Veterinary healthcare professionals need to continuously learn about the latest in veterinary medicine in order to bring the highest quality care to their patients. The NAVC Learning Academy, a new certification-based initiative, provides the tools and knowledge to help veterinary professionals meet their continuing educational needs.<\/p>\n
In line with NAVC\u2019s mission, the Learning Academy offers world-class, highly engaging and market-relevant certification programs geared toward veterinary professionals and the veterinary community through partnerships with leading organizations and experts in the veterinary industry.<\/p>\n
The NAVC Learning Academy initially launched the Human-Animal Bond Certification, which focuses on explaining what the human-animal bond is, how it benefits human and animal health, and how veterinarians can support that bond in their practice. The program was met with a great deal of excitement and interest, serving as a catalyst to expand its offerings with two new certification programs in the areas of nutrition and veterinary business.<\/p>\n
Although the human-animal bond is a fairly new concept, nutrition has long played an integral role in veterinary medicine. \u201cThere are no current pet nutrition programs that are designed to help vet staff educate pet owners on how and why pet nutrition is so important to their pets,\u201d said Erin Weber, Project Manager, NAVC.<\/p>\n
The program\u2019s goal will be to deliver purposeful pet nutrition education for the veterinary healthcare team that empowers and enables them with a foundational understanding of the importance and application of nutrition in optimal healthcare for dogs and cats.<\/p>\n
Geared toward veterinary nurses, the program will be offered at an affordable price. Dr. Ellen Lowery, DVM, PhD, MBA and Kara Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition) will spearhead it.<\/p>\n
When asked what will make this program appealing to the veterinary professional, Dr. Lowery responded, \u201cWe are so passionate about nutrition as the fifth vital assessment and the effect it has on the health of pets. Nutrition is a cornerstone of pet health and one of the primary factors the veterinary health care team can directly influence. There will be several modules covering the pet food industry, understanding the fundamentals of pet nutrition, effective client communication and the business of pet food.\u201d<\/p>\n
A focus will be placed on engaging veterinary schools to incorporate the program into their offerings. The Nutrition Certification Program will launch simultaneously with the new Veterinary Business Leader program at VMX 2019.<\/p>\n
This program will be geared toward veterinarians and practice owners, providing educational content to help prepare veterinary professionals to effectively lead their organizations through the constantly changing veterinary environment and prepare for the future. It will hit on all functions of running a business, including strategic thinking and planning, navigating innovation and technology changes in the profession, budgetary planning, financial management, staffing and team building.<\/p>\n