Dues Renewal Talking Points

This document was created for Customer Engagement and Accreditation Specialists to utilize when speaking with members on the benefits of renewing their membership.

Dues renewal talking points 

Updated for 2021 Call Campaign 

 
General benefits talking points 

  
Financial value of AAHA accreditation 
 
We know that this is a particularly difficult time for the entire veterinary profession, and we’re here to help. If you need assistance with your dues payment for the coming year, please consider our payment plan.  

“We are offering 12-month payment plans this year to provide a low-impact solution to paying your AAHA annual dues. If you start your payment plan this month (July 2023) you will have 12-month installments to June 2024 in paying your dues. Please note, that if you start your payment plan in August 2023, then you will only have an opportunity for an 11-month payment plan as all annual dues must be paid by June 2024.” 

Through your AAHA membership, you receive free access to AAHA’s Savings Programs, which: 

• Provide special discounts and offers from vendors you likely already buy from (see them HERE) 

• Often save members enough to pay for their AAHA dues and then some 

• Include the only nonprofit veterinary purchasing organization (AAHA Advantage) 

• Are available to your entire team 

Here is some revenue data that may interest you: 

• More revenue: On average, AAHA-accredited members out-earn nonmember practices in revenue ($1,707,813 to $1,206,035, respectively), exceeding the national average for all practices by more than 34%.* 
  *Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints, 10th Edition, Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, p. 56. 
   

• More new patients (= more revenue): On average, AAHA member practices have a higher count of new patients versus nonmember practices (851 and 644 per fiscal year, respectively).* 
  *Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints, 10th Edition, Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, p. 142. 
   

• Better client retention (= more revenue): AAHA-accredited practices have more loyal clients, retain more clients, and see more repeat clients than nonaccredited practices.* 
  *“Practice Analysis Report,” VetSuccess, 2019 
   

• More revenue: Practices that generate higher levels of revenue have higher staff-to-doctor ratios. The ratio of nonveterinarian staff per FTE veterinarian is highest among AAHA-accredited practices.* 
  *Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints, 10th Edition, Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, p. 40. 
   

• More diagnostic services (= more revenue): Patients of AAHA-accredited practices receive more comprehensive care, and clients elect to have more diagnostic services performed, than nonaccredited practices.* 
  *“Practice Analysis Report,” VetSuccess, 2019 
   

• More clients (=more revenue): AAHA-accredited member practices maintain a higher count of active clients (4,405) than nonmember practices (3,810).* 
  *Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints, 10th Edition, Lakewood, CO: AAHA Press, p. 124. 
   

• More engaged clients (= more revenue): AAHA-accredited practices have more engaged clients who visit more frequently, as well as fewer lapsed patients, than nonaccredited practices.* 
  *“Practice Analysis Report,” VetSuccess, 2019 

The value of AAHA accreditation to your team 

 
Your entire team receives the benefits that come along with being AAHA-accredited. To highlight a few: 

• FREE CE: All team members have free access to AAHA Learning, providing up to 50 hours of RACE-approved online CE per person. 

• Topics include scientific, practice management, and personal wellbeing content 

• Empowers team members to fulfill education requirements on their own time 
   

• SUPPORT: Your dedicated practice consultant and accreditation specialist are here for your entire team, even after your evaluation. Whether your practice manager is seeking a practice culture consultation, your technician needs guidance on a difficult client conversation, or your front office staff just needs a sounding board, your AAHA team is here. 
   

• SUPPORT: All team members are welcome to join the NEW AAHA Community, where they can celebrate, share tips, garner advice, and gain peer-to-peer support. 

• SUPPORT: What if there was a way to coalesce everyone’s disparate plans in one place with the overarching goal being systemic change? 

That’s the genesis of Veterinary Visionaries™—a future-focused collaboration hosted by nearly 50 organizations that have banded together for online, crowd-sourced problem-solving. And that crowd includes you. 

• SUPPORT: Welcome to Central Line, the official podcast of the American Animal Hospital Association. We are so excited to bring you these conversations to help you and your entire team simplify your journey towards excellence – which we know encompasses so much more than the medicine. In each episode, our host, Dr. Katie Berlin, talks with thought leaders and experts in hospital management, workplace culture, mental health, communication, and, of course, patient care, for advice on tackling the most persistent pain points in veterinary  

medicine today.  

• SUPPORT: AAHA Benchmarking, developed in conjunction with Petabyte Technology, is the first ever digital tool that uses live practice information management system (PIMS) data and advanced benchmarking analytics to compare practice performance insights to the broader veterinary space. 
   

• STANDARDIZATION RESOURCE: All team members have 24/7 access to the AAHA Standards of Accreditation, an excellent reference and resource to maintain consistency and standardization across your practice. 
   

• PERSONAL SAVINGS: All team members have access to AAHA’s Savings Programs, providing special discounts from vendors your staff likely already buys from and allowing you to give back to your staff with personal discounts on everything from insurance to rental cars. 
   

• INDIVIDUAL WELLBEING: The tools and resources from AAHA’s Culture Initiative, intended to foster individual wellbeing and optimal, healthy practice cultures, are available to your entire team as well. This includes free online videos, learning modules, downloadable resources, and more. 

If there are any updates to this document or questions, please email Liana Jensen at Liana.Jensen@aaha.org.