As a veterinarian and practice owner, you are committed to promoting the health of your patients, serving the needs of your clients, and protecting the safety of your employees.
Just as you are dedicated to your calling, the AVMA Trust is committed to serving AVMA members and the veterinary profession. Most veterinarians know the AVMA Trust for professional liability insurance, but the AVMA Trust is designed by veterinarians for veterinarians to offer comprehensive insurance coverage and risk-mitigation resources for veterinarians at all stages of their careers – including practice owners like you.
We invite you to take a few minutes today to discover the Trust. Throughout 2021, we’ll reach out and encourage you to learn even more about the value the Trust adds to your AVMA membership, to vet your practice’s insurance policies, and to discover new ways to mitigate your risk.
Owning and growing a veterinary practice is no walk in the park with Fido. From hiring talented employees to dealing with all types of clients, managing day-to-day operations, and advertising your services, practice ownership is more than a full-time job. That’s why many of your colleagues look to the AVMA Trust for support with an often-overlooked aspect of ownership: protecting your business.
Protecting a veterinary business means protecting its people, its property, its equipment, and its reputation. Knowing how – and with what coverages – to protect your life’s work is critical.
That’s why we encourage AVMA members to discover how the AVMA Trust, with its more than 55 years of passionate involvement with the veterinary profession, offers comprehensive business coverages for practice owners like you.
Partnering with the AVMA Trust to protect your veterinary business isn’t like dealing with local insurance agents or large carriers. Our program is vetted by professionals – professionals who understand the challenges and rewards of being a veterinarian because they are veterinarians.
The Trust Veterinarians are your advocates. When you insure your business through the AVMA Trust, you not only combine your buying power with 65,000 other veterinarians to enjoy market leverage and tailored product offerings, you’re backed by a team of doctors advocating for you.
The Trust Veterinarians have many years of practice experience and they put that experience to work for you by:
We know you won’t find a comparable resource through other insurance providers. It’s why we invite you to meet the Trust Veterinarians:
It seems Dr. Ellis has always been devoted to the care of animals and the veterinary profession. By age 8 she knew her destiny – and didn’t waste time with a back-up plan. Summers at her grandparents’ thoroughbred farm introduced her to veterinary care, and it was around that time her dad nicknamed her Bird.
As director of Trust veterinarians, Dr. Ellis is here for you. She speaks directly with AVMA members if they have an adverse event during treatment or need guidance with claims. She also dedicates her time to educating AVMA members and veterinary students on risk management and claims avoidance through presentations at veterinary schools, veterinary meetings and Trust newsletters.
When you speak with Dr. Ellis, be sure to ask about Lily and Olive, her two Labradors (she’s had Labradors for more than 30 years), and Pikachu and Starly, her Cockatiels.
Dr. Ellis’s Advice for Practice Owners“Work with a trusted advisor/insurance professional and insurance carrier who is familiar and experienced with the unique risks of owning a veterinary practice. Remember, not all insurance is the same. The Trust can provide a complimentary review of what you have and what is recommended so you know if you have any gaps in coverage. If your practice can support it, hire a practice manager. Trying to run the business part and practice full time is a lot to take on.”
Always surrounded by animals as a child – dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, cows, horses and a pig – Dr. Moledous has lived a life devoted to animals. After being encouraged into Animal Sciences and Pre-Veterinary School by her brother and a friend, she was the owner and sole practitioner of a mobile clinic that specialized in thoroughbred care.
As a Trust veterinarian, Dr. Moledous reviews malpractice complaints and serves as a sounding board for AVMA members on various topics from client management to recommended insurance coverages.
Whether you’re looking for advice on a malpractice claim or merely looking to connect with a fellow veterinarian, connect with Dr. Moledous and you might also hear the latest adventures of Guinness the yellow Labrador, Molly the red Dachshund or Beethoven the Quarter Horse Cross Hunter/Jumper pony.
Dr. Moledous’ Advice for Practice Owners“Treat your employees well – they are the success of the practice. Empower them with responsibilities and listen to their opinions as to the practice operations. You would be surprised at what you will receive in return.”
For Dr. Stinson, it’s easy to describe the best part of being a DVM. Simply put – it’s the grateful hugs, the warm nuzzles and the slobbery kisses (from the patients) as well as the feeling when someone thanks you for helping them through the last days of a pet’s life.
Dr. Stinson primarily serves the veterinary student members in all SAVMA chapters in the country and beyond. She partners directly with the student ambassador team to provide educational opportunities and fun contests to help future veterinarians understand the role and value of the AVMA Trust.
