Blogs

A Season for Change and Knowing When to Pause

By Leslie Boudreau posted 7 days ago
It may be autumn on the calendar, but you would never know it here in Southern California. With temperatures pushing into the 90s and 100s, it is difficult to picture fall sweaters, cool evenings, or winter just around the corner. This heat wave is a reminder that things do not always unfold as expected, regardless of what the calendar or our carefully prepared plans might suggest. We adjust, make accommodations, and keep moving forward. Sound familiar? For those of us in veterinary management, expecting the unexpected is practically part of our job description. As management professionals, we deal with the unusual and unexpected every day. A staffing shortage, ...

VHMA Insiders’ Insights KPI Quarterly Commentary - October 2026

By VHMA Admin posted 7 days ago
VHMA Insiders' Insight Commentary October 2026 Brittany Yost, CVPM, CVBL, CCFP Director, Customer Implementation and Engagement, Vetsource As we move into the final months of 2026, the latest VHMA Insiders' Insights data continues to tell a somewhat mixed story for veterinary practices. Revenue for VHMA members was up 2.7% year over year in September, while revenue per patient increased 4.3%. At the same time, patient visits were down 1.1%, active patient counts remained below the prior year, and new client growth was down 3.1%. In other words, revenue continues to hold relatively steady, but the volume of patients and clients behind that revenue ...

VHMA Celebrates Veterinary Practice Managers - Practice Manager Recognition Week: November 15 to 21, 2026

By VHMA Admin posted 13 days ago
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association proudly celebrates Practice Manager Recognition Week, November 15 to 21, 2026. This annual week of recognition honors the leadership, dedication, and meaningful impact of veterinary practice managers. Practice managers are the driving force behind successful veterinary hospitals, aligning people, operations, and strategy to create environments where teams and patients thrive. Their leadership is essential to the strength and success of the veterinary industry. As the profession evolves, so does the role of the practice manager. Today's leaders navigate workforce challenges, adopt new technologies, and build ...

VHMA Honors Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, with 2026 President's Award

By VHMA Admin posted 26 days ago
For immediate release Contact: Kellie Francello, 215-884-6499 kfrancello@comsolutionsgroup.com Reno, Nev. - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) honored Dr. Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, as the recipient of its 2026 VHMA President's Award at the annual conference in Reno, Nevada. This distinguished award celebrates VHMA members who enact positive change and significantly bolster the association's standing within the veterinary community. A member since 1991, Weinstein originally joined the VHMA around the same time he opened his first veterinary hospital. Over the following three decades, he served as a frequent speaker, facilitator, and passionate ...

Seventeen Veterinary Professionals Earn CVOM Certification in July 2026

By VHMA Admin posted 08-25-2026
Alachua, FL - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is thrilled to announce that seventeen veterinary management professionals have earned the Certified Veterinary Office Manager (CVOM) certification. The CVOM program is designed to certify qualified management professionals who focus on fundamental administrative office tasks, including team leadership roles. It serves as a testament to professional excellence and expertise, essential for managing the dynamic operations of modern veterinary practices. The CVOM examination evaluates candidates across key domains: Leadership; Administrative Management/Daily Operations ...

Twenty-Eight Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By VHMA Admin posted 08-24-2026
Alachua, FL - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that twenty-eight veterinary management professionals recently earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification. The VHMA's voluntary CVPM certification program is recognized as a sign of professional achievement and excellence and is awarded to those who demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully manage the ever-changing operations of today's veterinary practices. The class of July 2026 includes: Jessica Rae Blount Stephanie Ann Cummons Jenny Daniels Kristina ...

The Dog Days of Summer: Managing the Veterinary Staffing Crunch

By Leslie Boudreau posted 08-13-2026
The dog days of summer can bring a unique challenge to veterinary hospital managers. In my more than 40 years in general practice, I have always considered the summer months the “bread and butter” of veterinary medicine. Our hours may remain the same, but our patient volume can increase by a third or more. With increased appointments comes increased revenue and an important opportunity for the practice. The reasons for the summer surge are familiar to most veterinary practices: more pets boarding creates a demand for wellness exams and flea and tick prevention; seasonal allergies flare up; and families play “catch up” on postponed veterinary needs. That's ...

