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from the editor’s desk T
Ben Williams
Vol. 29, No. 5 May 2013
trends.aahanet.org
Trends magazine aims to provide timely perspectives on the art and business of companion animal veterinary practice to all members of the practice team.
DIRECTOR Michelle Armstrong
EDITOR IN CHIEF Constance Hardesty,
constance.hardesty@aahanet.org
he May issue is the first chance we have here at Trends Headquarters to offer you some of the coverage from our yearly conference. This time, we’ve got coverage of the Trends Executive Edge session, led by longtime Trends
contributors Carolyn Shadle and John Meyer. They have writ- ten numerous communication-themed articles for us, and some of the articles formed the basis for their book, Communication Case Studies. Right outside the room in the Phoenix Convention Center
where the Trends Executive Edge was held was a large mural with accompanying text titled “Hohokam Culture Collapse.” The text described the mysterious end of the ancient Hohokam people, who lived in the Southwest for hundreds of years. It was pure coincidence that the Trends Executive Edge session was called “Clinic Culture Collapse,” but it served as an inter- esting lead for the story on the session. In this issue, we also have a profile of the Accredited Practice
of the Year winner, Macungie Animal Hospital of Macungie, Pa. At the President’s Dinner in Phoenix, I was lucky enough to chat with some of the fine people from Macungie, and it was evident that they care deeply about their AAHA accreditation and are very passionate about being the best they can be. It is an honor to be associated with them, as well as the other win- ners and finalists of AAHA’s top award. Look for a profile of the Referral Practice of the Year in an upcoming issue. This issue also contains the second part of our series on
addiction in veterinary practices. Our survey showed that well over half of those who responded have worked with an indi- vidual who was addicted to either drugs or alcohol. Interest- ingly, only 4% of respondents said they have or had a sub- stance abuse problem. Obviously the need for help is there. But as you will see from
the article, the state/provincial veterinary boards’ response to this problem ranges from very proactive (looking at you, Alberta) to nonexistent (sorry, Massachusetts). One or two arti- cles are not going to solve any problems, but maybe bringing this issue into the light can help start some conversations that can lead to real change. As always, please email me with any questions, comments or letters at
trends@aahanet.org.
—Ben Williams, Editor EDITOR Ben Williams
MANAGING EDITOR Ann Everhart PROJECT EDITOR Jenny Ivy
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kimberly Lamb GRAPHIC DESIGNER Robin Baker GRAPHIC DESIGNER Candice Edwards Advertising
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Stephanie Pates ASSOCIATE PRODUCT
MARKETING MANAGER Samantha Mulhern
Trends, American Animal Hospital Association 12575 West Bayaud Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone: 303-986-2800 | Fax: 303-986-1700 | Email:
trends@aahanet.org
Journal Highlights Abstracts of the current issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (JAAHA) are reprinted with the permission of JAAHA. For JAAHA masthead information, editorial review board, authors’ guidelines and subscription information, see the online publication at
www.aahanet.org or
www.jaaha.org.
Subscriptions Trends is mailed to all AAHA members without extra charge as a member benefit ($15 of member dues is for subscription). Annual nonmember subscriptions: $60 (U.S., Canada); $70 (other countries). Single copies $20. To subscribe, call 800-883-6301.
Postmaster Trends magazine® (ISSN 1062-8266) is published twelve times per year (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December) by the American Animal Hospital Association, 12575 West Bayaud Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80228. Periodicals postage paid at Denver, CO, and at additional mailing offices. Canadian Post Agreement Number 40041253; send change-of-address information and blocks of undeliverable copies to PO Box 1051, Fort Erie, ON L2A 6C7. Printed in the USA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Trends, 12575 West Bayaud Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80228.
Publication in this magazine of any advertisement, article, product information, or other information or data does not necessarily imply that the American Animal Hospital Association endorses or approves the advertiser, the product, the service or the authors’ viewpoints. The information presented is intended to help you make good decisions, but it is not a replacement for appropriate financial, legal or other advice. Neither this publication nor AAHA in any way endorses or guarantees the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the facts, views, opinions, recommendations, information or statements contained in this publication. In addition, nothing within these pages should be construed as an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any investment items. Readers are urged to consult their attorneys, accountants and other advisors on all practice- related decisions. No part of this issue may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. The sole exception is made for veterinary practices, which may make a limited number of copies for use within the practice. For all other uses, including all uses by commercial entities, please contact Ann Everhart, permissions@
aahanet.org. AAHA shall not be held liable for adverse reactions to or damage resulting from the application of this information or any misstatement or error contained in this work. AAHA shall be held harmless from any and all claims that may arise as a result of any reliance on the information provided.
©2013 American Animal Hospital Association. All rights reserved. Cover image: Phil Ashley/Getty Images
Trends magazine, May 2013
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