2021 Annual Meeting & Conference

2021 Annual Meeting and Conference. September 9-11, 2021; Philadelphia, PA

September 9-11, 2021
Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Get ready for VHMA’s 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference!

2021 is shaping-up to be the year that VHMA’s members will ReConnect for Success!

Members and colleagues will be invited to meet in-person in Philadelphia to learn about the latest innovations and developments in practice management.

Participants can look forward to an inspiring keynote speaker, sessions led by industry experts, panel discussions, member events, networking opportunities, and onsite interactions with exhibitors, partners, and supporters.

ReConnect for Success is designed to inspire, empower, connect, and recharge veterinary management professionals.

Don't miss out on these opportunities:

VALUE-BASED Pricing Strategies and Tools Workshop: Implementing a pricing strategy isn’t just about deciding what percentage to increase fees by. Value-based pricing takes into account how much value a particular service and the related client experience provide to a pet owner. This workshop will address what we now know about client price expectations and present best practices that are key to implementing an effective pricing strategy. This is a pre-conference event, separate registration and fees apply.

Career Conversations: Ever wish you could talk through career planning with a trusted colleague? At the 2021 Annual Conference, you can! These confidential conversations will allow you to ask questions, request feedback and can yield important insights that will equip you to be more proactive as you grow your career. Registration is required, no additional cost. Participation is limited.

First Annual Job Fair

If you're ready to find your next opportunity for yourself or need help in staffing your clinic, the VHMA is giving you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with clinics in need of practice managers and recruiters that are eager to help you with your staffing needs. Join us Thursday evening immediately following the Membership Meeting. Each attendee will be provided with a free drink ticket. Job Fair Details

Presenting Sponsors

Participating Sponsors

Speakers

Susie Crockett, CVPM
Susie Crockett began her veterinary career as a receptionist in 1999 for a two-facility practice while attending Purdue University. While completing her degree, she went from Receptionist to Office Manager to Practice Manager. Susie graduated from Purdue University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Organizational Communication. She has a passion for Human Resources, particularly hiring and staff development.

After relocating to Indianapolis, Susie became the Practice Manager at Eagle Creek Animal Clinic. She quickly became an active participant in the Veterinary Management Association of Indiana (VMAI). Susie joined the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) in 2008. She earned her CVPM designation in 2009. She served on the Membership Committee and was a member of the 2013 Special Education Task Force.

In 2014, Susie took on the position as Human Resource Director at IndyVet Emergency and Specialty Hospital, a 24-hour emergency and referral practice with a team of over 60 members. She also helped oversee their associated general practice, 30th Street Animal Hospital.

Susie now works with Noah's Animal Hospitals, managing two of their general practices and one emergency and specialty center, with 47 staff and 12 doctors.

Susie finds staff development, team involvement, communication, and practice cultures are her favorite areas of Veterinary Management.

Mimi Darmstadter, PPC
Mimi Darmstadter, PCC, sole proprietor of My Life's Work - Coaching & Consulting, brings to her work 25 years of experience as a seasoned leader in the learning and performance and talent management field.

Mimi's professional career spans both corporate, non-profit environments, and government where she has designed and delivered a broad range of training and professional development programs for diverse groups of employees, including the most senior executives. She has also led initiatives to shape company culture and build employee engagement. Before launching her own business in 2008, Mimi worked for twelve years for Covance Inc., where, over her tenure, she held HR management positions at both the local and corporate level.

Today, while continuing to provide consulting, she maintains a robust executive and career transition coaching business.

Mimi brings to her coaching engagements certifications in a number of self-and 360 assessments, including DiSC, EQi 2.0, the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI), the Professional Strengths, Values and Story Survey (SVSS), the Profilor 360, and the Leadership Circle 360.

Mimi is certified as a Dare To LeadTM facilitator (Brené Brown's flagship leadership development program) and Situational Leadership.

Mimi completed Georgetown University's Leadership Coaching Certificate Program and is a certified coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF). Her Master's Degree in Social Service Administration is from the University of Chicago. Her Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology and Creative Writing are from the University of Michigan, where she was the recipient of a Hopwood Award for Underclassman Fiction Writing.