VHMA Names Maria Morgan Inaugural Recipient of the Kelly Clay Innovation Award

By VHMA Admin posted 07-27-2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cassie Morrison, 215-884-6499 cassie@comsolutionsgroup.com ALACHUA, FL– When Maria Morgan, MBA, CVPM, grew frustrated by the time-consuming and ever-changing process of preparing pets for international travel, she saw an opportunity to create a better solution. Drawing on years of firsthand experience managing complex pet travel cases, Morgan co-founded Passpaw, a cloud-based platform that simplifies pet travel compliance for veterinary teams while reducing administrative burden and improving the client experience. In recognition of her innovation and its potential to transform veterinary practice management, the Veterinary ...

VHMA Welcomes Gold Supporting Sponsor, PawPay

By VHMA Admin posted 07-22-2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Lis (215) 884-6499 ALACHUA, FL – The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) announced that PawPay , a premier pet insurance activation and instant payment platform, has signed on as a Gold Supporting Sponsor. Qualifying companies offering products and services that address the professional business needs of today's veterinary practices are invited to participate in VHMA's sponsorship programs. PawPay bridges a major ecosystem gap by allowing insured pet parents to pay only their out-of-pocket share at checkout while veterinarians are paid directly. Rather than forcing pet parents to pay their entire veterinary ...

VHMA Insiders’ Insights KPI Quarterly Commentary - July 2026

By VHMA Admin posted 07-08-2026
VHMA Insiders' Insight Commentary July 2026 Brittany Yost, CVPM, CVBL, CCFP Director, Customer Implementation and Engagement, Vetsource This month’s VHMA Insiders' Insight dashboard tells a familiar story. Revenue continues to grow (+2.7%), driven primarily by higher revenue per patient (+4.2%), even as patient visits (-0.6%), active patient counts, and new client acquisition remain below last year's levels. None of these trends are entirely new. We've been watching many of them develop over the past several years. What continues to change, however, is not just the performance of our practices, but the expectations placed on the people leading them. As the ...

The USA at 250: reflecting on life, liberty, and the pursuit of veterinary care

By Leslie Boudreau posted 07-06-2026
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday this month, I've found myself wondering what veterinary medicine looked like in 1776. There were no veterinary hospitals, no digital radiology, no anesthesia machines, no laboratory analyzers, and certainly no electronic medical records. In fact, the veterinary profession as we know it today didn't even exist in America. The first formal veterinary colleges were still decades away, and animal care often fell to farmers, blacksmiths, physicians, military horsemen, or individuals who had developed practical skills through years of experience caring for livestock and working animals. Their knowledge was built through ...

VHMA to Support The Bridge Club's 2027 ICON Award Honoring CVPMs

By VHMA Admin posted 06-26-2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cassie Morrison, 215-884-6499 cassie@comsolutionsgroup.com ALACHUA, FL– The leaders who keep veterinary practices thriving behind the scenes will be recognized in a new way in 2027. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) will support The Bridge Club's ICON Award, which will, for the first time, honor a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) for excellence in practice leadership. Each year, The Bridge Club highlights a different area of impact within veterinary medicine through its ICON Award. For 2027, the organization will recognize a veterinary professional whose career demonstrates exceptional leadership ...

VHMA Announces 2026 Practice Manager of the Year: Bianca Alfonso

By VHMA Admin posted 06-22-2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cassie Morrison, 215-884-6499 cassie@comsolutionsgroup.com ALACHUA, FL– Bianca Alfonso helped transform Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center from a six-person startup into a thriving multi-hospital organization. She fostered a culture of mentorship, cross-training, and professional development that has propelled employees from entry-level positions into leadership roles. In recognition of her leadership and impact, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has named Alfonso its 2026 Practice Manager of the Year (PMOY). "Bianca Alfonso exemplifies the transformative leadership this award was designed to recognize," ...

