Central Line: The AAHA Podcast

Empowering Independent Veterinary Practices with Bonnie Bragdon, DVM, MS

According to Bonnie Bragdon, DVM, MS, co-founder and president of the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association (IVPA), there’s plenty of room for both independent and corporate practices in veterinary medicine. But, she says, creating success as an independent practice owner means knowing who you are, what your mission is, and how you can create a workplace that leverages your independence to keep your team feeling valued.  
Stay tuned this December for a special booklet created with our partner, CareCredit—it'll be packed with information for independent practice owners and aspiring owners from industry leaders, including Bonnie. You’ll find it online and packaged with your December issue of Trends magazine. 
Mentioned in this episode:  
Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association (IVPA)
Find Bonnie on LinkedIn
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego THIS MONTH—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Three Minutes of Screaming Terror: Changing Your Relationship with Stress | Rebecca Heiss, PhD

“Stress can be a barometer for how much you care,” according to Rebecca Heiss, PhD. Rebecca may not be a veterinarian, but she’s married to one—so she’s had a front row seat to a lot of the challenges faced by veterinary professionals. Rebecca herself is a researcher, author, and professional speaker, and she’ll be delivering the keynote at AAHA Con next month. We can’t get enough of Rebecca’s infectious enthusiasm for her subject matter: STRESS. How to live with it, how to channel it, and how to keep it from taking over your brain (and your exam room, and your email inbox)… and why a LACK of stress made her stop climbing trees for a living.  
 
Find Rebecca’s book, courses, and more at rebeccaheiss.com. If you’d like more info on the studies she mentions in this episode, send us an email and we’ll get you what you need!  
 
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con, where you can catch Rebecca in her element on the main stage! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
 
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
 
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Community Is Key to Longevity in Vet Med with Aaron Davis

According to Aaron Davis, director of employee and community engagement at Destination Pet and Pathway program director with blendvet, “Self care is amazing, but we also need to talk about community care.” Fighting tech glitches and a yet-to-be-named case of COVID, Aaron and Katie chat about the community they’ve found in veterinary medicine and why it’s become so essential to them both personally and professionally.  
Mentioned in this episode:  
AAHA Community
BlackDVM Network
Latinx Veterinary Medical Association
Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association
PrideVMC
Uncharted Veterinary Conference
Aaron’s Instagram account, @aaronandtheanimals - you can also find him on LinkedIn
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon. And if you’re in southern CA, you can sign up as a volunteer for blendvet’s Pathway event, even if you can’t make it to the conference.  
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org.
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

For Veterinary Professionals with Disabilities, Telehealth Can Be a Gift with Jess Trimble, DVM

Telehealth isn’t a new conversation anymore, and it’s certainly still controversial—but Jess Trimble, DVM, chief veterinary officer at Anipanion, has lots of reasons to be optimistic about its role in the future of vet med. Jess has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder that has made traditional clinical work impossible. For her, telehealth isn’t just about accessibility, education, and peace of mind for clients; it’s about allowing more professionals in all roles to stay active within the veterinary community. 
Jess shares how EDS has changed how she’s looked at her profession, her colleagues, and her clients, where she sees telehealth already making a big difference in connecting clients and pets in need with vet professionals who can help, and why the buzz about VCPR actually doesn’t affect a whole lot of what we can do with virtual care.  
Find free CE and lots more at ce.anipanion.com, and connect with Jess on Linkedin.  
We have no plant resources for you. Katie just isn’t that person.  
A brand new Telehealth Guidelines Certificate course, developed by Jess and AAHA’s Chief Medical Officer, Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, will be available soon from AAHA Learning! 
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

**Encore** | Empowering Veterinary Technicians to Advocate for Their Patients – and Themselves with Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia)

Please enjoy this encore presentation of our previously released episode and stay tuned as the Central Line Podcast will be back with a new episode next Tuesday.We’ve got pain on the brain around here, thanks to the release of the 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats – good thing Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia/Analgesia), never gets tired of talking about pain. Tasha joins us to share her insight on involving the whole team in the management of pain, what she’s learned in her time teaching vet teams, and why, when our credentialed technicians are thriving, our practices and teams are more likely to thrive too.   
Find Tasha on Facebook and at Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
Access all things Central Line, including guest bios and full transcripts of each episode: https://aaha.org/podcast
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

You Don’t Have to Give the Trophies Back: Veterinary Professionals and Success with Laura Gassner Otting

Some of our favorite conversations are with thought leaders from outside veterinary medicine—there's something refreshing about realizing that the challenges we face in vet med aren’t always unique to our industry. Laura Gassner Otting, or LGO, is an executive coach and author of two books, Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), and Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn’t Feel Like It Should... and What to Do About It (2023).
 
Both books debuted at #2 on major bestseller lists, and we have a feeling it’s not only because LGO has appeared on Good Morning America and TODAY, given TED talks, and served as a presidential appointee in Clinton’s White House – she just has a knack for putting tough concepts into terms that resonate.  
 
Many of us in vet med spent our whole lives working towards a goal—getting into school, being credentialed, finding that first job. But as a lot of us find out, working hard for years to get somewhere doesn’t protect us from burnout, disillusionment, or feeling lost without another star to aim for. In this episode, LGO talks about why success sometimes feels as scary and difficult as it can feel great.  
 
