blendvet™ veterinary hospital and academic certification is developed as an ongoing education curriculum, whose modules are continually built upon in elevating phases.
Phase 1 (pilot program) modules are weekly courses designated to all participating veterinary staff, requiring a final group activity to signify completion of each module.
Teams will be introduced to modules corresponding to the individual pillars of blendvet™, and will receive essential resources to aid in completion of each activity.
Modules are presented by diverse key opinion leaders (KOL’s) with expertise in blendvet™ corresponding topics, as they pertain to the veterinary industry.
The blendvet™ program will also consist of an initial culture assessment and post-discussion, to identify a blend ambassador & review best practices and next steps.
Check out a preview of the program modules as follows:
Breaking Down Barriers and Finding Common Ground — The Culture of Communication
Language is a vital part of human connection which allows us to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with one another. Language not only has the power to build societies, but also the ability to tear them down.
Conflict resolution skills are required for a wide range of positions across several sectors. This requirement is based on the fact that conflict tends to reduce productivity and create a difficult work environment, leading to increased staff turnover and decreased team morale.
Individuals who are able to resolve conflicts are often excellent mediators, able to manage difficult personalities from a place of empathy, and considered assets to any team.
Being able to empathize and explore ways to reduce language barriers associated with DEIB is critical to the health of any team, culture, & the surrounding community.
This module discusses the importance of effective communication, techniques for conflict-resolution, and highlights the impact of interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds, countries, & dialects.
Watch a quick overview & intro video below!
Why Culture Matters – The Business Case for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in Veterinary Medicine
Current and historical literature demonstrates that diverse and inclusive business cultures improve team engagement, leads to enhanced innovation, and reduces associate turnover resulting in an increased profit margin.
It is essential for veterinary medicine to acknowledge its lack of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and address the deficits within the profession to encourage a viable and thriving platform for our future professionals and clientele.
This module discusses the benefits of recruiting diverse talent and consumers, and the effect of courageous leadership on hospitals who prioritize DEIB.
Watch a quick overview & intro video below!
Fair & Impartial Equality For All – Inclusivity for the Deaf Community
In the veterinary environment where pet parent education is key, it is critical to be cognizant of cultural & learning differences, including disabilities, in order to understand the populations we serve.
To promote inclusivity, our profession must prepare our teams to engage with clients belonging to all communities and encourage communication that aids in removing the barriers which prevent us from providing quality care for our patients.
This module equips hospital teams with the unique skill set to support individuals with visual, motor, and language processing disabilities and become empathic and effective contributors of our community.
Watch a quick overview & intro video below!
The Missing Link: How Does Discrimination Impact Well-Being?
Workplace wellbeing is often focused on improving weekly work hour or task overload. However, the stress that arises from workplace discrimination can have a major impact on an employee's attitude, work-life balance, and often times whether or not the individual remains with the current employer.
Workplace discrimination can be derived from a variety of factors such as age, gender, race, experience, or socioeconomic background. Our current understanding of workplace wellbeing is often shaped by individualistic frameworks, which unfortunately avoid addressing these specific areas of discrimination, and veterinary medicine is also among this group.
Primary or secondary trauma following workplace discrimination can be found in any profession, yet the additional lack of social work resources within veterinary medicine, often result in nuanced experiences of microaggression, compassion fatigue, and burnout.
This module explores how wellbeing is directly impacted by a multitude of variables, from personal microaggressions to workplace discrimination or current events, and provides concrete ways to promote self-awareness and community care, which combat these areas of influence.
Watch a quick overview & intro video below!
The Celebration of Differences & Allyship
Evidence shows that diversity in the workplace contributes to innovation and higher productivity, as different cultural backgrounds introduce new ways of thinking, language skills, and experiences. Celebrating our differences and creating inclusive environments, opens the door to allyship, promotes positivity, and supports the values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape a teams effectiveness.
Allyship focuses on ending the oppression of a systemically disempowered group. Ultimately, since everyone has the ability to affect systemic power in some areas, yet lack it in others, everyone also has the ability to practice allyship.
To practice allyship, one must respect a “lived” experience, provide solidarity, and “become comfortable being uncomfortable”. In order to create real change, one must acknowledge and articulate how oppressive systems operate, and stand alongside, versus in front of, those we support.
In the veterinary profession, we must learn to initiate and/or invite tough conversations in effort to expand towards positive growth. We must also embrace radical candor and become active allies.
This module focuses on the importance of diversity & allyship including self-education, leveraging privilege and power, and empathizing with others who are systemically disempowered.
Watch a quick overview & intro video below!
Teams will undergo a customized certification program with asynchronous training modules under each of our pillars.
Step 1: Individual Pre-Cultural Questionnaires (Measured using Likert scale & employee net promoter metrics/eNPS)
Step 2: Module completion & Post-presentation speaker assessments (Phase-correlated)
Step 3: Group project completion & Individual participant quizzes for registry approved continuing education (RACE) credit
Step 4: Individual Post-Cultural Hospital Questionnaires to determine blendvet® comprehension (Measured using Likert scale & employee net promoter metrics/eNPS)
Yes, RACE certification is approved for all modules.
We train & certify veterinary teams in DEI through self-paced modules, hands-on workshops, and facilitated discussions.
blendvet™ cultivates a thriving workplace culture of belonging, builds trusting relationships within diverse communities, and empowers teams to increase the pipeline of underrepresented minorities (URMs) within veterinary medicine.
