SESSIONS START JANUARY 2018

Designed to cultivate leadership, communication, and business skills with real-world learning experiences, MVMA's POTL Academy will give participants the information they need to explore who they are in both their community and profession. 

Beginning in January 2018, the 2018 Power of Ten Leadership Academy will provide ten fairly recent graduates with an opportunity to meet industry experts during four one-day and one two-day overnight session. Dates are as follows:

Session 1: January 27-28, 2018 during the Michigan Veterinary Conference
Session 2: Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at the MVMA Office in Okemos
Session 3: Tuesday, September 16, 2018 at the State Capitol, Downtown Lansing
Session 4: Monday, November 19, 2018 during MVMA's Animal Welfare Conference

Participants will receive full tuition scholarships to the program; meals and hotel accomodations (during the first session) are also provided free of charge.

Apply now - space is limited!

Generously Sponsored by

Funds are available now for West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) diagnostic testing for suspect equine. This free service encourages owners to test suspect animals and help detect mosquito-borne diseases earlier, protecting the health of other animals and people in the area. If veterinarians have equine that have developed or recently died from a sudden onset of neurologic signs and the owner approves of pursuing testing, they should contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Animal Industry Division at 800-292-3939.

The funding covers the testing cost of samples taken from live or deceased animals (blood, cerebral spinal fluid, or brain samples). The samples will be tested by Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL). Shipping to VDL is not covered. Additionally, if a brain sample is submitted, it will also be tested for rabies virus for free.

Animal Industry Division staff will work with the veterinarian to gather all necessary information and must approve all testing prior to submission. The veterinarian will be notified of the results when they are available.

To date in 2017, Michigan has had three cases of West Nile virus. The three cases were as follows: a 31-year-old Arabian mare from Jackson County, an eight-year-old Arabian gelding from Livingston County and a 15-year-old Standardbred gelding from Missaukee County. All three horses developed severe neurologic signs.

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September 13, 2017: Dr. Nick Nelson, Practice Management
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Topics covered will include:

• Client Recruitment and Retention
• Employee Management
• Financial Management and Budgeting
• Dealing with Changes in Veterinary Medicine

October 4, 2017: Dr. Robert Kennis, Dermatology
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Topics covered will include:

• Allergic Skin Disease: New Treatments
• Skin Manifestations of Internal Issues
• Immune-Mediated Skin Disease

November 1, 2017: Dr. David Wilkie, Ophthalmology
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Topics covered will include:

• Diagnostic Examination: Ophthalmology for Idiots
• Eyelids, Conjunctiva, Third Eyelid: Keep it Simple
• Cornea: 0.5mm Is All You Get
• The Anterior Segment: Lens, Uveitis, and Glaucoma - ALL THE RED STUFF

December 6, 2017: Dr. Angela Lennox, Exotics
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Topics covered will include:

• Small Mammal Dentistry
• E. Cuniliculi
• Feather Destructive Behavior
• Anesthesia and Analgesia
• Minimum Requirements to See Exotics

March 7, 2018: Dr. Steve Thompson, Geriatrics
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Topics covered will include:

• Senior Behavior
• Managing Comorbidities
• Hospice Care

April 4, 2018: Dr. Tammy Grubb, Anesthesia & Pain Management
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Topics covered will include:

• Pain Management
• Balanced Anesthesia
• Regional and Local Anesthesia
• New Drugs
• Multimodal Analgesia

This Event is Generously Sponsored by

If you would like to register online, you must register for each seminar individually. This not only increases the accuracy of CE tracking, it also ensures you receive the correct confirmation information. Please contact us registrations@michvma.org with questions. 

On March 15, 2016, Governor Snyder signed Public Acts 47 and 49 into law requiring continuing medical education (CME) for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.   Here is MVMA's understanding of what will occur: 

When will mandatory CME take affect?

Veterinarians:  Beginning in 2020, an applicant for a veterinarian license renewal who held a license for the 3-year period immediately preceding the expiration date of the license shall have earned, within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the application, 45 hours of approved continuing education. 

Veterinary Technicians:  Beginning in 2020, an applicant for a veterinarian technician license renewal shall have earned, within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of the application, 15 hours of approved continuing education. 

How much CME will veterinarians and veterinary technicians need in order to comply with the law?

Veterinarians will be required to complete 45 hours of CME every 3 years and veterinary technicians will be required to complete 15 hours every 3 years. 

