Winter Retreat Agenda

Friday, March 1
7-7:20 pm	Welcome and Introduction Attendees will complete an Accountability Assessment that will be used to initiate discussion and group work in conjunction with lecture material on Saturday. These will be scored individually, and they will provide an average score for the entire practice team.
7:20-9:20 pm	Paw & Order: The Profession on Trial Sponsored by Merial “Paw & Order: The Profession on Trial” is an intriguing and informative look at the role of veterinary medicine in public health. The story is fiction; however, it highlights the important responsibilities of veterinarians to maintain the health of their patients, the families with which they reside, and the public. The case example uses a zoonotic parasite to illustrate some of the many diagnostic, therapeutic, and record-keeping issues inherent in everyday practice. It revolves around a central theme of standard of care. Similar concerns would apply to any zoonotic disease you might encounter in practice, including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, psittacosis, ringworm, cat scratch fever and rabies. The episode is followed by a panel discussion of the various legal and ethical considerations brought up in the video. (2.4 non-scientific CE credits)

Friday, March 1

7-7:20 pm

Welcome and Introduction
Attendees will complete an Accountability Assessment that will be used to initiate discussion and group work in conjunction with lecture material on Saturday. These will be scored individually, and they will provide an average score for the entire practice team.

7:20-9:20 pm

Paw & Order: The Profession on Trial
Sponsored by Merial
“Paw & Order: The Profession on Trial” is an intriguing and informative look at the role of veterinary medicine in public health. The story is fiction; however, it highlights the important responsibilities of veterinarians to maintain the health of their patients, the families with which they reside, and the public. The case example uses a zoonotic parasite to illustrate some of the many diagnostic, therapeutic, and record-keeping issues inherent in everyday practice. It revolves around a central theme of standard of care. Similar concerns would apply to any zoonotic disease you might encounter in practice, including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, psittacosis, ringworm, cat scratch fever and rabies. The episode is followed by a panel discussion of the various legal and ethical considerations brought up in the video. (2.4 non-scientific CE credits)

Saturday, March 2
8:30-10 am	The Importance of Strategy & Competitive Advantage This session will focus on assessing and determining which opportunities would be most advantageous for your practice, and once the opportunities are defined, how to implement a strategy that ensures you will get the “biggest bang for your buck.” The fact is, each of us faces different issues in our practices, and although there are overarching trends accompanied by recommendations and solutions for improvement, not all of these models are the right choice for every practice. In order to make the right choices, we will look at three things you must fully evaluate and understand. (1.8 non-scientific CE credits)
10-10:15 am	Break
10:15-11:45 am	Why Creating a Culture of Accountability Makes Good Cents Teamwork provides the ultimate competitive advantage in today’s marketplace, so why then does it remain so difficult to create a functional team? We will look at the economic realities of behavior and cultural issues that are not only pervasive in an overwhelming number of practices, but which destroy teamwork and erode the bottom line. This lecture will demonstrate the actual costs to a practice for having a dysfunctional team, the factors that create a dysfunctional team, and how to change the practice culture to overcome this drain on profitability. These dysfunctional components include a lack of trust, fear of conflict, avoidance of accountability, inattention to results and lack of commitment. (1.8 non-scientific CE credits)
12-1:30 pm	18th Annual Pet Hall of Fame Luncheon This annual luncheon recognizes pets who exemplify the strength and significance of the human-animal bond. Help honor these distinguished pets and marvel at their accomplishments in the categories of hero, companion and service. Included in registration.
1:45-2:15 pm	Do You Remember Your WHY? People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. This statement will be the basis for our last session of the day, as it literally takes everything we have spoken about and puts it in a perspective that will enable both leaders and teams to question their current business model. When a company is forced to compete on price, quality, services or features alone, it is very hard to differentiate for any period of time or build client loyalty on these factors alone. Not to mention it is highly stressful and can be extremely costly. Knowing your WHY is critical for lasting success and the ability to avoid being lumped in with others. (1.8 non-scientific CE credits)
2:15-3:15 pm	Team Exercise This session will pull the day’s topics together, provide each team with their survey results and teams will complete a worksheet for planning and prioritizing an approach to areas of greatest concern. (1.2 non-scientific CE credits)
3:15-3:45 pm	Break
3:45-4:45 pm	Conclusion This session provides an opportunity for teams to discuss what they have learned through the exercise and offer some of their insights and ideas to the audience. (1.2 non-scientific CE credits)
4:45-6 pm	Midwest Cremation Service of Wisconsin Reception

Sunday, March 3
8:30-11:30 am	A Team Approach to Preventive Care Plans & Other Alternative Payment Options As the author of the recently unveiled Partner’s for Healthy Pets Preventive Care Plan Toolbox, the sessions will use and refer to this material for much of the content. (2.4 non-scientific CE credits) Partners for Healthy Pets is the face of the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare™, a committee of the non-profit American Veterinary Medical Foundation that was created to ensure that pets receive the preventive healthcare they deserve through regular visits to a veterinarian. This alliance of more than 20 leading veterinary associations, including the WVMA, and animal health companies is committed to a vision of improved overall health for pets. Partners for Healthy Pets offers tools and resources to enhance the overall vitality of pets and veterinary practices, the delivery of preventive healthcare services, and communication with pet owners about the value of routine care. Session 1: This session will focus on: The reason we’re talking about preventive care plans and how they, as well as other payment options, can be a significant means for tackling declining trends in our practices Exactly what preventive care plans are and how can they meet the needs of both clients, patients and practices How to determine if preventive care plans are a fit for your practice The design elements of preventive care plans Session 2: This session looks at the nuts and bolts of the financial aspect of preventive care plans, as well as addresses some of the most common concerns including pricing, payment platforms and doctor production. Session 3: In this final session we will look at the important role of both marketing and staff training in the implementation of a successful program.

Sunday, March 3

8:30-11:30 am

A Team Approach to Preventive Care Plans & Other Alternative Payment Options
As the author of the recently unveiled Partner’s for Healthy Pets Preventive Care Plan Toolbox, the sessions will use and refer to this material for much of the content. (2.4 non-scientific CE credits)

Partners for Healthy Pets is the face of the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare™, a committee of the non-profit American Veterinary Medical Foundation that was created to ensure that pets receive the preventive healthcare they deserve through regular visits to a veterinarian. This alliance of more than 20 leading veterinary associations, including the WVMA, and animal health companies is committed to a vision of improved overall health for pets.

Partners for Healthy Pets offers tools and resources to enhance the overall vitality of pets and veterinary practices, the delivery of preventive healthcare services, and communication with pet owners about the value of routine care.
Session 1: This session will focus on:

The reason we’re talking about preventive care plans and how they, as well as other payment options, can be a significant means for tackling declining trends in our practices
Exactly what preventive care plans are and how can they meet the needs of both clients, patients and practices
How to determine if preventive care plans are a fit for your practice
The design elements of preventive care plans

Session 2: This session looks at the nuts and bolts of the financial aspect of preventive care plans, as well as addresses some of the most common concerns including pricing, payment platforms and doctor production.
Session 3: In this final session we will look at the important role of both marketing and staff training in the implementation of a successful program.