VHMA Stategic Plan
A strategic plan serves as a “roadmap” for an organization. It provides direction, clarity, and a framework for leadership and management. It guides the Board of Directors and committees in achieving goals and allocating resources. It informs members and allied organizations about the association. Combined, the mission, vision, and values statements make up the public image of the association.
The VHMA Board of Directors met in February 2008 for their annual strategic planning meeting. As a result of this year’s meeting, the board amended our mission statement, proposed the following vision and value statements, and set the following four goals as priorities for the next several years. Below is a brief synopsis of the result of this year’s meeting.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association is to enhance and serve professionals in veterinary management through superior education, certification, and networking.
Vision Statement
VHMA: The premier resource for facilitating career success and practice prosperity.
Values Statement
VHMA adheres to a code of ethics and the following principles for governance and management:
- Promoting excellence and integrity.
- Collaborating to benefit the profession.
- Providing highly relevant information and content.
- Dedicating resources to continuously enhancing the profession.
- Facilitating collegiality and camaraderie.
Goals for 2008 - 2010+:
I) Knowledge and Education - Provide relevant programs, conferences, publications, and data to facilitate member success.
a) Conferences
i) Continue to offer and develop relevant, superior conference programming.
ii) Set performance measures for each conference.
iii) Utilize Program Committee to achieve the objectives for each conference.
b) Web site
i) Utilize to collect, archive, and deliver meaningful forms, templates, samples, etc.
ii) Offer education online (streaming video, webinars, etc.).
c) Employers’ Guide to Manager Competencies
i) Repackage the task analysis for use as a hiring and capabilities guide.
ii) Use technology to create an online flow chart of qualifications, competencies, and related compensation
(i.e., salary calculator).
d) Personal Knowledge Assessment
i) Develop online tool for personal knowledge assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses, promote the certification
prep-course/study guide, and use as a pre-employment assessment tool.
e) Certification
i) Support the CVPM Board to create a certification study manual.
ii) Offer CVPM only roundtable sessions at meetings and conferences.
f) Books, Publications, and DVDs.
i) Transform speaker presentations and existing data into format of books and DVDs
ii) Develop products with value to all aspects of the profession, positioning VHMA as a highly regarded resource.
iii) Generate operating income from the products.
iv) Suggest appointment of a subcommittee of the Program Committee to strategically develop knowledge-based products.
g) Future Focus of the Profession
i) Appoint a task force project to assemble data and forecast a report on future needs relating to education,
demographics, and technology for the successful veterinary management professional.
ii) Include questions that query about future needs in existing evaluations and surveys.
iii) Work with allied organizations to acquire similar trend reports in the industry.
h) Practice Setting Success
i) Identify how CVPMs and VHMA members impact the success and prosperity of practices.
ii) Identify benchmarks that distinguish practices with and without professional managers.
i) Salary Survey
i) Enhance the data of the survey.
ii) Position the survey as a tool for increasing value.
iii) Collaborate with similar national surveys.
iv) Consider resources on, “How to Negotiate Salary.”
II) Membership Growth, Benefits, and Services - Provide benefits and services that support recruitment and retention of members.
a) Membership Growth
i) Increase VHMA total membership to 2010 by the end of 2010.
a) Identify and target under-represented areas of North America (i.e., U.S., West Coast).
b) Strategically recruit and retain members from “elite” practice settings.
ii) Create and update membership application.
iii) Rotate conference and meeting sites with intent of taking meetings to the members (decentralization).
iv) Identify developing specialties and segments of the profession to ensure they are represented in VHMA
(i.e., emergency practices).
a) Survey specialty segments to determine their unique needs and desired association services.
b) Collaborate with other organizations to create programs to serve the specialty segments.
c) Develop specialized educational tracks for emerging specialties.
d) Offer specialty round-tables.
b) Chapter Relations
i) Review the value, operation, and liabilities for developing related local chapters; considering accounting, insurance, and
legal ramifications.
ii) If appropriate, implement a network of related chapters starting in 2010.
c) Membership Involvement
i) Set a performance measure for engaging a minimum percentage of members in volunteer activities, such as: conferences,
committee service, and chapter involvement.
ii) Periodically survey members for needs and satisfaction in VHMA, especially inactive members.
III) Industry and Public Awareness - Communicate the roles of importance of the association and its members to the veterinary profession.
a. Alliances and Collaboration
i) Position VHMA to be a resource for conference management education to allied organizations.
a) Utilize CVPMs as a speakers’ bureau.
b) Ensure consistent, clear messages communicated on behalf of VHMA.
ii) Attend and/or exhibit at allied conferences.
iii) Identify projects and allies to enhance VHMA’s data collection and services.
b. Public Relations
i) Promote the new mission, vision, values, and goals to members and the profession.
ii) Promote the NOCA accreditation and importance.
iii) Maintain trade and consumer press lists for quick communications as issues arise.
c. Awards
i) Develop a “Transforming the Practice” award recognizing the practice undergoing the
greatest improvement after hiring a VHMA member and/or CVPM.
IV) Association Operations - Maintain a highly effective governing board, professional management, and organizational structure.
a. Finances
i) Advance the policy goal of establishing a reserve contingency fund equal to one year’s gross operating income.
ii) Diversify revenue streams, especially packaging education and data for sale to the industry.
iii) Clarify the association’s audit policy in regards to the new IRS requirement.
b. Committees
i) Create processes to facilitate highly effective committees that serve to advance the mission and strategic goals.
ii) Engage more members through committee participation.
iv) Utilize task forces for short-term projects and increase involvement of members.
v) Use technology (Web meetings, Web site posting) to facilitate committee meetings and reports.
c. Board of Directors
i) Review policy on board expense reimbursement and make recommendation.
ii) Develop a VHMA Board Leadership Manual.
d. Management
i) Ensure that management and staffing is adequate for the growth and expansion of the
association.
e. VHMA Foundation
i) Study feasibility for creating a foundation for purpose of receiving gifts and apply for grants.
|