When Growing Means Going

By Leslie Boudreau posted 06-18-2026
One of the most important lessons I've learned during more than 40 years in veterinary medicine is that our responsibility as leaders extends beyond managing schedules, budgets, and our myriads of daily operations tasks. We are also responsible for helping our team members grow. As managers, we invest significant time recruiting, training, and mentoring our staff. It can be difficult when a valued employee decides to leave, but sometimes the greatest act of leadership is supporting someone's professional growth—even when that growth takes them beyond your organization. This philosophy is beautifully captured in the book Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, by Beverly ...

VHMA Welcomes Gold Supporting Sponsor, NaVetor

By VHMA Admin posted 06-04-2026
ALACHUA, FL – The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) announced that NaVetor , a premier cloud practice management software system offered by Patterson Veterinary, has signed on as a Gold Supporting Sponsor. Qualifying companies offering products and services that address the professional business needs of today's veterinary practices are invited to participate in VHMA's sponsorship programs. In 2018, cloud software experts teamed up with Patterson Veterinary to create NaVetor, a software designed to help practices navigate their business quickly and efficiently. In 2025, Patterson acquired full rights to NaVetor and has been introducing ...

Change is One of the Few Guarantees in Veterinary Medicine

By Leslie Boudreau posted 05-28-2026
Change is one of the few guarantees in veterinary medicine. After more than 40 years working in this profession, I sometimes catch myself believing I have finally seen it all. I've managed through a global pandemic, staffing shortages, economic downturns, difficult clients, medical emergencies, changing technology, and the emotional highs and lows that come with caring for animals and the people who love them. Yet veterinary medicine has a way of humbling you. Just when you think you've mastered the unexpected, another challenge appears around the corner to remind you that comfort and routine are often temporary visitors. As hospital managers, we learn quickly ...

VHMA Welcomes Silver Supporting Sponsor, pute.us

By VHMA Admin posted 05-18-2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Lis (215) 884-6499 ALACHUA, FL – The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) announced that pute.us , a nationwide, veterinary-exclusive Information Technology (IT) partner specializing in practice optimization, has signed on as a Silver Supporting Sponsor. Qualifying companies offering products and services that address the professional business needs of today's veterinary practices are invited to participate in VHMA's sponsorship programs. Pute.us provides end-to-end solutions, including managed IT services, advanced cybersecurity, hardware procurement, and low-voltage design for new builds. The company also ...

VHMA Welcomes Silver Supporting Sponsor, Pawsitive Pet Health Certificates

By VHMA Admin posted 05-04-2026
ALACHUA, FL – The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) announced that Pawsitive Pet Health Certificates, a team of veterinary professionals dedicated to gathering necessary documentation for pet owners looking to travel outside of the United States, has signed on as a Silver Supporting Sponsor. Qualifying companies offering products and services that address the professional business needs of today's veterinary practices are invited to participate in VHMA's sponsorship programs. Pawsitive Pet Health Certificates (PPHC) helps veterinarians and pet parents navigate the complex health requirements for pets traveling outside the ...

Fourteen Veterinary Professionals Earn CVOM Certification in April 2026

By VHMA Admin posted 04-24-2026
Alachua, FL - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is thrilled to announce that fourteen veterinary management professionals have earned the Certified Veterinary Office Manager (CVOM) certification. The CVOM program is designed to certify qualified management professionals who focus on fundamental administrative office tasks, including team leadership roles. It serves as a testament to professional excellence and expertise, essential for managing the dynamic operations of modern veterinary practices. The CVOM examination evaluates candidates across key domains: Leadership; Administrative Management/Daily Operations & ...

Twenty Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By VHMA Admin posted 04-23-2026
Alachua, FL - The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that twenty veterinary management professionals recently earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification. The VHMA's voluntary CVPM certification program is recognized as a sign of professional achievement and excellence and is awarded to those who demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully manage the ever-changing operations of today's veterinary practices. The class of April 2026 includes: Shona Andryszak Laurie Auger Amanda Bates Sara Belton Kit Berry Meghan ...