Banfield gifts AVMA educational grant

During the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Veterinary Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois, attendees learned about new resources that help veterinary professionals effectively counter and recover from cyberbullying attacks. The "AVMA Reputation Management Toolkit" gives professionals step by step, comprehensive advice on how to cope with cyberbullying incidents and social media firestorms in real-time.

"Incidents of cyberbullying are painful and can disrupt and even damage a veterinary practice," said Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP, president of the AVMA, in an organizational release.¹ "It's essential that veterinarians have the tools they need to head off problems and mitigate the harm if they should find themselves the victims of such behavior."

Thanks to an educational grant from Banfield Pet Hospital, the toolkit will elevate already existing AVMA resources and be available to both AVMA members and nonmembers. The new resource offers¹:

• Practical tools to help protect a veterinarian's and/or a practice's reputation such as how to respond quickly, accurately, and effectively to news media inquiries.

• Best practices for reputation management, and when and how to respond to negative social media reviews.
• Strategies and techniques for assessing and alleviating reputational harm, including identifying and prioritizing key audiences for recovery communications.
• An extensive list of available resources to support team members' well-being in a time of crisis and its aftermath.

"Banfield supports its veterinary teams with a wide range of resources and guidance in developing and maintaining strong positive relationships with clients. In partnering with the AVMA to make the new reputation management toolkit available industry-wide, we're helping to ensure that all veterinary professionals have access to such quality support," expressed Mony Iyer, president of Banfield Pet Hospital.

"We look forward to continuing to work with the AVMA and others in the veterinary industry to make it a great place for people to build a career, whether that's at Banfield or another practice. We're invested in the health of this profession and the well-being of everyone who helps create a better world for pets," Iyer concluded.

Any veterinary professionals can access the new toolkit, along with other cyberbullying and well-being resources, here. AVMA members who are facing cyberbullying also have access to a free half-hour consultation and advice from Bernstein Crisis Management. AVMA members can learn more here.

Reference

AVMA creates new cyberbullying resources for veterinarians with educational grant from Banfield Pet Hospital. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. January 9, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2023. https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/avma-creates-new-cyberbullying-resources-veterinarians-educational-grant