Find out more about LGO at lauragassnerotting.com.  
 
Central Line is made possible with generous support from CareCredit.  
 
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
 
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Tough End-of-Life Cases: How to Take Care of Your Team with Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP

In her second appearance on Central Line, Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP, founder and director of education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), goes in-depth on how we can help protect our fellow veterinary team members’ emotional health and wellbeing before, during, and after euthanasias. She weighs in on technicians performing euthanasia and how best to support those team members who never seem to be affected – are they really fine?  
Dr. Cooney was instrumental in creating AAHA's End-of-Life Care Accreditation and was on the task force that created the 2016 AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines.  
Coming in fall 2023 to AAHA Learning: the newly revised and updated Hospice and Palliative Care Certificate Program created by CAETA and Dr. Cooney!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

A Dim Candle in a Dark Room: Advice on Grief and Loss from a Veterinary Chaplain with Kelly Drescher Johnson, M.Div

Kelly Drescher Johnson, M.Div, appeared earlier this year to talk about why she loves her job as a veterinary receptionist. This week she’s back to share some of what she’s learned as a veterinary chaplain—from how to care for team members experiencing grief (let’s make bereavement leave as normal for the loss of a pet as it is for the loss of a close human family member!), why they don’t write “DOA” on the treatment board, and why you don’t have to have the right words to show a devastated client they’re cared for and loved.  
Find Kelly at www.veterinarychaplaincy.com and on LinkedIn.   
Central Line is made possible with generous support from CareCredit.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Developing Veterinary Leaders with Laura Pletz, DVM

A theme has emerged over many seemingly unrelated conversations during the life of Central Line, and it’s the idea that many of the challenges we face in vet med today can be at least partially prevented or addressed by good leadership—but most veterinary professionals, including those promoted to management positions, receive little to no training in how to be a good leader.
Laura Pletz, DVM, has a diverse career portfolio that led to her current role as Group Medical Director at BluePearl, where one of her primary responsibilities is to help develop veterinary leaders, and president of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI). In this conversation, Laura shares tips on how both current and aspiring leaders can find the space to grow together.  
Mentioned in this episode: DiSC, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Brene Brown, Adam Grant, Simon Sinek, Cornell Women in Leadership certificate program  
Central Line is made possible with the generous support of CareCredit. 
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Gems from the Guidelines: Mentorship Means Asking the Right Questions with Melody Martínez, CVT

A good friend will encourage you to go for your dreams; a great friend (and, if you’re lucky, a great mentor) will encourage you to dig into whether you’re dreaming of the right things. Melody Martinez, CVT, founder and principal consultant at Acorde Consulting, president of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, and task force member for the 2023 AAHA Mentoring Guidelines, tells the story of why she didn’t become a veterinarian—and why a true mentor/mentee relationship, formal or not, requires knowing each other well enough to risk asking hard questions, admitting when you don’t know the answers, and working together to explore the “What if” rather than saying right away, “We can’t do that.”  
Connect with Melody at https://www.workwithacorde.com/ and https://mcvma.org/.  
Find the brand-new 2023 AAHA Mentoring Guidelines at aaha.org/mentoring. 
Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at aaha.org/aahacon.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

**Encore** | Front Desks, Facebook, and Five-Week Waits: Marketing When We’re Really Busy with Eric Garcia

Please enjoy this encore presentation of our previously released episode with Eric Garcia. Please stay tuned as the Central Line Podcast will be back with a new episode next Tuesday.
Companies with strong branding don’t take breaks from advertising just because their popular products are out of stock – and, according to our guest, Eric Garcia, veterinary practices shouldn’t take breaks from marketing themselves just because there’s no extra room in the schedule right now.
Eric is a digital marketing expert and sought-after voice on the veterinary speaking circuit, and he recommends that practices take a data-driven approach to marketing themselves.
This conversation isn’t just for practice owners and managers – Eric outlines some simple things anyone in the practice can do to improve the day-to-day client experience (because that’s marketing, too!) when the schedule is packed.  
Get in touch with Eric on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, by email at eric@simplydonetechsolutions.com, or at on his website.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
Access all things Central Line, including guest bios and full transcripts of each episode: https://aaha.org/podcast
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This information is shared solely for your convenience. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions are the sole opinions of the speaker.

Zooming Out for Closer Connections with Debbie Boone, BS, CVPM

Few people know the world of veterinary medicine better than Debbie Boone, BS, CVPM. In her new book, Hospitality in Healthcare, Debbie makes connections between a “hospitality mindset” (Debbie grew up in the restaurant business) and the wellbeing of veterinary teams. By considering our clients’ experiences, including “zooming out” when needed and taking a hard look at our own biases, we can meet their needs, create real connections, and be happier at work—even on the hard days.  
Get your copy of Hospitality in Healthcare and learn more about Debbie, her podcast, The Bend, her other publications, and where she’ll be speaking at her website, debbieboonecvpm.com.   
Missed Debbie’s first episode of Central Line? Find it here. 
Central Line and Hospitality in Healthcare are generously supported by CareCredit and Pet’s Best. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

The New Era of Feline Diabetes: What You Need to Know with Renee Rucinsky, DVM, DABVP(F)