Karen E. Felsted, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM, CVA
Dr. Felsted is a CPA as well as a veterinarian and has spent the last 20 years working as a financial and operational consultant to veterinary practices and the animal health industry. She also spent three years with the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues as CEO. She is active in multiple veterinary organizations, has written an extensive number of articles for a wide range of veterinary publications and speaks regularly at national and international veterinary meetings. In 2011 and 2017, she was awarded the Western Veterinary Conference Practice Management Continuing Educator of the Year and in 2014, the VetPartners Distinguished Life Member Award.

Elizabeth Fritzler, DVM, CVPM
Beth has been involved in the veterinary field for nearly 40 years, beginning with volunteering in a hospital in 7th grade. She attended Oregon State University as an Animal Science major and graduated from Washington State University with a DVM degree in 1991. Beth and her husband purchased Lien Animal Clinic in 1999. They soon realized that veterinary school did little to prepare them for business ownership and Beth began attending practice management conferences to learn more. She earned a Certificate in Veterinary Practice Administration from Purdue University’s Veterinary Management Institute in 2006 and in 2008 earned her CVPM designation. Beth was the first recipient of the VHMA Transforming the Practice Award.

Over the years Lien Animal Clinic has grown to eight doctors and over 30 staff members and Beth and her husband recently opened a second practice in partnership with one of their associates. Beth currently works full-time as Hospital Administrator and CFO for both practices. She especially enjoys working with the practice finances and gains satisfaction from helping staff to achieve their goals and dreams.

Sheri Gilmartin, CVT
Sheri Gilmartin is a Credentialed Veterinary Technician and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for VetSuccess. She began her veterinary profession over 26 years ago at a small animal practice outside of Boston. Since then, she's held various positions in both sales and marketing at Hill's Pet Nutrition, Vetsource, and Patterson Veterinary. Sheri is passionately committed to the veterinary industry and helping practices be more successful.

Debbie Hill, CVPM SPHR, CCFP
Debbie Hill, CVPM, SPHR, CCFP enjoys all things management and speaks nationally to manager groups and conferences around the country. She is an active hospital administrator for a veterinarian with three hospitals, has taught management courses for Patterson Management University since 2008 and is currently presenting the VHMA M2M podcast.

In addition, Debbie attends multiple veterinary conferences annually to stay current. As her hospitals grew, she achieved her Certified Veterinary Hospital Manager in 2005. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resource (SPHR and SHRM-SCP) and Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional and uses these certifications to help manage her own teams. Debbie served on the Veterinary Hospital Manager Association’s Board of Directors, the CVPM Board of Directors and is a member of VetPartners.

Realizing she has been privileged with a wealth of exposure to management experience and education, Debbie has a strong desire to share with others who strive to maintain healthy teams, quality patient care and client service with solid business systems.

Lisa Lounsbury
Lisa has been educating and entertaining audiences, conference delegates, and clients on the topics of Health and Wellness for over 30 years. As an expert in mental health, wellness and fitness, Lisa has been focused on inspiring and motivating individuals to Make Wellness a Priority and to Bring Health to Health and Safety.

As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Lisa speaks to groups from a vast array of industries from Canada and the U.S. She is the President and Founder of New Day Wellness Inc., a Producer, and host of a TV & Podcast show called Your Wellness, a Corporate Mental Health and Wellness Trainer, International Fitness Specialist, College Professor, Philanthropist, Competitive Tap Dancer, wife, and proud mother of three grown children.

Over the years, Lisa has also appeared on various radio talk shows, commercials, and news interviews and always leaves her audiences motivated and energized. Being an engaging, entertaining, and inspiring speaker as a mental health and wellness expert is what Lisa delivers with every Workshop, Interview, TV Episode, and Conference Keynote.

John MacDonald
John MacDonald is the office head of the firm's Princeton office. He concentrates his practice in the area of employment and labor litigation with an emphasis on discrimination litigation, employment counseling, restrictive covenant litigation (non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreement litigation), and FINRA securities arbitration. John has extensive trial experience in both state and federal courts in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New York. John has argued cases before the New Jersey Appellate Division, the New Jersey Supreme Court, and before the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Prior to attending law school, John worked for Bloomberg, L.P. in the European bond department.

