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Attracting a more diverse clientele
By Allison Rezendes
On Monday, attendees gathered for the third annual Veterinary Diversity Symposium, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health.
During opening remarks, moderator Dr. Evan M. Morse said, "As I look over the wonderful programming that's going to be presented at this symposium today, it strikes me that what we're really doing here today is helping to unravel the paradox of diversity.
"The paradox of diversity is that we are each unique and like no one else, we are each like some people and unlike other people, and we're each like all other people."
AVMA President Roger K. Mahr was on hand to welcome attendees. He talked about the veterinary profession's responsibility to society, and the need to increase the diversity of the applicant pool.
One highlight of the symposium was two sessions that focused on how veterinary clinics can attract and retain a diverse clientele.
Dr. Rodolfa "Rudi" Aguilar, a global product/service management consultant, provided attendees with ideas and tools to make their clinics more Hispanic friendly.
"The Hispanic community has the highest purchasing power when compared with all the different countries," Dr. Aguilar said.
For veterinarians looking to attract Hispanic customers, he recommended developing more empathy, showing more appreciation for their business, and offering a Spanish medical interpreter similar to human hospitals.
Dr. Michael D. McElvaine, president of the Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association, offered ways to attract and retain the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.
"Display brochures and signs of local events of GLBT interest," Dr. McElvaine said. For example, he said, in Washington, D.C., where he resides, businesses often display promotions for an annual AIDS walk in the area.
Dr. McElvaine also recommended having a written non-discrimination policy that all of the clinic's employees are required to follow and participating in a referral program or advertising in the local gay media.
Topics of other sessions featured during the all-day symposium included understanding cultural competency and how it can help veterinarians better serve African-American and Asian-American clientele, and dispelling the disability myth. 
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