How often will I need to renew my license?

License renewals for veterinarians and veterinary technicians will occur every 3 years. Previously licenses were renewed every 2 years. 

What will the new fees be and when will they be implemented?

The new veterinarian fees will be $70 per year and veterinary technicians will be $20 per year when fully implemented. No fee increases will occur until the CME program is implemented. 

What will be counted as approved CME?

There are no mandates or specific CME subject matter in the new law. Consequently, the Michigan Board of Veterinary Medicine is working to determine the rules. MVMA submitted suggestions to the Board of Veterinary Medicine in May of 2016 that they have considered. A draft document is currently going through the legal process for the State of Michigan, and a Public Comment period is now anticipated in the fall. MVMA will notify members when more information is available. The current draft rules approved by the Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR) for the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Bureau of Professional Licensing are located at: 

Veterinarian rules: http://w3.lara.state.mi.us/orr/Files/ORR/1696_2017-019LR_orr-draft.pdf

Veterinary technician rules: http://w3.lara.state.mi.us/orr/Files/ORR/1697_2017-020LR_orr-draft.pdf 

MVMA’s understanding from LARA is that it does not do any good to submit suggestions to the ORR at this point.  In order for suggestions to be considered, they must be submitted to the promulgating department during the public comment period which will likely be in the fall. The state hopes to get the administrative rules through the entire process by year end.

MVMA as an entity will submit comments during the public comment period which will include recommending that both MSU CVM and “local, state or regional professional organizations” be added to R338.4933, Rule 33(2) under Activity Code A.  This would make any and all CME put on by these groups count toward the hours needed. 

Will MVMA be providing additional CME options to help members comply?

Absolutely! In addition to increasing the number of in-person educational opportunities and webinars, MVMA now has an online CE portal available exclusively to members. On our portal, there are over 1,187 courses you can choose from, with over 641 that are completely free. In addition, the portal will track your CE and you can even enter it from external sources to track your compliance. If you have not already created an account and would like to take advantage of this new member benefit, you can access the portal by logging in with your MVMA login information. If you need assistance, please contact us at mvma@michvma.org. 

MVMA will keep members posted as more information becomes available.

The Michigan Veterinary Medical Association is always on the lookout for the best interests of our members and we understand that credit card processing is a critical part of your business. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Heartland Payment Systems to provide the highest level of service with fair, fully disclosed pricing and to provide a solution to your concerns when it comes to payment processing.

Here are some of the key points of how Heartland can benefit your practice:

Comprehensive Breach Warranty - Heartland Secure, our credit card processing security technology, covers your practice with a comprehensive breach warranty. In the unlikely event that you experience a credit card breach while using a Heartland Secure certified device, we will pay for losses, fines and fees that result from a card data breach.

Interchange Plus Pricing and Rate Guarantee – At Heartland, transparency drives

everything we do. That’s why we offer Interchange-Plus pricing—giving you full disclosure into how much you’re paying us and how much goes to the card brands. This protects you from arbitrary price increases and ensures that you receive the full benefit of cost reductions, such as the Durbin Amendment savings.

Local, Personal Consultation – A local, Michigan based Relationship Manager will meet with you personally to learn your practice and present a solution custom tailored to your needs.

Fast Customer Care – Heartland delivers best-in-class customer service. Our U.S.-based

service center provides live customer support 24/7/365, with calls answered in less than 10 seconds on average. Heartland doesn’t use a ticket system that requires waiting for a resolution. A customer advocate immediately addresses your inquiries.

Mobile Payments — With technology continuing to change the face of commerce, you likely need the ability to take your business anywhere. Unlike other mobile payment solutions that hold funds up to 30 days for various reasons, we fund our customers the same as if they are processing transactions in their store—so you’ll be funded faster.

Gift and Loyalty Programs – With our fully customizable gift card and rewards/loyalty

programs, you can increase the amount of customers you’re bringing in, while reducing the amount of payment fees going out.

InfoCentral – Heartland’s secure online reporting tool makes it easy to manage day-to-day activities such as batches, funding, pulling reports and managing disputes.

For more information on how Heartland can help your practice, or to set an appointment with one of Heartland’s Michigan based Relationship Managers, please contact Patrick Murphy at (603) 387-3493 or patrick.murphy@e-hps.com. Now is the time to see how Heartland can help you. We value your support of the MVMA and are happy to assist you!

