Blogs

VHMA Announces New Board of Directors

By Martha Jack posted 10-11-2019
During the September 26, 2019, Veterinary Hospital Managers Association’s (VHMA) Membership Meeting in Glendale AZ, VHMA announced the elected members of its board of directors for 2019-2021. The members of the VHMA Board of Directors are: President : Michele Gonzales-Bryant, CVPM, Tempe, AZ Vice-President : Jessica Speas, CVPM, SPHR-CA, SHRM-SCP, La Crescenta, CA Secretary : Leslie Boudreau, BASVT, RVTg, CVPM, PHR, PHRca, Huntington Beach, CA Treasurer : Scott Zimmerman, BFA, CVPM, Decatur, GA Director : Karli Carter, CVPM, Payson, UT Director : Kim Drummond, BSN, CVPM, Seattle, WA Director : Elizabeth Fritzler, DVM, CVPM, Seattle, WA ...

Twenty-four Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By Martha Jack posted 10-10-2019
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that twenty-four veterinary management professionals recently earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) credential. The VHMA’s CVPM credential, which is voluntary, is recognized as the 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 August 2019 includes: Kathryn Arbic Stacy Boll Elizabeth Busch Theresa Dahl Heather R. Duda Tricia L. Eckhardt - Browning Jessica Fair Jean Gibowski ...

Make your practice cool for cats!

By Martha Jack posted 10-08-2019
When it comes to cats, opinions tend to run hot and cold. At one end of the spectrum are the feline fans who find them to be beautiful, sophisticated, intelligent, independent and easy to care for. At the other end, you find people with cattitude. To these folks, cats are elusive and hard to read and sometimes even difficult and sneaky. How can one animal engender diametrically opposed feelings? Chalk it up to misperceptions, bias, and misinformation. To better serve feline patients, a good starting point is to acknowledge that cats have unique dispositions and special needs. Adjusting practice protocol to respond to these needs is essential. Cat-friendly programs ...

VMG-CVPM Scholarship Recipients Announced

By Martha Jack posted 10-01-2019
Veterinary Study Groups, Inc., Zoetis and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) created the VMG/CVPM scholarship program that provides veterinary professionals with an opportunity to attain the highest level of certification a veterinary manager can achieve---the Certified Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) credential. The CVPM, which is offered through VHMA, qualifies the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully manage the ever-changing business management of today's veterinary practices. CVPM candidates must document experience, knowledge and pass an examination. The 2018 VMG-CVPM Scholarship recipients are: Jane Anderson, Kelson ...

Adding New Services

By Martha Jack posted 08-27-2019
Increasing revenue has become harder in the last decade or so. Most practices are dealing with pushback on the cost of veterinary care from pet owners, and therefore the large fee increases are harder to implement than they used to be. With the increase in the number of veterinarians and veterinary practices, competition for clients is also more difficult. Adding new services, however, remains an option—not only do new services allow a practice to generate more revenue from current clients, but it may also attract new clients who are looking for that particular service. VHMA’s August 2019 Insiders’ Insight Report covered this topic. When asked: “In the ...

How You Say It May Matter More Than What You Say

By Martha Jack posted 07-17-2019
Educating clients about programs, procedures and treatment is a significant piece of what we do in the veterinary field. Practices committed to promoting preventive pet healthcare can find extensive tools and resources through the Partners for Healthy Pets website . Some of these resources focus on how managers can equip staff to discuss preventive pet healthcare, including how to broach the topic, ways to deal with resistant client and a host of other topics. The scripts allow staff to familiarize themselves with key aspects of the program, so they are sure to present the most salient information. However, the scripts cannot smooth out the rough spots in an ...

Management Team Structure and Function

By Martha Jack posted 07-17-2019
Twenty years ago, most veterinary practices didn’t have a practice manager; these tasks were performed by the owner of the practice. As practices have gotten bigger and the environment in which veterinary medicine operates has gotten more complex, it is rare to find a practice that doesn’t have at least a part-time management person. The management team in many practices has also grown both in size and skill set. VHMA’s July 2019 Insiders’ Insights survey explored both management team structure and function. Only 26% of the managers surveyed have a formal, written contract, and very few of those contracts were written by an attorney. Contracts for both veterinarians ...