If you ask most veterinary professionals what to do first if a client brings in their vomiting, anorexic diabetic cat, they’ll say without hesitation: Check a blood glucose! But, as we learned from Renee Rucinsky, DVM, DABVP(F), a BG might not tell you what you need to know if that patient is taking Bexacat™, the new oral diabetes drug for cats. In this conversation, she addresses some FAQs regarding what this drug is, how to use it, and why it’s a gamechanger—as well as why it’s not the right choice for every diabetic cat. 
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines - including the brand new 2023 Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, available now at aaha.org/endocrine-disease! 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Challenging Every Assumption About What a Veterinarian Is with Kate Toyer, BVSc, MANZCVS (Surgery) | Part 2

Watch Part 1 of this two-part interview, here: https://youtu.be/eqsxS-cQVQ8
Listen to Part 1 (audio-only) of this two-part interview, here: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-ds3ry-1423aa8 
Her story is too rich to tell in one episode – so here’s the second of two episodes featuring Kate Toyer, BVSc, MANZCVS (Surgery), veterinary surgeon, feminist, and president of Australian Rainbow Veterinarians and Allies (ARVA). Right off the bat in this hour, she weighs in on why so many people allow fear to drive their attitudes towards the trans and gender diverse community: “Just by being in the room, a trans person challenges everything you thought you knew... every single piece of the way society is built.” And with LGBTQIA+ rights under attack in over half of the United States alone, that fear can be life-threatening to people who, in Kate’s words, are “literally just trying to exist.”  
Follow Kate, ARVA and The Veterinary Kaleidoscope Summit, Australia’s first face-to-face veterinary conference dedicated to diversity and inclusion, on LinkedIn! 
Allyship means more than four weeks of rainbow logos on social media. For our colleagues in the LGBTQIA+ community right now, love alone isn’t enough. Visit https://pridevmc.org/allyship-resources/ to learn about essential ways you can encourage, empower, and take action on behalf of fellow veterinary professionals and their families. AAHA is proud to be a signatory and supporter of the Gender Identity Bill of Rights. 
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Building Safe Spaces Is My Superpower with Kate Toyer, BVSc, MANZCVS (Surgery) | Part 1

Just in time for Pride Month 2023, we’re excited to bring you a special two-part episode featuring Kate Toyer, BVSc, MANZCVS (Surgery), veterinary surgeon, feminist, and president of Australian Rainbow Veterinarians and Allies (ARVA). Knowing Kate’s story doesn’t make listening to her tell it any less powerful – and if you don’t know her yet, this is a conversation you need to hear.  
Follow Kate, ARVA and The Veterinary Kaleidoscope Summit, Australia’s first face-to-face veterinary conference dedicated to diversity and inclusion, on LinkedIn! 
Allyship means more than four weeks of rainbow logos on social media. For our colleagues in the LGBTQIA+ community right now, love alone isn’t enough. Visit https://pridevmc.org/allyship-resources/ to learn about essential ways you can encourage, empower, and take action on behalf of fellow veterinary professionals and their families. AAHA is proud to be a signatory and supporter of the Gender Identity Bill of Rights. 
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This information is shared solely for your convenience. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions are the sole opinions of the speaker.

PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME: Retention in a Job-Seeker’s Market with Stacy Pursell, BA, CPC, CERS

It’s one of the biggest questions on most managers’ minds these days: In the vet med of 2023, where EVERYONE is hiring, how can we keep team members from jumping ship? Stacy Pursell, BA, CPC, CERS, founder and CEO of The Vet Recruiter, shares some of what she’s picked up from the trenches of this hypercompetitive job market—including how to run an effective exit interview, what signs to look for that your team is engaged and happy, and why offering sign-on bonuses might hurt the team you already have.  
Central Line is generously supported by CareCredit.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This information is shared solely for your convenience. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions are the sole opinions of the speaker.

Stress First Aid for Veterinary Professionals with Melyssa Allen, MA, CHWC, DipACLM

If you have a bleeding cut, you use first aid to try to stop the bleeding; if you have a stress reaction in a bone, you stop running on it before it becomes a stress fracture. This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with Melyssa Allen, MA, CHWC, DipACLM, to talk about Stress First Aid in veterinary medicine.  
Melyssa, a former marine mammal trainer (!) and boarded lifestyle medicine professional, saw her friends and colleagues in the veterinary world suffering during the height of COVID and wanted to help. Find out what she means by “Stress First Aid” and how we can use it to help each other—and ourselves—stem the bleeding before we’re in in crisis.  
Find Melyssa on her website, on Instagram @veterinary_wellbeing, on the Veterinary Teams Living Well Facebook group, and on Insight Timer (which you can use for FREE!).  
The Stress First Aid information, including a booklet for health professionals, is found here.  
Watch the TED talk Melyssa mentions, by Kelly McGonigal. 
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines - including the brand new 2023 Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, available now at aaha.org/endocrine-disease! 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender. LLC.

