DVM Newsmakers' Summit to probe consumer psyche

Cleveland — Last fall, DVM Newsmagazine documented that complaints against veterinarians are on the rise. And now the magazine has assembled a diverse panel of thought-leaders to discuss why.

A unique DVM Newsmagazine-sponsored panel discussion at CVC East in Baltimore on April 21 at the Baltimore Convention Center plans to explore the many questions surfacing about consumer attitudes toward veterinarians.

In light of changes in the standard of care, escalating prices and rising state-board complaints, the often hard-to-predict consumer may not be as fickle as he or she seems. Veterinarians still are adored by the pet-owning public, but challenges lay ahead.

Structured like a town-hall meeting, the three-hour summit will be moderated by the publication's editor, Daniel R. Verdon. The panel will explore and challenge what's driving consumers' positive and negative perceptions of veterinarians.

PANELISTS INCLUDE:

• James Flanigan, marketing director, American Veterinary Medical Association

• John King, DVM, executive director, Minne-sota Board of Veterinary Medicine

• Howard Rubin, CEO, BrightHeart Veterinary Centers; board member, Board of Overseers of the Veterinary College at Tufts University

• Richard Timmins, DVM, president, Association for Veterinary Family Practice; director, Center for Animals in Society at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

• James F. Wilson, DVM, JD, Priority Veterinary Management Consultants.