resources, or asking questions. I was fielding so many calls that I was convinced there was a need to formalize the information. I simply could not continue to respond to the number of inquiries that were coming in.

My vision was to connect people who were managing practices, create a repository of information that could be shared and adapted by managers, ferret out the challenging and emerging issues in management, provide information and guidance, and create a forum for sharing information and learning. 

These efforts were intended to clearly define the role of the practice manager, provide resources that managers could apply to carrying out their management responsibilities, and, ultimately, move the profession forward. Although the VHMA and the role of the practice manager has evolved over 40 years, the original vision is intact and has been expanded.

What are the points of pride from VHMA’s early days?

MO: The practice manager position could best be described as nebulous in the 1980s. Many owners did not comprehend what the position entailed and were stubborn and skeptical about handing so much responsibility over to non-DVMs.  We prioritized clarifying practice management roles and wrote job descriptions, distinguishing among office manager, practice manager, and hospital administrator. This was huge step forward because at the time, owners were investing receptionists and techs with management responsibilities but were not recognizing or compensating them as managers.

The launch of the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification program was another significant milestone that played a pivotal role in professionalizing the position of practice manager. We set a high standard by establishing demanding qualifications and requiring a vast understanding of practice management knowledge to ensure that CVPMs were qualified, well equipped to be effective managers, and well-regarded for their competence.

VHMA officers defined the competencies and created the exam, which was both oral and written. The oral portion was administered at the annual meeting. We patterned the exam after the CPA process accountants go through. It was a labor of love and a difficult exam. The original fail rate was 60%!

Our intention was not to trip candidates. We were trying to preserve the reputation of the CVPM as a valued certification that communicated excellence to employers and brought pride and confidence to those who achieved it.

Now, with managers so critical to a practice’s success, the CVPM is just as important. The CVPM certification has continued to develop along with the role of the practice manager. Managers who achieve certification demonstrate that they are skilled in the competencies that make for a successful manager.

CVPM was the standard of excellence and continues to be.

Was the CVPM part of the initial vision?

MO: Not exactly. Although I always believed that the way to gain acceptance for the role of practice manager was to formalize the knowledge, the credential was not discussed in the early days. When it was raised, there was unanimous support for it among the founding members.

One weekend, the founding members travelled from across the country at their own expense to Marty Bezner’s house in Syracuse, New York. There we spent the weekend hammering out the details of how to certify managers. The discussions were spirited, and emotions ran high, but we were eventually able to agree on a program and remain friends.

Yesterday and today: How has and is VHMA helping manager perform better

VHMA, members had access to education and resources critical to success and a network of colleagues for support and guidance. Managers began to rely of these tools to carve out their role in the practice and to learn how to best execute their job responsibilities.

MO: When the association got off the ground, one of the issues managers were dealing with was pushback from veterinarian/owners who saw managers as administrative assistants. VHMA provided managers with opportunities to define their role and advocate for recognition and responsibilities in the practice. Through

VHMA, members had access to education and resources critical to success and a network of colleagues for support and guidance. Managers began to rely of these tools to carve out their role in the practice and to learn how to best execute their job responsibilities.

Now, the difference in perception is night and day. Managers are well received by owners, respected for what they do, and recognized as critical and integral to the practice’s success. But managers are facing more challenges than ever before as the rate of societal change accelerates. This year alone, managers had to deal with PPP, COVID-19, and other unprecedented issues. As these issues unfolded, VHMA updated and added resources to help managers survive and thrive.

There are, and always will be, new and unexpected challenges that surface. VHMA’s commitment to proactively identifying topical issues and emerging problems and providing solutions and resources is indispensable when managers are searching for guidance.

What are VHMA’s top achievements?

MO:

1. The sustained and phenomenal growth of the VHMA, from 13 to 4,000 plus members
2. Newsletter as an important source of information
3. Annual meetings and conferences for education and networking
4. Hiring of a management firm, allowing for professional staff to accomplish more, and alleviating the burden previously shouldered by members and officers
5. The use of social media to provide continuing education and webinars in a timely manner

Parting thought:

MO: I believe that there are many factors that have contributed to VHMA’s success, among them are its members. The veterinary industry attracts good people. When you get good people together, they talk, bond, and support each other. This has always defined the people who are part of VHMA. I have watched the trajectory of the association and know that it has the commitment and member support to respond to the changes in the industry with the expertise, tools, and resources that are critical to successful management.

I am immensely proud of the VHMA. I am pleased to be its founder, delighted to see all that it has accomplished, and look forward to what it will do in the future. It is an awesome association!

 '