Mark Opperman: "A sad event"

It's an end of an era, and few seem to know it or are acknowledging it.

Veterinary Economics [in print] is no more after December. [The magazine is moving its veterinary business content online to dvm360.com and mixed with medicine in the new print magazine Vetted.] To me, this is a very sad event.

I have had the honor of writing in Veterinary Economics over three decades (yes, hard to believe). I have worked with such amazing editors as John Velardo, Becky Turner Chapman, Marnette Falley and Brendan Howard. I know we've touched a lot of lives over the years. People are always coming up to me at seminars and writing me emails to inquire about something we've published.

Hopefully we've made veterinarians more business-minded, empowered them to value their professional services and teams, and helped to create an entire new profession of Certified Veterinary Practice Managers. I remember the first article I ever wrote was about a nonveterinarian managing a 90-employee, 14-doctor, 24-hour veterinary hospital. It was unheard of! A non-DVM managing a veterinary practice-that was very newsworthy in 1980.

So, today's the end of an era. The printed version of Veterinary Economics goes into the archives and the electronic version springs to life. I welcome the new, but will miss the old.

Thank you, Veterinary Economics, for having such an amazing impact on me, this profession and so many lives. I'll miss getting you in the mail every month.

Mark Opperman, CVPM, is owner of VMC Inc., a veterinary consulting firm based in Evergreen Colorado.