Technology and Empowered Vet Techs: Changing the Landscape of Vet Med with Katie Cutter, DVM, DACVO, and Katherine Medina, LVT

When everyone is shorthanded and overwhelmed, thinking outside the traditional small animal practice model can help – but that’s a lot easier said than done. In this triple-Katherine episode, Katie Cutter, DVM, DACVO, and CEO of BoosterPet, and Katherine Medina, LVT, BoosterPet’s LVT/VA team manager, talk about leadership, feedback, and using technology and team empowerment to transform the way we practice.  
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines - including the brand new 2023 Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, available now at aaha.org/endocrine-disease! 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Gems from the Guidelines: Upping Your Team’s Endocrine Game with Liza Rudolph, BAS, RVT, VTS (CP-CF, SAIM)

If you spend any time in a veterinary practice, you’ve spent some quality time with endocrine diseases – but staying on top of changing diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be rough. On May 1, 2023, we celebrated the launch of the first-ever AAHA Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, designed to help veterinary teams take on these tricky diseases armed with the latest and best information available.  
For this week’s podcast, we were lucky enough to sit down with Liza Rudolph, BAS, RVT, VTS (CP-CF, SAIM), a member of the guidelines task force and program director for the Veterinary Technology Program at Rowan College of South Jersey, to chat about what a truly team-based approach to managing endocrine disease looks like. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines - including the brand new 2023 AAHA Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, available now at aaha.org/endocrine-disease! 
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here! 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
The episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.
 

The Distributive Model, DEIB, and a Diverse Career Portfolio, with Tina Tran, DVM

What do vet school, Scratch ‘n Sniff, and the “no thank you bite” have in common? Well... they all come up in this conversation with Tina Tran, DVM, associate professor and clinical relations lead veterinarian at the University of Arizona. We also discuss pros and cons of the distributive clinical education model, and Tran, former president of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA), explains how intertwined diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are with her work in helping veterinary students enter the field. 
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines - including the brand new 2023 Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines, available now at aaha.org/endocrine-disease! 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

When We Do Our Job Right, Everyone Looks Better with Kelly Drescher Johnson, M.Div

As a veterinary receptionist, veterinary chaplain (yep, that’s a thing!), and volunteer with Not One More Vet (NOMV), Kelly Drescher Johnson, M.Div, makes her first of two appearances on Central Line in honor of Veterinary Receptionist Week, 2023. With a Master of Divinity degree, Kelly’s road to vet med has been winding – but now that she’s here, she doesn’t seem like she’s planning on leaving anytime soon, and that’s a good thing for all of us!  
While many of us have grown used to “client services representative” or similar titles, Kelly chooses to identify as a veterinary receptionist because, as she points out, every “front of the house” position is a little different, and the title you use should depend on the duties yours involves. Get to know Kelly in this episode – including why she feels that providing monogrammed scrubs and continuing education might mean more to many CSRs than a promotion to management – and stay tuned for her second appearance later this year, where she talks about how she found her way into veterinary chaplaincy.  
Find Kelly at www.veterinarychaplaincy.com and on LinkedIn.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Work Should Be Part of the Good Stuff with Josh Vaisman, MAPCPP (PgD)

Josh Vaisman, MAPCPP (PgD), makes a return appearance on Central Line, this time on his own (catch his ensemble episode at Connexity with three other rock stars here) to celebrate the launch of his first book, Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting a Positive Veterinary Culture.  
Josh is a light-bringer, a do-gooder, and a mood-lifter for sure, but he’s also a former practice owner and co-founder of his current company, Flourish Veterinary Consulting, and he knows what it means to run a business. Even if books about positive psychology aren’t your usual fare, his evidence-based approach to positive leadership makes good business sense. No matter what your role, in the veterinary team or beyond, Josh will convince you that you can be part of creating a workplace you love.
Pre-order Lead to Thrive NOW at aaha.org/leadtothrive, and catch Josh in the AAHA Community (this event will be open to members and nonmembers!) for a presentation and live Q&A.   
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: The Stories We Tell Ourselves with Kathryn Primm, DVM

This week we’re featuring a short but very sweet drop-in by Kathryn Primm, DVM, friend of AAHA and fellow podcaster, who is not only a fun tablemate at a conference gala but is also a powerful force for the positive in the world as a whole. Tune in for a quick bite of perspective as Dr. Kat talks to us about how much she’s learned about how outlooks affect how we go through our days.  
We’re still working through all the great conversations we had at Connexity back in September 2022 – and it’s already time to register for AAHA Con, our reimagined, redesigned conference experience for the entire vet team. Stay tuned for more details, and join us in San Diego in September!  
Check out Dr. Kat’s pet-owner focused podcasts:  
Nine Lives with Dr. Kat 
Dr. Kat Gone to the Dogs 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Overriding the Lizard Brain and Preparing for “No” with David Liss, MBA, RVT, CVPM

It would be hard to find someone who knows the veterinary world better than David Liss, MBA, RVT, CVPM – he's never had a job outside vet med, having gone from kennel assistant to a VTS in both emergency/critical care and small animal internal medicine, a CVPM, and most recently regional operations director (“managing managers”) for the Veterinary Emergency Group.  
We could have talked to David about a thousand different things, but when we asked what he’d like to discuss, he picked one of our favorites: communication. David talks about this “soft skill” in scientific terms, explaining how to override our lizard brains by asking questions (another of our favorite things) and how to make people feel emotionally safe while you’re engaging them in a tough conversation.  
Catch lots more from David on the Pawsitive Leadership Podcast! 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: We All Should Find Our Voice with Omar Farías, VMD

