American Veterinary Group hosts inaugural Practice Manager Summit

American Veterinary Group (AVG) recently hosted its first-ever Practice Manager Summit for over 100 AVG practice managers in charge of overseeing their clinic’s operations.

“In this industry, we expect Practice Managers to make over 100 decisions before noon, put out multiple fires, serve as customer support staff, human resources, cheerleaders for hospital morale, and so much more – all while carrying the massive responsibility of leading their hospital’s operations day-in and day-out,” commented Christopher Smith, DVM, MAB, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer, AVG, in a company release.¹

“This summit was designed to get them out of the hospital and, frankly, be a little selfish. It’s where they can focus on themselves as leaders to grow professionally and meet others.”

Taking place in Orlando, Florida, the Practice Manager Summit was a 3-day conference that invited AVG’s Leadership Team, including CEO Craig Niebur, Vice President of Leadership Training and Development Kevin Puma, MBA, and summit sponsors, including Zoetis Petcare (Elite Sponsor) and Boehringer Ingelheim (Platinum Sponsor), along with practice managers and award-winning speakers that delivered more than 10 sessions.

“Training and educational sessions for this summit were purposefully created to foster deep connections, create a safe space for honest feedback and encourage participation and engagement,” Puma said. “Sessions were also designed to provide Practice Managers with learning materials that apply to their hospitals all throughout the year, arming them with educational materials, additional learning content, and access to more networking opportunities even after the summit.”

Additionally, the Practice Manager Summit featured an awards ceremony, the first of its kind the company has hosted. The 2022 Practice Manager Summit Awardees included¹:

• Practice Manager of the Year, General Practice – Dadeland Animal Hospital, Brooke Dombrowski
• Practice Manager of the Year – UrgentVet, Chloe Corbin
• Culture Award – Circle of Life, Stacy Corwin
• Hospital of the Year – Care Animal Hospital, Sheryl Valdespino
• Customer Experience Award – Lineberger Animal Hospital, Krista Walter
• Rookie of the Year – Angel Animal Hospital, Magdalena Zullo

“This Practice Manager Summit has helped me sharpen my skillset as a leader even more, in addition to recognizing and celebrating me as both a professional and a person,” shared Corbin, from UrgentVet and one of the recipients.

Reference

American Veterinary Group hosts first-ever Practice Manager Summit. News release. American Veterinary Group. September 9, 2022. Accessed September 9, 2022.