The Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) has announced that it has changed its name to the Veterinary Management Group, or VMG.

The group’s Board, led by outgoing president, Renay Rickard and incoming president, Julie Beacham, decided to change the trading name to better reflect the diverse nature of the organisation’s membership and promote inclusivity.

The VMG says that in parallel with evolving models of veterinary business management, it has seen its membership expand to include clinical and non-clinical team members from practice, as well as those from industry and academia.

Renay said: "We are seeing a trend where the veterinary practice manager role is now complemented by - and in some cases superseded by - tiers of team leaders, many with management responsibilities and interests.

"This is reflected in our membership, which is increasingly diverse – we have growing numbers of members from the clinical side of practice, such as head nurses and vet team leads, as well as involvement from front-of-house and administration teams. In larger group practices, we have operations staff, marketing managers, finance teams and so on all joining up.  

"Part of the success of our organisation is that we have attracted and catered for these diverse roles. Our New to Management series of CPD webinars last year was one example, and we will build on this in 2018, adding in new content. 2018 will also see a new structure for our regional group meetings, with roadshows and day events.

"This diversity in membership brings vibrancy and new ideas with it, vital to the life-blood of any organisation. Our aim is to be inclusive and cater for the needs of anyone with an interest in management through development and support."

The VMG has also launched a new website, www.vetmg.com with a private members’ area which offers various resources, from CPD to protocols. 

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.