Shandell Maxwell, Ph.D.
Dr. Shandell Maxwell is a multitalented professional and community activist from Southern California. Shandell uses her experience and knowledge in people development, education, business, change management, activism, and artistic expression to inspire positive change in any environment she enters.

As an artist and social activist, Shandell has produced film-work and given talks expressing the importance of sharing personal stories to bridge communities and build empathy. In Orange County, Shandell is most known for her film Black Behind the Orange Curtain, launched in 2013. This short documentary highlighted the Black experience in Orange County, in addition to the need for story sharing between diverse groups. The film has been used to facilitate talks at various universities in Los Angeles and Orange County and featured in publications like the OC Weekly, Voice of OC, and made the Orange County Register front-page story in February 2014. The film has over 6k views and is available on YouTube https://youtu.be/7aRIq7kBoX8. It was Shandell's community work that led her to pursue a doctorate in leadership and change. Her goal was to explore the role of Black Pastors' in supporting the Black community and race relations in Orange County.

Shandell's mentor in community activism through storytelling is civil rights activist Joseph Jackson Jr., leader of the Tougaloo Nine (1961), who was mentored by Medgar Evers. Shandell's mission is to help people, communities, and organizations thrive by recognizing the true value of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Travis Meredith, DVM, MBA, Dip. ACT
Travis Meredith, DVM, MBA, Dip. ACT holds a unique insight into the animal health market that spans over 20 years and the entire scope of the animal health supply chain. He has successfully launched new products for companies ranging from venture-backed start-ups to global manufacturers, as well as effectively guided several new-stage animal health ventures through both the investment and product development processes. He is an analyst and content provider for www.vetwatch.com, the veterinary profession's most comprehensive platform for understanding key economic issues in your local market. But most importantly, Travis is a proud owner of two small animal practices in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - living and breathing the same economic issues he speaks on. Travis holds a DVM from Texas A&M University, did his residency training at The University of Pennsylvania, and earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina.

Fred Moore
Fred Moore has been a professional speaker and entertainer for the past 25 years. His dynamic and interactive programs have “wowed” audiences all over the country and the world.

Having traveled the world to over 30 countries he has performed his greatest trick to date…to be able to make a living as a speaker and entertainer!

As a self-employed entrepreneur he’s had to keep himself motivated and focused on what he wants to get out of life. He will bring his tried-and-true techniques to get you to your goals. These are not just theories that someone thinks might work, these are practical, real-world tools that anybody can use to get what they want.

Making a living as an entertainer is not an easy thing to do and because of that Fred has learned a few things about; goal setting, keeping yourself motivated, personal development and creating a positive mind-set.

Mixing his humor and magic with the hard-learned life lessons combined with his improvisational skills he creates a custom one-of-a -kind experience that not only entertains but inspires!

Julie Nash, CVPM, PHR, SHRM-CP
Julie Nash is a management consultant with over twenty years of experience working in veterinary hospitals. Prior to consulting, Julie spent eight years as Hospital Administrator at a ten-doctor practice which provided general, 24-hour emergency, and specialty services. Inspired by the owner's vision, she led the hospital team to double profitability and nearly triple revenue during her tenure. In 2011, Julie was awarded the distinction of Certified Veterinary Practice Manager by the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. Julie became certified as a Professional in Human Resources in 2010, and additionally, she is certified by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Certified Professional. In 2014, Julie shifted her primary focus towards leading other practices as a consultant and founded Practice Moxie, her own independent consulting firm.

Prior to her career in management, Julie worked for many years in private practices as a technician and also spent six years at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. There she received advanced training in anesthesia/pain management, critical care nursing, and oncology. It was at UF that Julie realized how much she enjoyed teaching veterinary team members and discovered her desire to help others grow. She is passionate about patient care and interacting with veterinary team members.

Over the last two years, Julie has narrowed her consulting focus to training and team development as her primary interest. Julie became a Master Trainer through Association for Talent Development in 2016 and completed a Certificate Program in Coaching also through ATD. Additionally, Julie is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and a member of VetPartners.

More recently, Julie has partnered with Animal Care Technologies and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association to develop an online certificate course which will be the first ever vererinary-specific "train the trainer" program. Julie works with practices across the country revolutionizing their training systems and empowering their trainers with compelling and effective training techniques.

