AAHA’s mission is to simplify the journey towards excellence for veterinary practices—a journey we know involves more than just medicine.

That’s why, on Tuesday, April 5, AAHA quietly kicked off Central Line, the official podcast of the American Animal Hospital Association.

In each episode, host Katie Berlin, DVM, 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.

These conversations aren’t just for veterinarians—they’re for veterinary professionals in all roles, from client care to practice owner. There’s valuable information and insights here for every member of the hospital team.

But Katie put it best when she spoke from the heart in the Central Line Podcast trailer:  

“In veterinary medicine, solving problems is what we do. And as veterinary professionals we're uniquely equipped to tackle a pretty wide variety of problems on a daily basis. But while I think it's safe to say that none of us went into this field because we thought it would be easy, we can still help make it easier for one another.

And although the stories and experiences we each bring to the exam room can look very different, they're all connected by the same goal: to provide excellent care to animals and the people who love them.

Here at AAHA, we believe the secret to success and happiness in veterinary practice lies in the amazing people who come together every day in veterinary hospitals all over the world. And our intention with these conversations is to help every member of the veterinary team simplify their journey towards excellence in veterinary medicine.

With the right tools, there's nothing our teams can't do.”

Each episode of Central Line focuses on helping teams like yours maximize efficiency and achieve excellence together while protecting and improving their own wellbeing.

In Episode 1: Gems from the Guidelines, Katie celebrates the release of the 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines with an informative conversation with Guidelines Task Force member Alison Gottlieb, CVT, VTS (ECC), about the main takeaways. (Spoiler alert: we need to be proactive, and we need to work together!)

In Episode 2: Beating the Bad Review Blues, Katie sits down with veterinary social media expert Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, for a frank and funny talk about how to improve how we receive and respond to bad reviews on social media, with great tips on how to reshape social media protocols.

Here’s a personal invitation from Katie:

“Join us as Central Line takes you to the heart of what holds us back, what keeps us going, and what lifts us up in this complicated, beautiful profession of ours.”

Look for Central Line: the AAHA podcast, wherever you get your favorite podcasts, and find videos of each episode on AAHA’s YouTube channel. Access audio, video, transcripts, and more information on our guests at aaha.org/podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday.