Track A: The Coordination Advantage, Part 1: Foundations of Relational Coordination in Veterinary Teams
Joanne Graham, MS, CVPM, SHRM-CP
Veterinary hospitals rely on seamless teamwork across highly interdependent roles; yet many leadership efforts focus on communication skills without addressing the underlying coordination that drives performance. This session introduces Relational Coordination (RC), a research-based framework that explains how relationship quality and communication patterns influence efficiency, engagement, and care outcomes.
Participants will gain a foundational understanding of RC and explore how coordination challenges show up in everyday hospital operations. The session emphasizes practical application, equipping leaders with simple tools to begin improving alignment, trust, and teamwork immediately.
Track B: Navigating Professional Liability Claims and Board Complaints in Veterinary Practice
Linda Ellis, DVM
Professional liability concerns are an unfortunate reality in veterinary practice and knowing how to respond can make a critical difference. This session focuses on practical risk management strategies to help veterinary professionals confidently navigate client allegations of professional negligence, malpractice claims, lawsuits, license complaints, and financial demands.
Participants will explore everyday situations that lead to adverse events and client complaints, with a special focus on communication challenges during emotionally charged interactions. The session will review when and how to report a potential or actual claim, best practices for reducing liability risk, and the essential role of clear, accurate medical records in defending against malpractice claims or Board complaints.
Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of veterinary professional liability risk management, clear guidance on what to do and what to avoid when facing a claim or complaint, and practical insight into how thorough medical record keeping can protect both the practice and the practitioner.
Track C: The Red Zone Advantage: Turning Value into Client Loyalty
Christine Saunders MSc, MPhil, CSC, CM
In a competitive veterinary market, value is what drives client loyalty and protects pricing, but most practices struggle to turn it into something actionable. This fast-paced, hands-on session shows veterinary managers how to clearly define their value and deliver it consistently, every day.
You'll learn how to operate in the Red Zone, where what matters most to clients aligns with what your practice does Unique, Better, or Best (UBB). More than a branding concept, the Red Zone is a practical service strategy that aligns your entire clinic, from the front desk and medical team to leadership and key suppliers.
Through focused instruction and guided workshop time, you'll turn your value proposition into a working framework that sharpens differentiation, aligns your team, and strengthens the client experience. You'll leave with practical tools to mobilize staff, validate your competitive strengths, and bring your most powerful advantages to the forefront of daily operations.
This session is ideal for leaders who want to protect margins, build loyalty, and move beyond "good service" to experiences that are intentional, consistent, and hard to copy.