AAHA Unveils New Insights into Veterinary Staff Retention with Stay, Please Phase II White Paper

LAKEWOOD, CO, UNITED STATES, March 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released the second phase of its groundbreaking retention study, Stay, Please, providing veterinary practice owners, managers, and decision-makers with critical data to improve staff retention.

Building on the findings from Stay, Please Phase 1, this latest white paper delves deeper into how veterinary team members define and experience the nine key retention factors previously identified. The study reveals which factors should be prioritized to improve practice-wide retention and underscores the impact of misalignment between leadership and staff perceptions.

“We have veterinary professionals who work in the same practice, have identified the same factors as key retention and attrition drivers, and in many cases, they even define those factors the same way,” said Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, AAHA Chief Medical Officer. “But when it comes to how their experience of those factors compares to what they expected when they entered the profession, it varies drastically by role.”

Among the key findings:

The strongest attrition drivers, if poorly managed, can outweigh improvements to strong retention drivers, leading to continued turnover.

In some cases, team members across all roles agree on the definitions of key factors, while in others—particularly the strongest attrition drivers—significant disconnects emerge between leadership and staff.

When owners and leaders define key retention factors differently than their team members, it is the responsibility of leadership to bridge these gaps to enhance retention rates.

Understanding the priority rankings and expectation vs. reality scores for each role is crucial in reducing turnover.

Stay, Please Phase II provides actionable insights and expert recommendations to help practices implement targeted retention strategies. From increasing profitability to meet fair compensation expectations to leveraging surveys for customized retention plans, the study outlines proven tactics to address attrition challenges. Case studies bring these strategies to life, illustrating real-world applications of the findings.

“Fair compensation is simply too important to your team members to get wrong,” said Garth Jordan, MBA, AAHA Chief Executive Officer. “If you can’t afford to pay your credentialed technicians or support staff a living wage, they may not be able to afford to work for you. The cost of losing an employee extends beyond financial implications—it takes an emotional toll on remaining staff and can lead to a cycle of burnout and continued turnover.”

With data from both Stay, Please Phases 1 and 2, veterinary practices now have the tools to pinpoint exactly where to focus retention efforts for specific roles. By understanding how different roles prioritize and define key retention factors, practices can make informed changes that foster a more engaged and stable workforce.

For more information and to access the Stay, Please Phase II white paper, visit aaha.org/ stayplease2.

About AAHA
Since 1933, the American Animal Hospital Association has been the only organization to accredit veterinary hospitals throughout the United States and Canada based on standards directly correlated to high-quality medicine and compassionate care. Our purpose is to simplify the journey toward excellence in veterinary practices. Accreditation in veterinary medicine is voluntary. The AAHA-accredited logo is the best way to know if a third party has evaluated a practice. Look for the AAHA logo or visit the accredited hospital locator on aaha.org.

Wendy Cobrda
American Animal Hospital Association
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