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Equine Business Management Strategies Symposium – For a Healthy Equine Practice
 
BOXMEER (The Netherlands), September 27, 2011 – The Equine Business Management Strategies (EBMS) symposium, which is a targeted business education program developed for equine veterinarians and practice professionals, took place last month for the second time in Europe in Cadnam (United Kingdom). This intense, 5-day course, which is supported by Merck Animal Health, has been proven very successful in recent years in the United States as well as in Europe.

Branding, benchmarking, business strategy, staff motivation and compensation are all subjects that won’t be found in any veterinary course, but are critical for many veterinarians if they want to be successful. A group of forty European equine practitioners gathered in August 2011 to discuss and learn how to apply business principles in their day-to-day work. The intense five days of workshops and field excursions dug deep into personnel management, the use of social media and internet to promote the practice and retirement strategies for the equine veterinarian.

Roberto Ragni-Alunni, DVM, Global Technical Lead Equine at Merck Animal Health added: “To run a successful practice, business skills are just as important as medical ones, but young graduates come out of veterinary school without any training on such subjects. At MSD Animal Health we believe that offering these additional tools can improve our bond with equine veterinarians and will help them to run a successful and sustainable business.”

International specialists on strategic planning, benchmarking, branding and change management created an environment in which the course participants were challenged to work on a strategic plan for their practices and to share their knowledge, experience and ideas. Among the speakers of this year’s symposium were: Andy Clark, DVM (CEO of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington KY, USA), Dale Feinauer (Professor Management and Human Resources, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh WI, USA), Robert P. Magnus, DVM (CEO and founder of Wisconsin Equine Clinic & Hospital, Oconomowoc WI, USA), Mike Young (Chair of branding consultancy Brand(x), London, U.K.) and Joop Loomans, DVM, PhD (Professor of Equine Sciences at Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands).
 
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About Equine Business Management Strategies
Equine Business Management Strategies program is a targeted business education program developed for equine veterinarians and practice professionals. The course includes modules on business strategy, benchmarking, branding, finance and change management. Equine Business Management Strategies program provides the business education framework to improve key areas of practice management. The program is structured to foster peer interactions and offers many opportunities to network with colleagues and instructors. For more information, visit www.equinebusinessmanagement.com.
 
About Merck Animal Health
Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com