The responsibilities and expertise of the modern veterinary practice manager continue to evolve.

Not long ago, the veterinary practice manager role was often an afterthought. The job title might have gone to the hospital owner’s spouse, the longest-standing technician, or the receptionist who showed the most initiative. Training was informal, the role was poorly defined and there was no clear path forward for those looking to take on a management position or advance their skills and knowledge.

Over the years, practice managers have transformed their informal roles into a formal profession, gaining a sense of community and purpose. As essential members of the veterinary leadership team, managers are central to practice decisions, impacting everything from team morale to financial health.

This shift has been driven by several key trailblazers – veterinary professionals who saw potential in the job and reshaped it into a career that offered the chance to make a real impact. Certified veterinary practice manager (CVPM), consultant, and speaker Andrea Crabtree is one of these individuals.

Crabtree remembers coming up in the role before a formal path existed. “I knew I didn’t want to go to veterinary school, but I also knew I wanted to work in veterinary medicine,” she said. “I became a practice manager within two or three years of being in veterinary medicine. But at the time, practice managers were the owner’s wife or the RVT who had been there the longest. Managers weren’t a thing.”

With an undergraduate degree in pre-veterinary studies under her belt, Crabtree had some background in the field. But when she looked for master’s programs and courses geared toward practice management, she couldn’t find them – most were focused on agricultural or farm needs. When she learned about the CVPM program, she jumped at the opportunity to obtain education focused on her job.

Crabtree now consults with managers and hospitals across North America. Although she’s happy with the progress she has seen throughout her career, she knows there is still work to be done to keep the profession moving forward.

Defining the practice manager role

The veterinary practice manager’s role defies simple definition, highlighted by the fact that the VHMA outlines dozens of core responsibilities for practice managers. The job is demanding, often thankless, and frequently misunderstood.

Crabtree noted that although managers play a role in most hospital activity, most of the job involves managing people, so much so that after completing her CVPM, she obtained an additional credential in human resources.

“We wear so many hats. And, practices run on people,” said Crabtree. “We can bury our heads in the financials, but if our teams aren’t running smoothly, it doesn’t matter how healthy the P&L statement looks.”

According to Crabtree, managers are wired differently from veterinary professionals involved in animal care. Therefore, promoting the head veterinary technician to practice manager isn’t always the best decision. Caregivers are empathetic, but business isn’t.

“Veterinarians are emotionally wired to help people and animals,” said Crabtree. “They’re empathetic by nature. But sometimes that gets taken advantage of. So, I have to be the voice of the business. I have to say, ‘Here’s the financial risk. Here’s the compliance risk. Here’s what the team needs.’ It’s my job to take the emotions out of it and give them the full picture.”

The evolution of practice management

While the practice manager’s role is better understood, it’s still evolving.

Ten years ago, few people knew what a certified practice manager was. Today, there are approximately 1,000 CVPMs. While this marks progress, it also means that only a fraction of the estimated 35,000 U.S. veterinary hospitals employ a CVPM.

“It’s a little crack in the foundation,” remarked Crabtree. “It’s not a 7.0 earthquake, but it’s a start. People now call me for interviews because I have a CVPM. Ten years ago, they wouldn’t have even known what that was.”

The last decade has seen a push toward increased professionalism and visibility. While practice managers were once considered paraprofessionals, they have established a true profession indispensable to clinic operations.

As the role evolves, Crabtree believes it should also become more specialized. “Just like RVTs can get VTS [veterinary technician specialist] credentials in anesthesia or dentistry, why can’t practice managers specialize too?” she said. “I joke that I’m a VTS in HR. Some managers specialize in finance. Others are compliance gurus. We should recognize that.”

Another significant change in the field has been a shift from competition to collaboration and community. Crabtree is part of a close-knit group of colleagues in her local area, and she sees managers across the country coming together to support one another through forums, Facebook groups, conferences, and even nonprofit organizations.

“When I started, we didn’t share anything,” said Crabtree. “Not protocols, not pricing, not even ideas. It was every practice for itself. Now? We have manager networks across Southern California. We meet monthly. We host CE. We support each other’s projects. One of our managers started a nonprofit called GrandPaws that delivers pet food to seniors who receive Meals on Wheels, so we all chip in and drive trucks full of food to each other’s clinics. We made it into a real community.”

That community is one of the most promising signs of the profession’s future. Instead of working in isolation, more managers now participate in collaborative peer networks that support innovation and reduce burnout.

Becoming a practice manager ally

Distributor representatives and practice managers must develop close working relationships for each to succeed in their roles. Representatives who understand the full scope of their practice managers’ daily struggles are better positioned to build those relationships. Crabtree pointed out that her practice’s representatives are some of her closest friends, and they’ve been critical to her success.

“I can’t function without them,” she said. “I talk to them regularly. They know what I do. I know what they do. I recommend their services, and they don’t just come in and drop off tacos. They bring me ideas. They bring me tools. They help me build better teams.”

She encourages business representatives to bring more than products to the table. A good representative understands the pulse of the clinic and where they fit into it, and a great one becomes a trusted resource for ideas, leadership and professional support.

“Schedule an appointment so you don’t show up at a bad time,” Crabtree recommended. “Ask what we need. If you have a cool idea you learned at your company’s sales meeting, share it. If your HR team did something fun, tell me about it. We’re always looking for ways to support our staff, and you have access to resources we don’t.”

Crabtree also encouraged representatives to treat the relationship as a two-way street where honesty is the best policy. Reps and practice managers can help each other, beyond simply selling or buying products. “Tell me what you need,” she said. “If you need face time with the practice owner, let me know, and I’ll make it happen. When I need something from you, I’ll let you know.”

Looking ahead

The practice manager role will continue to grow and evolve. In many ways, practice managers still fight for visibility in their hospitals and the broader veterinary community, but Crabtree has high hopes for the future.

“We’ve changed the role and shifted it away from this isolated practice into a community of professionals,” she said. “And now, I have a seat at the table and am well-respected for being a CVPM.”

What does a practice manager do?

Practice managers do much more than make the weekly schedule. They are involved in every aspect of a practice’s success, including:

Human resources – Hire, train, administer benefits, resolve conflicts, conduct reviews and comply with labor laws.
Finances – Budget, forecast, set prices, manage payroll and accounting, interpret reports and track key performance indicators.
Compliance and risk – Comply with OSHA, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and state and federal veterinary board requirements and minimize legal risks from interactions with clients or employees.
Operations and inventory – Monitor efficiency, order and manage inventory, maintain medical records and IT systems and coordinate equipment maintenance.
Marketing and branding – Develop the hospital’s brand, manage social media, analyze client feedback and run marketing and retention campaigns.
Strategic planning – Contribute to big-picture planning of growth, staffing, workflows and service expansion.

Connecting with practice managers

Get to know practice managers and network with other industry professionals by becoming involved in local and national organizations, such as:

Local practice manager groups
FurPaws Consulting: furpawsconsulting.com
Veterinary Hospital Managers Association: vhma.org
VetPartners: vetpartners.org

Photo credit:

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Redefining the Role