Amy Newfield, MS, CVT, VTS (ECC)
Amy is currently employed with BluePearl Veterinary Partners as a Project Manager for Training and Health and Wellness and owner of Veterinary Team Training. After working in general practice for many years, Amy found her passion in emergency medicine and went on to obtain her VTS in Emergency and Critical Care. She has held several board positions in the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians & Nurses, including president. Amy's new focus is on team and leadership development. She is well-published in over 20 subjects and recently published her book "Oops, I Became a Manager" focused on creating happy veterinary teams.

Darren Osborne, MA
Darren Osborne is the Director of Economic Research for the Ontario VMA and Economic Consultant for the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, several State VMAs, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and veterinary study groups across North America. Darren attended York University and completed his Master's Degree in Economics in 1992. When he is not crunching numbers, you can find Darren trying to outrun the pandemic with long trail runs and marathon swims.

Julie Squires, BA, CCFS
Julie Squires is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and Certified Life Coach who brings a unique perspective and approach to support the sustained energy and passion of those exposed to the highly stressful, challenging, and sometimes traumatic environment of veterinary medicine. She does this in a very distinct way by empowering them to help themselves through easy-to-implement yet powerful practices, tools, and insights.

Julie has over twenty-five years of experience within the veterinary industry as a veterinary assistant, hospital administrator and leading organizations developing and executing training and workshops, most notably for Nestlé Purina, Bayer Animal Health, and IDEXX Laboratories. She is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist through the Traumatology Institute.

Julie is a recognized international speaker and also offers webinars, on-site seminars and workshops, online courses, private 1:1 coaching, and the Rekindling podcast, all as a result of the need Julie saw to help those that work with animals maintain their wellbeing and mental health.

Ali Todd
Ali Todd is a director in Katz, Sapper & Miller’s Business Advisory and Veterinary Services Groups. Ali works closely with her general business and veterinary clients to understand their challenges and provide practical solutions, whether it is tax planning or creating an action plan for enhancing profits. Ali received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from DePauw University as well as a Masters of Professional Accounting degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Ali serves as president on the DePauw University Kappa Alpha Theta Facility Corporation Board and participates in the National Association of Women Business Owners events.

Steve Van Remortel
Steve Van Remortel is an award-winning author, speaker, coach, trainer, podcaster, and recognized expert in strategy and talent planning. He founded Stop The Vanilla, LLC in 1999 and has since created a library of 100+ strategy and talent planning methodologies. In 2012, Steve authored his first book Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream: Start Increasing Profits with the Right Strategy & Right Talent. In 2020, he published his 2nd book, Stop The Vanilla in Your Career & Life: Love What You Do to Live the Life You Want!

Steve is Chief Strategist & Talent Advisor at Stop The Vanilla, LLC. He has trained thousands of leaders on how to resolve their people issues that are limiting their growth. He helps high-growth companies master the skill of talent planning to proactively resolve their people issues.
Prior to founding Stop The Vanilla, LLC, Steve led a manufacturing company from $4.5 million to $30 million in sales in five years by having the right plan and the right talent. He earned his Master's in Strategic Management after a BA in Marketing and Organizational Communications. Steve is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA) in four behavioral sciences.

2021 Annual Meeting & Conference

Schedule
Program
Pre-Conference Workshop
Technology User Groups
Job Fair
Location
Speakers
Registration Rates/Policies

New Member Activities
Career Conversations
CVPM Question Writing Session
Fun Activities
Event App
Exhibit
Advertising/Sponsorship

REGISTER

Safe Learning Environment

VHMA will follow CDC and local guidelines to ensure we are offering a safe learning environment. Meeting spaces will be set to allow for appropriate social distancing and masks are required for all indoor events.

Here is what to expect during your stay at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel.

Risk-free Registration

Over the next several months, the VHMA will be closely monitoring COVID-19 developments. We remain hopeful that the 2021 Annual Meeting & Conference will proceed as scheduled, however, we cannot predict what the world will be like in September. Should VHMA need to cancel the event to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its members, registrants will be notified immediately and will receive a full refund of the registration fee or can opt to have the fee applied to a future VHMA event.

For more information about the conference cancellation policy.

Hotel rooms reserved at the conference hotel will also be refunded if canceled 72 hours prior to scheduled arrival. Hotel information is available here.