VHMA Launches 2019 Compensation and Benefits Survey

By Martha Jack posted 06-25-2019
The VHMA is pleased to announce the launch of our 2019 Compensation and Benefits Survey. As we have done in past years, the survey is broken into three sections: Associate DVM, Veterinary Managers and Support Staff. VHMA’s Management Job Descriptions are provided so that you can appropriately complete the manager portions of the surveys. Please be sure to complete each section of the survey. Below you will find each of the survey links for your use. PDF Forms: Associate DVM Veterinary Managers Support Staff Online Survey Links: Associate DVM Veterinary Managers Support Staff All responses are confidential, ...

CVPM Announces Officer and Director Nominations

By Martha Jack posted 06-24-2019
The Nominating Committee of the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) Board presents the following Slate of Nominees for the Offices of the Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 term. CHAIR: Susie Crockett, CVPM (Indianapolis, IN) CO-CHAIR: Mary Beth Soto, CVPM (Flower Mount, TX) TREASURER: Stephanie Albanese, CVPM (Mt. Pleasant, SC) SECRETARY: Melissa Tompkins, BS, CVPM (Long Beach, CA) DIRECTORS: Everette W. Bannister III, DVM, CVPM (Milton, GA) and Janine Kakoyannis, CVPM (San Diego, CA) An official proxy ballot will be electronically mailed to each member eligible to vote. The results will be presented to the membership at the annual ...

Digital Media Management

By Martha Jack posted 06-23-2019
Most practices are spending more time and money on marketing activities than they used to keep their practices growing and keep clients bonded to the hospital. Digital media can be time-consuming to manage, and the practices who do it most successfully have clearly assigned team roles and a detailed digital marketing plan that keeps everyone on schedule and moving towards the same goal. This month's Insiders’ Insight survey takes a look at how practices do this. When asked “Who created your practice website?” about 23% of the practices did this all themselves; for 45% of the practices, it was a combined effort between the practice team and an outside marketing ...

Social Media is Just a Buzzword Until You Come Up With a Plan

By Martha Jack posted 06-22-2019
This popular quote has been floating around the internet for years. Although its origin is unknown, the sentiment is spot on. The difference between using social media and a social media strategy is the difference between having access to a tool and receiving an instruction manual that details how to use that tool effectively. For those of you who are committed to increasing the emphasis on preventive pet healthcare in the practice, social media can help to develop a stronger connection to clients and increase buy in from clients. As you try to deepen the understanding of your target audience, it is helpful to identify an approach and messaging that becomes ...

VHMA Announces Officer and Director Nominations

By Martha Jack posted 06-21-2019
The Nominating Committee of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, Inc. presents the following Slate of Nominees for the Offices of the Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 term. PRESIDENT: Michelle Gonzales, CVPM (Tempe, AZ) VICE PRESIDENT: Jessica Speas, CVPM, SPHR-CA, SHRM-SCP (La Crescenta, CA) SECRETARY: Leslie Boudreau, BASVT, RVTg, CVPM, PHR, PHRca (Huntington Beach, CA) TREASURER: Scott Zimmerman, BFA, CVPM (Decatur, GA) DIRECTORS: Karli Carter, CVPM (Payson, UT) Kim Drummond, BSN, CVPM (Seattle, WA) Elizabeth Fritzler, DVM, CVPM (Seattle, WA) Joanne Graham, CVPM, SHRM-CP (Nashville, TN) Tiffany Killion-Consalvo, CVPM (Gilbertsville, ...

Twenty-seven Veterinary Practice Managers Earn Prestigious CVPM Designation

By Martha Jack posted 06-02-2019
The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) is pleased to announce that 27 veterinary management professionals earned the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) credential in April 2019. The VHMA’s CVPM credential, which is voluntary, is recognized as the 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 2019 includes: Alicia Artman Kathy Bell Rebecca A. Bunker Patti Christie Emily Colyer Debra Downs Karin Fary Krista Fuld Paul (Chris) Fuson ...