Traditionally, the accounting methods of individual veterinary practices are as diverse as the owners themselves. Times are changing … and for the better. Through a partnership, led by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), Veterinary Management Groups (VMG), VetPartners, and the Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association (VHMA), individual veterinarians now have access to a free, powerful finance tool. Working with VMG, AAHA’s previously ‘member’s only’ Chart of Accounts, was revised and expanded. The AAHA/VMG Chart of Accounts is now available and free to all veterinarians.

“We are thrilled to provide the AAHA/VMG Chart of Accounts for free as a benefit to the veterinary profession,” said AAHA Chief Executive Officer, Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (C/F) Emeritus. “By using an apple-to-apples comparison of productivity, costs, and profitability, veterinarians can better assess the financial health of individual hospitals and the industry as a whole.”

The human dental and medical professions have long recognized that a lack of standardization in their practitioners’ charts of accounts, diagnostic codes and procedures served as an impediment to success, individual and professional.

“Standardization of the veterinary chart of accounts is crucial in gathering data essential to strengthening practice profitability, individual financial wellbeing and enhancing the veterinary workforce as a whole,” said Link Welborn, DVM, DABVP, CCRT, the former chair of the AVMA’s Veterinary Economic Strategy Committee (VESC), past president of AAHA and president of VMG .

The AVMA tasked its VESC with bringing the profession together to facilitate collaboration necessary to improve business knowledge, acumen and financial success. As a result, the AVMA- VESC initiated the profession-wide Economic Advisory Research Council (EARC). Through the development of partnerships and collaboration, the EARC is working toward organizing and efficiently using the veterinary profession’s scarce resources. As their first task, the EARC initiated a standardized chart of accounts, which would be free to all veterinarians.

“As a trusted partner, the AVMA is committed to working in partnership with colleagues to develop programs that will help every veterinarian meet their professional and personal goals, whether they are just graduating from veterinary school or looking toward retirement,” said AVMA President Dr. Tom Meyer.

As a high-value financial-management resource, AAHA/VMG Chart of Accounts is the cornerstone of the broader economic initiative. It is the first of many new resources to come from this collaboration.

The AVMA, VetPartners, and the VHMA have endorsed AAHA/VMG Chart of Accounts as the industry standard for classifying revenue, expense, and balance sheet accounts in the small-animal veterinary practice. They will allow practitioners to better organize their practice’s finances in line with generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, AAHA recommends all accounting firms working with veterinary practices adopt the standardized codes.

For more information, contact Sharon Granskog, AVMA, at (847) 285-6619 or sgranskog@avma.org. Or contact Kate Wessels, AAHA, at (720) 616-1783 or kate.wessels@aaha.org.

Saturday, October 14, 2017 • Veterinary Medical Center • College of Veterinary Medicine • Michigan State University

Online Registration Coming Soon!
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Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Michigan July 23-25, 2017

Would you like to attend a fun CE event that’s worth driving across the state or flying in from far away? Then join us at Grand Hotel for great speakers and awesome social events! We’ve added more CE than ever before so you won’t want to miss it!

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Make Your Hotel Reservation Now

The Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH), part of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will now be the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU VDL).  This name change, effective June 1, 2017, will better communicate the function and mission of the unit. The decision to pursue the change was made with the input of laboratory clients, stakeholders, and employees.

 “At our heart, we are a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. We are happy to announce this name change, which we feel will better resonate with current and prospective clients, as well as our government and animal health community stakeholders,” says Rachel Reams, director. “We will continue providing our clients with the quality diagnostics they rely on to make critical decisions about the treatment of animals entrusted to their care. At the same time, we remain committed to build and expand our partnerships in the area of One Health.”

In March 2017, the VDL was promoted to a Level 1 laboratory in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). NAHLN is a nationally coordinated network of federal, state, and university-associated laboratories that provide animal health diagnostic testing to detect biological threats to the nation’s food animals, thus protecting animal health, public health, and the nation’s food supply.

The MSU VDL, a service unit in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is a premier, full-service, fully accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory for all species. On average, the lab performs one million tests per year on approximately 180,000 cases for more than 300,000 animals. The MSU VDL is a member of key federal networks charged with protecting human and animal health, and their core diagnostics, innovative solutions, and expert service have earned them clients in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and more than 20 foreign countries. The lab serves approximately 7,000 clients per year. 

Visit their website here: https://www.animalhealth.msu.edu/