Last September in Nashville, Omar Farías, VMD, senior manager of scientific and academic affairs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, made time for a chat about his role as president-elect of PrideVMC and the changes he’s excited to see in the industry. In case you haven’t signed yet, here’s a link to the Gender Identity Bill of Rights (GIBOR).  
We hope to see you in San Diego this September 20-23 for AAHA Con! This redesigned conference experience will have content for the entire veterinary team. Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA Con 2023! Snag your spot here!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Nice Girls Don’t Negotiate: Vet Med and the Gender Pay Gap

Our guests this week are Danielle K. Lambert and Jessica Vogelsang, DVM.
Why, in a field that’s overwhelmingly female in 2023, is there still a gender pay gap? Danielle K. Lambert, CEO and cofounder of The Snout Group, joins AAHA’s chief medical officer, Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, to discuss how, as a profession, we can move toward a time when all women feel free to ask for what they’re worth. And in the meantime, we can speak up for each other.  
People of any gender: take a listen, get inspired, and check out these resources: 
Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett 
The Myth of the Nice Girl by Fran Hauser 
Women’s Veterinary Leadership Initiative (WVLDI) 
March 2023 article on the gender pay gap in AAHA’s Trends magazine 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Produced by Clear Contender LLC. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 

”Not the Big Bottle of Gabapentin!” Veterinary Compounding in 2023

Our guest this week is Marcy A. Bliss. It’s pretty easy to take compounded drugs for granted... until things change. And change is in the air starting April 1, 2023, when the Food and Drug Administration’s Guidance for Industry #256 takes effect. GFI 256 will determine what medications veterinary teams are able to keep in their office stock for dispensing to individual patients – such as the bulk order of gabapentin marshmallow-flavored suspension many of us keep on the shelf to send home with those cats and small dogs who just aren’t up for a relaxed experience that day.   
Marcy A Bliss, CEO of Wedgewood Pharmacy, joins us to talk about how GFI 256 will change how we use compounded meds, the long list of drugs Wedgewood and others have submitted for review by the FDA in the hopes of getting them approved for office stock, and how veterinarians can influence the FDA to move more drugs onto the “OK” list.  
If you’re worried about losing immediate access to the drugs you need, take a few minutes to let the FDA know what drugs are important to you. This page has links to the approved list and the drugs still under review, and makes it easy to submit comments on GFI 256: https://info.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/gfi-comments  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Bridging the Gap to Belonging with Ewan D. S. Wolff, PhD, DVM, DACVIM

In this episode, Ewan D. S. Wolff, PhD, DVM, DACVIM, one of Pride VMC’s 2022 Leadership Award Winners, joins us for one of Central Line’s most important conversations to date. We cover a lot of ground and a lot of emotions, from how studying dinosaur diseases prepared them for a career in internal medicine to why they picked up their life and family and moved across the country in 2022 in the space of a few weeks. 
We are living at a pivotal moment in our society’s story. Stop what you’re doing and learn what each of us can do to move the needle in the only direction that improves the safety, wellbeing, and diversity of our space – our profession – our people.  
Pride VMC has an enormous library of resources for the entire veterinary community.  
If you or someone you love need support, visit this list of hotlines and other resources: https://pridevmc.org/support/  
Visit this page to learn more about and sign the Gender Identity Bill of Rights (GIBOR). You can see the Gender Identity Guide (published along with the GIBOR) here: https://pridevmc.org/gender-diversity-guide/
We also discussed and recommended two programs available through the AVMA: 
Journey for Teams (free)
Brave Space Certificate program (free for members)
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.
 

Quick Hits from Connexity: The Power Our Words Have with Margot Vahrenwald, DVM

“You can’t deliver great medicine if your team is not functioning properly,” says Margot Vahrenwald, DVM, current president of AAHA’s Board of Directors. Dr. Margot stopped in to chat during Connexity in fall 2022 as she stepped into her presidency, and she told us about all the things she’s excited to see come to life at AAHA and in the veterinary profession as a whole. She’s got a journalism degree and a master’s in communications, and her focus on words, relationships, and all the things that make up the framework of veterinary medicine is already serving us well in 2023.   
Want to be on AAHA’s Board of Directors? Apply before March 27, 2023. We’d love to have a credentialed vet tech on the Board! More information and application instructions here.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Rejections, Connections, and Unexpected Directions, with the hosts of ”My Veterinary Life”

This week, Central Line is teaming up with the hosts of the AVMA’s podcast, My Veterinary Life, to talk about something we all have in common and that we get questions about all the time: nonclinical veterinary jobs. Our guests, Marci Kirk, DVM, Associate Director, Office of the Executive Vice President, Annie Chavent, DVM, Assistant Director, Student Initiatives, and I chat about how we ended up in the positions we’re in, what our days look like, and how we’ve all discovered in our own way that love for vet med doesn’t always have to look the same.  
Give My Veterinary Life a listen, and let us know if you’d like to hear more collaborative episodes with the hosts of MVL or other veterinary podcasts!
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

2023 Is the Year of the Veterinary Team with Jessica Vogelsang, DVM

You may have heard us talking at AAHA about 2023 being “The Year of the Team” - a year to celebrate, elevate, and collaborate with each other, no matter what roles we play in the veterinary space. Joining us for the first time is Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, AAHA’s chief medical officer, author, gingerbread house maker, and beanhead (hear her out on this), who is behind this year’s team focus and hopes we can help shine a light on some of the many different ways veterinary teams can thrive.  
 