Practice Purchasing

By Martha Jack posted 05-25-2019
Many factors are essential to the practice of quality medicine and surgery including having an appropriate range of high-quality equipment for both diagnostics and treatment and the right medications, supplies, and food to use in-house or send home with clients. The process for purchasing and replenishing these items varies from practice to practice, and May’s Monthly Management Survey asks about that process. No surprise, the practice owner (typically a veterinarian) makes the final decision in 75% of the purchases of medical equipment and about 55%-60% of computer hardware and software purchases. This makes sense due to the higher cost of equipment and ...

When an Unstoppable Force Meets an Immovable Object

By Martha Jack posted 05-10-2019
Preventive pet healthcare can have a significant positive impact on the health and well-being of pets. While there is strong buy in among veterinary professionals and many pet owners are on board, we’ve all encountered clients who are skeptical, uninterested or opposed to the processes and procedures to increase the emphasis on preventive care. Forward booking makes sense and ensures that patients are on track to receive regular prophylactic care. But for the commitment-shy or those who don’t like to look too far into the future, forward booking can be a tough sell. As most of you know, forward booking is the process of booking ALL patients’ next appointments ...

DVM360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year Contest

By Martha Jack posted 05-07-2019
You could be the next dvm360/VHMA Practice Manager of the Year . All it takes is a short survey, a few thoughtful responses ... and, yes, a willingness to fight past your natural humility and tell us what you've done to make happy team members, to grow revenue and to create a healing environment in your veterinary practice. dvm360.com and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) are devoted to helping veterinary practice managers grow, blossom and thrive in your careers. We know you are the backbone of financially healthy, well-led and inspirational veterinary hospitals. You help guide hospitals through troubled times. You put smiles on team members' ...

Veterinary Hospital Managers Association announces partnership with Animal Health Digest

By Martha Jack posted 05-03-2019
Animal Health Digest (AHD) and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VMHA) are now collaborating to provide VHMA members and constituents with AHD content. Beginning May 1, VHMA members will have free access to the weekly AHD Bulletin through VHMA’s Facebook posts. Additionally, VHMA leadership will select specific AHD posts that will be included in the monthly VHMA newsletter. According to VHMA Executive Director Christine Shupe, “Access to AHD aggregated content will allow VHMA to increase the routine information, management trend focused content, and important industry news that the association offers its members.” “Hospital managers are ...

Telehealth

By Martha Jack posted 04-29-2019
Telemedicine is a hot topic right now and has generated a lot of controversy over whether it should be part of how veterinary medicine is practiced. Some of this controversy is due to confusion over what all the “tele-terms” really mean; however, some of the controversy is also over real issues related to whether pets can be appropriately diagnosed and treated using some of these modalities. Telehealth, the umbrella term, is defined as follows: “all uses of technology to deliver health information, education, or care remotely.” Telehealth can include both services that require a VCPR (veterinary-client-patient relationship) and those that don’t. The definitions ...

Raising Awareness to Change Behavior

By Martha Jack posted 04-26-2019
This month, millions of people observed Alcohol Awareness Month, Autism Awareness Month, Donate Life Month, Foot Health Awareness Month, Humor Month and a host of other observances to raise awareness about conditions and issues. In addition to month long commemorations, specific weeks and days focused on other illnesses and disorders. It has become commonplace to pass a billboard, open a publication or click on a website and discover a new issue in the spotlight. Awareness campaigns are designed to reach a broad audience and dispel ignorance and deepen understanding. Do they work? Unfortunately, hard scientific evidence about the impact of awareness efforts ...

Devaluing the Role of Inventory Management Devaluates the Bottom Line

By Martha Jack posted 03-28-2019
In the veterinary industry---more so than other medical fields---practices maintain large amounts of inventory. Delivering quality veterinary care requires practices to respond to a vast array of need and manage inventory for the laboratory, surgery, OTC sales, preventive care, food sales, ancillary services, and the veterinary pharmacy. Not surprisingly, inventory costs account for the second largest expense category. When inventory management is treated as an ordering and stocking task, practices are doing a disservice to the bottom. To have a positive impact on profitability and practice value, inventory management must be dealt with for what it is---a sophisticated ...