President’s Message
IVMA President
Dr. Hilary Christner
Greetings,
As I write this, the sun is shining and the sky is a crisp blue – a gorgeous fall day. I know that inside most veterinary hospitals around Indiana, you are busy and overwhelmed with the volume of cases, the continued challenges of running a business, and finding and retaining a top rate staff.
The IVMA Board of Directors continues to assess the landscape of veterinary practice for our members. The Board has spent time at its last two board meetings reviewing the challenges and the opportunities. Because of this, the Board is pleased to introduce two new programs to assist IVMA members.
First, the IVMA has contracted with MyGroup to offer all IVMA members a Member Assistance Program (MAP). This program offers help for personal and/or professional concerns by providing FREE, confidential, short-term counseling and personal consultation. Additionally, the MAP provides work-life resources for such issues as legal and financial consultations, online learning, and resources. There is no cost to you for your phone calls or face-to-face visits with the MAP.
Practice Management
You are already doing Telemedicine!
What is telemedicine anyway?
It took us a while to realize it in our practice. We were already spending time doing telemedicine. Telemedicine is any use of technology to perform functions of healthcare diagnosis, prescribing, and/or communication. This includes, but is not limited to, phone calls, email, text messaging, video calls.
Here are two things to remember most as you read through this….
1. You are already doing telemedicine.
2. You can structure it to suit you.
How many times do you respond to a text? Or an email? Interpreting pictures or videos? Advising on specific problems with your unique knowledge?
If you answered yes to any of these, you are already doing telemedicine. You may simply start invoicing for this time as a telemedicine.
Veterinary Medicine
IVMA Partner Clinic Program
The IVMA Partner Clinic Program is an initiative created by the IVMA Board of Directors in March 2021. The program is designed to provide a framework for engagement with veterinary clinics in a variety of practice types and locations from around the state to be a touch-point for the pulse of veterinary medicine in Indiana. The purpose of the IVMA Partner Clinic Program is to identify and engage IVMA veterinary hospitals and veterinarians around the state to identify emerging issues, challenges, and opportunities in veterinary medicine in Indiana.
Why Participate?
Benefits for Partner Clinics
• Assist IVMA in understanding the challenges and opportunities for veterinary medicine in Indiana.
Member Resources
Membership Assistance Program (MAP)
The IVMA Board of Directors, at their June 2021 board meeting, voted to approve adding an INCREDIBLE new member benefit for all IVMA members – and your immediate household members!
The IVMA is pleased to add the Membership Assistance Program (MAP). The IVMA has partnered with McLaughlin Young Group, an independent provider of MAP services. There is no enrollment required and you are eligible to use the MAP through McLaughlin Young(Mygroup) as a current IVMA member.
The MAP offers help for personal and/or professional concerns by providing FREE, confidential, short-term counseling and personal consultation. Additionally, the MAP provides work-life resources for such issues as legal and financial consultations, online learning, and resources.
There is no cost to you for your phone calls or face-to-face visits with the MAP. The Indiana Veterinary Medical Association covers all expenses for this program.