9.22.26 5 Steps for Managing Change and Innovation

Change is a constant in veterinary medicine—whether driven by innovation, evolving care protocols, or unexpected challenges. Success depends not on avoiding change, but on managing it effectively. A strong change management strategy includes five key steps: clearly communicating the “why,” creating a detailed plan, launching a test phase, implementing fully, and tracking progress. With strong leadership, this approach fosters team engagement and helps practices navigate resistance, technical issues, and workflow shifts. This presentation can be tailored to specific innovation, current challenges, or practice-specific changes.

Full Name

Nell Ostermeier

Speaker Bio

Dr. Nell Ostermeier, DVM, CVA, FAAVA, is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and educator with extensive experience in clinical practice and patient care. As the owner of her own brick-and-mortar veterinary practice for over a decade, diagnostics have always a cornerstone of her approach to patient care, guiding treatment decisions and helping her follow patients over time.
Dr. Ostermeier served for eight years as an IDEXX Regional Thought Leader, bringing her perspective as both a practicing veterinarian and practice owner to the program. She also built her hospital’s integrative medicine program from the ground up and is now an internationally recognized educator in veterinary acupuncture, teaching and mentoring veterinarians worldwide. She is the founder of Every Day Acupuncture for Veterinarians, a free global community where integrative veterinarians connect, collaborate, and learn from one another.