Whether you’re currently a student, mentoring a student or just want to reach out to learn more about Dr. Stinson’s role, be sure to ask her about her farm and her domestic long haired calico named Cleo, a black mixed breed dog named Thea and a Oldenburg-Trachener cross named Reno, who is 17.2 hands tall (that’s 5’10” at the withers for the non-horse people).
Dr. Stinson’s Advice for Practice Owners“As a practice owner myself, I know it’s important to develop a relationship with professionals you trust – think accountants, lawyers, and insurance carriers. Choose wisely and work with someone who understands what you are trying to accomplish. Veterinary medicine is not one-size-fits-all.”
Not surprisingly, Dr. MacKenzie’s journey to veterinarian started with her love of all animals. But it’s her devotion to horses that helps define her positive work. Prior to joining the AVMA Trust, she co-founded the Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief campaign to provide vaccines to qualifying equine rescues.
As a Trust veterinarian, she’s a dedicated advocate to AVMA members during claims processes and is devoted to creating educational resources and presentations to further the profession. It’s that support that allows members to focus more on what Dr. MacKenzie believes is the best part of being a veterinarian: supporting the human-animal bond by helping improve the lives of animals and the people that love them.
Oh, and when you connect with Dr. MacKenzie, be sure to ask her for a photo of Lily, her “very spoiled and rotten” yellow Labrador Retriever.
Dr. MacKenzie’s Advice for Practice Owners“Take the time to review your risk-management strategy (both personal and professional) every year to ensure that your coverages are the most up to date and current.”
When other junior high students were navigating the perils of adolescence, Dr. Frey was already charting her life’s journey. It was in the seventh grade – based on her love of animals and strong interest in math and science – that she decided veterinary medicine was for her.
As a Trust veterinarian, Dr. Frey is a resource to all members. She loves providing not only resources but also comfort to veterinarians that may be dealing with a claim, difficult clients or the loss of a patient. Dr. Frey was mostly involved with small animal medicine for 20 years (primarily dogs and cats with occasional exotic animals like ferrets, rabbits and birds).
Today, she’s caring for her own pets Lexie (Shih Tzu mix) and Cosmo (domestic short-haired cat). Dr. Frey’s Advice for Practice Owners“Provide mentorship to new hires, especially new graduates. Providing a good work-life balance seems to be key to employee retention. Hire staff you trust to provide good quality medicine so you can take a vacation once in a while!”
The coloring exercise in the first grade was a standard classroom activity. But for Dr. Escutia it was a declaration. No, it didn’t say she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up; It said “I will be.” It was the anticipation she felt as a child taking her family pets to the veterinarian that helped drive her professional goals.
Now, as a Trust Veterinarian, she reviews professional liability claims and provides support and advocacy for colleagues. She also provides guidance to brokers and carriers on veterinary topics and presents educational programs to veterinary students and teams.
Dr. Escutia lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two young children. Together they have a staffordshire terrier mix named Turtle and two cats: Bagel and Tobby.
Dr. Escutia’s Advice for Practice Owners“There is a lot of stress with being a practice owner. Do your best to maintain a healthy work-life balance!”
Part of the mission of the AVMA is to lead the profession by advocating for its members; its goal is to increase member value and satisfaction. To that end, the AVMA Trust is steadfast in its member focus through all insurance protections, risk-mitigation resources, and educational outreach.
The Trust prides itself on supporting AVMA members, and this commitment resonates throughout the profession:
“The number of details and headaches involved in purchasing a practice is staggering, but the AVMA Trust made one part of the process very easy. They helped us determine the insurance we needed, got us quotes in a timely manner, and handled all communications with the banks to provide the documentation they needed. We highly recommend the AVMA Trust as a smooth and cost-effective way to make sure your practice is properly insured.”
– Dr. Kris Kane and Dr. Melissa Johnson, Oceanview Veterinary Hospital“I went with AVMA Trust business insurance for convenience – I could get all the various types of insurance I would need to run my mobile veterinary practice in one place. In addition to convenience, I was pleasantly surprised to find promptness, efficiency, responsiveness, and really friendly and courteous agents.”
– Dr. Therese Lee, Wagon Tails Animal Clinic LLC“As a new clinic owner, the task of determining specific insurance needed can be very overwhelming. After receiving a massive checklist from the bank requiring proof of various insurance policies, I knew I needed to seek guidance. I am so grateful I made the call to the AVMA Trust.”