Today, February 14, 2023, is also launch day for this spring’s Veterinary Visionaries storytelling solving event! Tune in to learn more, stop by the AAHA booth at WVC, or visit VeterinaryVisionaries.org to tell us your story and help change our world.  
 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
 
Produced by Clear Contender LLC. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 

Quick Hits from Connexity: Starting a Mentorship Movement with Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS

In a relatively short time in veterinary medicine, Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS, has not only made an impact – she's galvanized the entire profession. As founder and CEO of MentorVet, she turned what she saw as a gap in the ecosystem into a full-on movement to improve, fortify, and redefine what mentorship looks like in vet med.
We caught up with her at Connexity last fall and can say one thing for certain: we’ll be hearing lots more from this movement-maker, and the profession will continue to be a better place because of her efforts.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: ”How Do You Define a Good Death?” with Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP

It takes about 10 seconds of listening to Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP, to figure out why she’s so good at what she does. Dr. Cooney, founder and director of education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), made time during a busy workshop schedule at Connexity in fall 2022 to sit down with us and talk about making euthanasia one of the most beautiful parts of a day in vet med.  
 Dr. Cooney was instrumental in creating AAHA's End-of-Life Care Accreditation and was on the task force that created the 2016 AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines. We’ll be talking more with her later in 2023 – if you have a question about euthanasia or end-of-life care, drop us a line at podcast@aaha.org or ping us on social media.  
 Mentioned in this episode: Euthabag; April 2022 Trends article on aquamation  
 Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
 Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
 Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Always Learning, Always Growing: AAHA’s 2022 Veterinary Technician of the Year with Nicole Jameson Fritz, RVT, VTS (ECC)

It’s easy to see why Nicole Jameson Fritz, RVT, VTS (ECC) is the inaugural winner of the AAHA Veterinary Technician of the Year award. Nicole is dedicated, curious, kind, and humble, and she’s been quietly growing, flourishing, and encouraging her team in the same hospital, Canada West Veterinary Specialists in Vancouver, for nearly three decades.
Nicole’s passion for her work and common-sense views on attracting, rewarding, and empowering her team make us excited to see what the future holds for her – although we’ll have to follow along closely as she’s definitely not in it for the spotlight. 
Nominations for AAHA’s 2023 Veterinary Technician of the Year will open later this year – stay tuned and be thinking about those rock star credentialed technicians in your life.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Gems from the Guidelines: Telling the Story of Senior Care with Dr. Mary Gardner

Not many veterinary professionals would deny the unbridled joy of a new puppy or kitten visit. But it’s the complex emotions, accumulated experiences, and deeply rooted relationships (not to mention those wobbly legs and gray faces) that can make senior pet appointments the most rewarding and memorable of all.
Mary Gardner, DVM, author, innovator, and co-founder of Lap of Love, did us the honor of serving on the task force for the newly released 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines, and in this episode she shares how veterinary teams in any field can make their practices more senior-friendly – and how we can harness the power of the gray muzzle/creaky cat advocates on our teams to take senior care and end-of-life care to the next level. 
Find out more about Dr. Mary, including her newest books, It’s Never Long Enough and Nine Lives Are Not Enough, at drmarygardner.com.
Other books mentioned in today’s episode: Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, by Susan Cain, and When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi.  
Read the brand new 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines and associated resources FREE at aaha.org/senior-care – and check out all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: Upending Conventional Wisdom about Compliance

Our guests this week are Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS, AVP, and Emily Tincher, DVM.
You might be hearing the phrase “spectrum of care” quite a bit these days, and veterinary teams are used to thinking of vet care in terms of how close clients can get to the “gold standard” recommendation with the resources they have. Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS, AVP, chief veterinary officer at Nationwide Pet Insurance, and Emily Tincher, DVM, Nationwide’s senior director of veterinary relations, are on a mission to help teams provide the most appropriate care possible for every pet family by using an evidence-guided approach – not just to medicine, but to the communication around the care.  
Learn more about Nationwide’s focus on spectrum of care here.  
Read more about spectrum of care in a monthly column in NEWStat by Kate Boatright, VMD. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: Garth Jordan: A Star Wars Story

In this “Quick Hit from Connexity,” we catch up with Garth Jordan, AAHA’s CEO. Garth is the type of leader who welcomes one-on-one connection with his team, so it’s no surprise that he also sees connectedness as the way forward for veterinary medicine. This episode gets personal (you’ll know how Garth proposed to his wife by the end), and so are we this season – Veterinary Visionaries kicks off a new event in February, so stay tuned for more details.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This podcast was produced by Clear Contender, LLC.

