AAHA, Colo. State launch revamped Veterinary Management Institute

The Veterinary Mangement Institute, having spent more than 20 years at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, is being relaunched at Colorado State University (CSU). The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and CSU have announced that they’re joining forces to offer the executive-level veterinary management program beginning Jan. 30, 2014, with the first of three on-campus sessions that will continue through Feb. 1.

The program offers 83 hours of continuing education over 10 months, including monthly virtual classes, workgroups and discussions along with the in-person sessions. Topics include strategic decision-making, financial management, services marketing, inventory and demand management, supervision and conflict management, and strategic entrepreneurship. Students will work with leading professors from the Colorado State University College of Business, experienced experts who have led or consulted with successful veterinary practices, experts who have served with Fortune 500 companies and more.

The 2014 program is the result of a complete overhaul of the 24-year-old Veterinary Management Institute with the needs of the modern veterinary professional in mind, says Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP, AAHA’s chief executive officer. “VMI has long been the leader for advanced management education in our profession,” he says. “We’re working hard to make the new VMI an invaluable program to veterinary practice managers and owners and can’t wait to reveal the results of our hard work.”

According to AAHA, the VMI move came after Purdue University faculty decided not to renew the contract for the program. In the absense of VMI, the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine has launched the Veterinary Practice Management Program (VPMP), which continues its collaboration with Purdue’s Krannert School of Management. VPMP is designed not only for practice managers and owners but technicians and team managers as well. Purdue says its program is an intensive, four-module management education program that offers graduate-level instruction on core management issues. The program’s four modules include human resource management, accounting and financial management, marketing management and strategic thinking. “The new collaboration between Krannert and the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine incorporates the strengths that were part of VMI, but targets a broader range of veterinary professionals and fosters more networking and interaction between colleagues, program faculty and alumni,” states the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine website.

For more information on the Veterinary Management Institute, go to aahanet.org. For more information on Purdue’s VPMP, go to vet.purdue.edu.