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The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce the publication
of a white paper that describes a proven approach for guiding veterinary practices towards
a more focused approach to preventive care, essential for delivering optimum well-being for canine and feline patients. The white paper is titled, “A Practice Champion for Preventive Pet Healthcare Makes All the Difference.”

As its title implies, the white paper asserts that a successful transition to prioritizing preventive
care requires a Champion from within the practice to lead the effort.

The white paper recognizes the significance of Your Guide to Becoming a Practice
Champion (the Guide), a workbook that provides a step-by-step process for leading the transformation. The Guide was developed by experienced practice managers, veterinary technicians, and consultants through VHMA’s collaboration with Partners for Healthy
Pets (PHP), an alliance of over 100 veterinary associations, colleges, and animal health companies under the leadership of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

The paper explains how a practice Champion, using the Guide, can ensure successful, consistent implementation of preventive pet healthcare in their practices.

According to the paper, the practice Champion is usually a veterinary technician or practice manager but can be any motivated, experienced member of the practice team. The Champion is critical to long-term success by providing:

• Continuity—no lapses in emphasis
• Leadership—a “go to” person for direction
• Clarity of purpose—defines what is to be accomplished
• Skill development—provides tools for success
• Role modeling—motivates and helps others enact the change
• Responsibility for outcomes—monitors cultural and behavioral changes, leading to a “problem-prevention” practice

What’s in it for the Champions? The paper points out that the Champions benefit from the satisfaction of improving the quality of care for and longevity of pets, building client loyalty to the practice, and developing leadership skills to advance in their careers.

The white paper outlines the Guide’s easy-to-use roadmap and tools for making a big job manageable by organizing its contents into modules adaptable for any practice: how to get started, engage the team, and implement three proven strategies to make the transformation successful. They are:

• Creating and validating written protocols to establish uniform preventive pet healthcare methods within the practice;
• Implementing “forward booking appointments,” a powerful tool for ensuring regular preventive visits; and
• Using social media to educate clients and maintain regular communications with them.

Christine Shupe, Executive Director of VHMA, shared that the association’s members field-tested the Guide and experienced its impact on building a practice culture that uplifts preventive pet healthcare as a top priority. Says Shupe, “in practices where a Champion was appointed to promote preventive pet healthcare, we saw real-world evidence that the Guide’s stepwise approach produced results.”  

Based on these results, David E. Granstrom, DVM, Ph.D., DACVM, Assistant Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation and Certification Officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says, “the practical approach set forth in the Guide has the potential to transform the way veterinary medicine is practiced."

The white paper and workbook resources can be found on the VHMA website here.