Creating a Better World through Connection with the Changemakers of Veterinary Medicine

As we say farewell to 2022, we’d like to leave you with a special episode featuring multiple guests – all of whom are working hard to leave veterinary medicine better than they found it. Enjoy these snippets from the conversations we had at Connexity this year, when we asked each guest, “What does a better world look like to you?”  
Plus... stay tuned till the end for a few rare Central Line outtakes.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
Learn More About Today's Guests
Michael Shirley  Josh Vaisman, MAPPCP (PgD) Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT  Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPPC, CPHSA, CCFP  Garrott Van Bebber, DVMLiz Van Bebber, DVMHolly HuntKortney EllerbeNiccole Bruno, DVM Genine Ervin-Smith, DVM, MPH Adam Hechko, DVM  Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS  Cheyanne Flerx Emily Tincher, DVM  Jules Benson BVSc MRCVS  Garth Jordan, MBA, CSM, CSPO  Jennifer Bruns, DVM, MPVM  Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP  Kathryn Primm, DVM Kim Fish  Margot Vahrenwald, DVM  Omar Farias, VMD Ryan Champagne 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Collaboration is the Key to the Best Veterinary Care – and Happier Veterinary Teams

Our guests today are Elizabeth Maxwell, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, ACVS Fellow, Surgical Oncology, and Candice Manganaro, DVM.  
If you've ever heard or thought things like, “Well, the specialist is just going to repeat all our diagnostics anyway,” “I don't want the ER vet to think I’m dumb,” or “Why do primary care vets always send us cases with no money?” this conversation is for you.
Primary care practitioner Candice Manganaro, DVM, and Elizabeth Maxwell, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, and ACVS Fellow in Surgical Oncology, current president of the Collaborative Care Coalition, chat about all the things primary care vet teams worry about when they refer patients to specialists... and what a collaborative specialist really thinks when you call for advice about a patient who will probably never darken the door of their hospital.  
Learn more about how collaborative care benefits patients, clients, and veterinary teams – the data doesn’t lie! - at www.collaborativecarecoalition.org.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This information is shared solely for your convenience. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions are the sole opinions of the speaker.

Quick Hits from Connexity: Moving Forward, One Experiment at a Time with Adam Hechko, DVM

For some of us, the title “President of the Board” used to conjure up a formal, slightly aloof person in a stiff suit, but that image disappears when we meet AAHA’s humble and kind immediate past-president, Adam Hechko, DVM. He may have held the gavel at board meetings for the past year, but he probably won’t ever be able to watch this episode, and he’s surprised when people sign up to hear him talk – which they did, in droves, at his Connexity table talk. Dr. Hechko took time out of his hectic conference schedule to talk about progress, experimentation, and what it means to him to “Create a Better World” in vet med.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Quick Hits from Connexity: From Math Major to Marketing with Cheyanne Flerx

December always seems like a leaky vessel – there must be a hole somewhere that’s letting time get away from us so fast! We’ve got a short, sweet episode this week featuring Cheyanne Flerx, one of our speakers at Connexity 2022, who started out as a veterinary assistant and now runs her own business as a social media marketing educator and coach. We’re sure we’ll hear more from Cheyanne in the future, but for now, enjoy a quick hit of inspiration and encouragement from this self-taught social media maven with an unconventional origin story. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Gems from the Guidelines: How Veterinary Teams Can Help Save the World

Our guests this week are Erin Frey, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, and Jennifer Granick, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (SAIM).
We all got into veterinary medicine to make a difference – for one animal at a time in most cases – and sometimes it can be hard to remember that the little things we do and recommend can make a world-changing difference. Erin Frey, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, chair of the task force behind the 2022 AAFP/AAHA Antimicrobial Stewardship Guidelines, and Jennifer Granick, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (SAIM), task force member, are here to remind us of the effect small actions can make in the face of a very, very big problem.
Whether it’s never skipping that ear cytology even if you’re running late, always having the conversation about topicals even when you’re not sure the client will say yes, or being the one to run the diagnostics even when they’re used to having refills approved sight unseen, Drs. Granick and Frey are quick to point out that every little bit helps – and when we know better, we can do better.  
Find these and all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Check out all of UMN’s antimicrobial stewardship resources at ARSI.umn.edu, including their non-antibiotic prescription pad. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Bridging the Gap: Palliative Veterinary Care Takes a Team with Lynn Hendrix, DVM, CHPV

As this episode is released, we’re heading into the winter holidays – a time, as all veterinary professionals know, often brings more than its share of sadness as well as joy.  
Lynn Hendrix, DVM, CHPV, joins us this week (along with a very tiny, very sassy kitten called Pluto) to talk about something almost all vet teams do, and how she's helping to teach many of us to see it – and do it – differently. Dr. Hendrix is a certified hospice and palliative veterinarian, new book author, former IAAHPC board member and co-author of the first IAAHPC guidelines, founder/owner of Beloved Pet Mobile Vet, VIN consultant, and founder of the Veterinarian Palliative Medicine group on Facebook. Through her years shepherding families through loss, she’s learned more than a few lessons about, as she calls it, bridging the gaps – between life and death, between what people say and how we can help them, and between bad news and goodbye.  
**Since we recorded, Dr. Hendrix’s book, Animal Hospice and Palliative Care for the House Call Veterinarian, has been published and is out in the world! You can buy it here!  
Learn more about the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit.
This information is shared solely for your convenience. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions are the sole opinions of the speaker.

