Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, have co-hosted their award-winning weekly veterinary podcast since 2016.
Each week, they “tackle the toughest topics in veterinary medicine,” highlighting controversial issues and trending news, introducing veterinary key opinion leaders and provocateurs, and offering solutions to the myriad challenges facing the veterinary profession.
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National Veterinary Technician Week is Oct 15-21, 2023
This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Veterinary Technician Week! We’ve got the President-Elect of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), Beckie Mossor, RVT, to tell us what you need to know and do!
Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, discuss this year’s National Vet Tech Week theme, “Pearls of Wisdom,” and what it means to them.
Our hosts share their top tips for celebrating your registered veterinary technicians and how you can avoid practice drama over not observing others. Yes, we go there.
Dr. Ward shares his tips on using social media to hire vet techs, and Beckie offers tips on using social media to recognize your vet techs’ awesomeness! Bonus hiring and celebration tips are included!
We’d also like to publicly recognize NAVTA and Hill’s Pet Nutrition for their 30 years of commitment to National Veterinary Technician Week. Thank you!
To learn more, visit: https://navta.net/national-veterinary-technician-week/
Life Lessons from a Vet Tech Leader - Paige A. Allen, MS, RVT
This week we’re proud to bring you a conversation with a fundamental change agent within the veterinary profession, Paige A. Allen, MS, RVT. Paige has guided both veterinary technician organizations and held the highest office in the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) - FOR TWO TERMS! This week she shares her story and vision for the future of veterinary medicine. Prepare to be inspired!
Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, discuss how Paige became interested in the veterinary technician profession, her progression as a leader, and what changes she thinks the next generation of veterinary technicians (and veterinarians) needs to make to improve veterinary practice. From title protection to the term “veterinary nurse” to her experiences of being told she couldn’t become a veterinarian “because she was a woman,” this conversation will brighten your day!
Viewfinders, share this podcast with someone who needs a lift or is facing a challenge. Hopefully, you’ll find the nudge you need to make positive changes in your world after listening!
About Paige Allen, MS, RVT
Paige started her career in 1984 in a mixed animal practice in Nebraska. In 1986, she came to Purdue University, where she held several positions in Purdue’s Veterinary Hospital, including Food Animal Technician, Large Animal Anesthesia/Surgery Technician, and Director of Central Supply. She helped to start Purdue’s Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program and is now the Assistant Director for Academic Advising for Purdue’s Veterinary Nursing Program. She has a fantastic husband, three outstanding children, and five terrific grandchildren! Darrell and Paige live in the country and have two cats, Mac & Cheese. She is always looking for new adventures and challenges, personally and professionally.
More Money, More Problems - Let's Talk about the 2022 NAVTA Demographics Survey
The 2022 NAVTA Demographics survey was released during VMX 2023. This week we discuss the findings, actions we can take, and questions for the future.
Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and President-Elect of NAVTA, Beckie Mossor, RVT, take a deep dive into the findings of this critical survey. The last demographics survey was conducted in 2016, and, wow, some things have changed - and others remained, sadly, the same.
The survey results revealed the following highlights:
• The average Veterinary Technician is earning 25% more than in 2016.
• More than 70% of Veterinary Technicians have an Associates’ degree, up 16% from 2016.
• More than 1/3 of Veterinary Technicians have student loan debt, averaging $29,700/person.
• One-third of Veterinary Technicians have a second job, most often at full-time.
Viewfinders, this is an important discussion for the veterinary profession. We encourage you to share it with your colleagues, discuss your thoughts, and get involved!
It’s the time of year when veterinary clinics revisit their staff policies, but how do you implement them without creating chaos or resentment? In this week’s episode of “The Veterinary Viewfinder,” Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mosser, MPA, RVT, dive into the challenges of rolling out new rules, such as sick leave policies, PTO usage, and vacation time, in a way that ensures fairness and team cohesion.
The co-hosts explore common pitfalls in policy implementation, such as reactionary rule-making after isolated incidents such as “sick-outs” and chronic absenteeism, and explain why sudden, poorly communicated policy changes can erode trust. They also discuss the importance of balancing structure with empathy and emphasize collaborative approaches to decision-making that involve the entire team.
The episode also unpacks why policies requiring sick employees to provide doctor’s notes can send a harmful message of distrust and why flexible, inclusive guidelines create a healthier workplace culture. Dr. Ward and Beckie share real-world stories of successful—and unsuccessful—policy rollouts, offering actionable tips to help veterinary managers make thoughtful, equitable decisions.
If you’re a practice owner, manager, or team member, tune in to learn how to create policies that support your team while keeping your clinic running smoothly. Let’s make 2024 the year of fair, effective policies in veterinary medicine!