The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) has expanded its certification programs to include professionals interested in receiving recognition for their managerial skills.
VHMA in January launched its Certified Veterinary Office Manager (CVOM) certificate program. It adds to the currently available Certified Veterinary Practice Managers (CVPM) program from the association.
“The CVOM program is intended to certify qualified management professionals focused on fundamental administrative office tasks, including team leadership roles,” said Christine Shupe, VHMA executive director, in an interview with AVMA News.
The new program, which was ratified by the association and its certification board, is the culmination of the association’s efforts in recent years to meet the industry’s evolving needs. The office manager certificate program involved the VHMA hiring a psychometric consultant and creating an independent task force to evaluate the needs of its members and the industry, which included a job analysis study and a survey of managers ranking over 100 management tasks.
Since the CVPM designation was created in 1989, it has become “a benchmark” and “the gold standard” for recognizing veterinary practice managers, Shupe said.
“In the last three decades, the veterinary field has evolved significantly,” she continued. “Practice sizes have grown, operations have become more sophisticated due to technological advances, and the responsibilities and tasks of hospital team members have shifted,” redefining veterinary hospital management.
For one, Shupe noted, many clinics now employ management teams rather than rely on a single individual for all managerial tasks.
“Recognizing these changes, the VHMA saw the need to offer certification to recognize another manager role within practices,” she said.
The VHMA differentiates the two roles’ varying degrees of responsibility, authority, knowledge, and education level.
According to the VHMA, a veterinary office manager’s primary focus is clerical and administrative tasks, from scheduling appointments to managing billing. A veterinary practice manager’s role is more comprehensive, potentially including overall business management and strategic planning.
The new CVOM certification requires only one year of management experience and two letters of recommendation, compared with the three years of experience and four letters, among other criteria, required for the CVPM program.
The new program, geared toward veterinary office managers along with veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants who want to enhance their skill set, was announced at the VHMA 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference this past October in Charlotte, North Carolina. Initial beta examinations are scheduled for spring.
Applications are now open for anyone interested in taking the initial CVOM beta examination, available at test centers nationwide from April 1-30. Those taking the beta version will be eligible for a $100 discount on the regular examination fee, $495 for members and $645 for nonmembers.
A new application is slated to open after April 30.