Smoothing Out the Referral Experience with Patty Lathan, VMD, MS, DACVIM, and Renee Rucinsky, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Referring internal medicine cases isn’t always a straightforward decision. As clinicians, veterinarians can feel judged for referring cases others might handle themselves – and as veterinary team members, it can be hard to know what to tell clients when different doctors might handle the same case differently. This week’s guests, Patty Lathan, VMD, MS, DACVIM, and Renee Rucinsky, DVM, DABVP (Feline), share what makes a referral experience go smoothly – and why we don’t need to feel guilty for asking specialists to step in.  
This episode is made possible with generous support from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health - and check out the two new resources we developed, also with their support, to help get your diabetic patients (and their families!!) through those tough first weeks. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
 Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Creating A Culture That Says, “You Belong” with Niccole Bruno, DVM, and Genine Ervin-Smith, DVM, MPH

Niccole Bruno, DVM, took a personality test that told her, “You’re a visionary,” and we’re guessing no one who’s ever met Dr. Bruno would doubt it for a second.
The founder and CEO of BLEND stopped by to chat with us at Connexity this fall along with fellow changemaker Genine Ervin-Smith, DVM, MPH, BLEND’s Chief Operating Officer, and the two of them talked about how BLEND came to be, how they’re working to build a more diverse pipeline into veterinary medicine, and what it truly means to have an inclusive culture that fosters a sense of belonging for professionals from all communities.  
If you prefer to watch these conversations, catch Central Line on YouTube!  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Across the Exam Table: A Pet Owner’s Perspective on Diabetes

This week our guests our David Berlin and Alexandra Bronson. 
As veterinary professionals, we talk to clients all day – but in the thick of a busy day, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be one of them. David Berlin and Alexandra Bronson, educators in the charter school system in Brooklyn, NY, join us to talk about their experience as “proud cat parents” of Audrey, who was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus in 2021.
They’ve navigated uncertainty, guilt, sadness, and Alex’s no-joke needle phobia to get Audrey into remission. Their experience helps remind all of us that there's always a full story happening across the exam table, and our role may be small, but it’s important that we play it with patience, empathy, and love. 
This episode is made possible with generous support from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  (And yes, Audrey makes an appearance on today’s episode!)
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Past Platitudes to Real Results: Making Psychological Safety Standard in Veterinary Practices with Coral Doherty, RVT

When it comes time for radiographs, most of us put lead aprons on without thinking twice - but we don’t have a set of standards (or effective PPE!) to prevent the mental and emotional trauma for which all veterinary professionals are at risk. Coral Doherty, RVT and certified psychological health and safety advisor, submitted the winning idea to the spring Veterinary Visionaries solving event.
Coral suggested developing a set of standards for psychological safety in the veterinary workplace, a concept that grew from her knowledge of the Canadian Standard for Psychological Health and Safety. Coral discusses why psychological safety is an essential element in any healthy workplace and how these standards could transform the way we think about protecting our teams.  
Find out more about Veterinary Visionaries here.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Vital, Not Basic: Elevating Veterinary Technicians Benefits Everyone

Our guests this week are Julie Legred, CVT, FFCVP, Deborah Reeder, BA, AS, LVT, VTS-EVN(R), and Shannon Thompson, RVT .
It’s Vet Tech Week, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by featuring this conversation with three passionate technician leaders and advocates. Julie Legred, CVT, FFCVP, Deborah Reeder, BA, AS, LVT, VTS-EVN(R), and Shannon Thompson, RVT, got together with us at the AVMA Convention this summer to discuss ways we can support and elevate veterinary technicians - and help them enjoy a sustainable, fulfilling, and endlessly adaptable career.  
This episode doesn’t have video, but most do! Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Lafayette Veterinary Care Center: 2022 AAHA-accredited Practice of the Year

Our guests this week include Garrott Van Bebber, DVM, Elizabeth Van Bebber, DVM, Holly Hunt, and Kortney Ellerbe.
Out of the literal thousands of AAHA-accredited practices in the U.S. and Canada (and now Japan!), the dedicated team at Lafayette Veterinary Care Center in Lafayette, LA, walked away with the AAHA-accredited Practice of the Year award at Connexity 2022. Garrott Van Bebber, DVM, co-owner of LVCC, his wife Liz Van Bebber, DVM, Holly Hunt, veterinary technician, and Kortney Ellerbe, technician and nursing department co-manager, stopped by our podcast booth in Nashville. They talked about serving their community, protecting their team from burnout, and why being a “one-stop-shop" for clients doesn’t mean always being available.  
Watch why they won here. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube. 
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines.  
Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org.
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.

Approaching Access to Veterinary Care in New Ways with Michael J. Blackwell, DVM, MPH

In any conversation about access to veterinary care, Dr. Michael J. Blackwell’s name is bound to come up. Dr. Blackwell heads the Program for Pet Health Equity at the University of Tennessee, which has created AlignCare, a subsidized OneHealth initiative that helps qualified households afford care for their nonhuman family members.
As income disparity grows along with the cost of care, we can’t afford to ignore the question of how to provide care to populations many of us working in private practices never see. Dr. Blackwell explains how AlignCare works, why "best medicine” is always relative, and how each of us in this field can help just by starting to turn towards this issue instead of turning away.  
Find all of AAHA’s most up-to-date Guidelines, including resources for your clients and team, at aaha.org/guidelines. 
Wish you could watch these conversations? Catch Central Line on YouTube.  
Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@aaha.org. 
This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC.