By Jo-ell Carson, Executive Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association
Writing this article breaks my heart. Every bone in my body wants to continue bringing members together in person. Our summer outdoor events have been wonderful. Members have been reconnecting and having fun while gaining CE credits.
However, as I prepared to sign final contracts and make financial commitments for our indoor events, I couldn’t help but look at the havoc caused by the Delta variant. Masking mandates have come back. Vaccine mandates are being put in place. Safety is again in question, regardless of vaccination status. The listserv of my counterparts is filled daily with executive directors trying to determine the best course of action for their indoor fall and winter events. Should they cancel? Should they require proof of vaccination? Can they pivot and move online?
The safe answer is to move online. While I may not like it, I believe it is the best decision given the information we currently have. While I want to lament, we have instead turned our attention to how to deliver CE Palooza to members in the best manner possible.
These are the goals of CE Palooza—the Online Version:
• A minimum of 20 live one-hour webinars
• Participants will have the option to register for one, a few or all CE Palooza webinars
• Webinars will be in the evenings from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and Dec. 7-9
• Webinars will be recorded and offered on demand for later viewing
• Topics will include small and large animal
• A minimum of 12 CE credits will be available for each small and large animal
• A 10% discount on CE Palooza webinars will be given to those who renew their 2022 WVMA membership before
November 15
The WVMA is in the process of reaching back out to our speakers and sponsors about the new format. As we have updates, we will announce them via email. We will keep the schedule updated on wvma.org/ce-palooza.
Renewals for 2022 memberships are available when you sign into wvma.org. You will receive an email with your username and password during the first full week of October. (Please check your spam folder if you don’t receive the email).
Registration for CE Palooza will open November 16 on wvma.org/ce-events. Members who have renewed their 2022 WVMA membership will receive the discount code for all CE Palooza webinars on the same day.
To our members in the Northwest area of the state—we haven’t forgotten about you. While the Coulee Region Reconnect the Vets won’t happen in October, you will be our first location when in person is back in style.
Although we have to change plans for now, it won’t be forever. CE Palooza won’t look quite how we had planned, but it will bring you high-value education before the end of the biennium. And the WVMA will be cooking up new ways to offer connections in 2022.