AVMA seminar to focus on community involvement

HONOLULU —"Bark Now or Forever Pay a Price!" is the advice of the speakers for a media and communications seminar scheduled for the 2006 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Annual Conference, July 17.

The panel includes Adrian Hochstadt, AVMA's assistant director for State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs; Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, president of marketing and PR agency Germinder & Associates Inc., and nationally recognized columnist and radio personality Steve Dale.

The seminar encourages veterinarians to become involved in their communities and demonstrates how active participation can be beneficial for every practitioner. It also emphasizes how veterinarians can work with the media and local government to promote a positive image for the entire veterinary profession.

"Veterinarians are recognized by the pet-owning public as excellent medical providers for their pets. What the public does not see and should see are the issues that veterinarians face that affect that level of care," Germinder says. "Veterinarians both as individuals and as a profession really can make an impact. We hope this seminar will provide them with those tools to make a difference."

Topics include how public policy affects veterinarians, how they can impact policy by working through organized medical groups and what they can do individually.

"The credibility and scientific knowledge veterinarians have helps make them effective advocates in public policy. It's a just a matter of knowing how to do it," Hochstadt adds.

The seminar also provides information on how veterinarians can team with other partners and form alliances and why they need to get involved in their communities and local issues. The speakers highlight how the media can be your friend, how to contact and work with the media and marketing through newsletters. They provide attendees with actual case studies showcasing veterinarians that were able to make a difference through action in their communities.

This three-hour session is scheduled July 17 from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m. (break from 8:30-9:00) in Room 316B at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. Attendees can register for the convention by visiting http://avmaconvention.org.