Idexx Laboratories Inc. has some free advice for veterinary professionals: Try our no-cost continuing education. The Westbrook, Maine, provider of diagnostic veterinary products and services announced last week that the company’s Idexx Learning Center has awarded more than 800,000 free CE credits since 2007. Worldwide, nearly 31,000 veterinary practices in 207 countries have signed up for webinars, in-person seminars, tutorials and online courses, Idexx reported. The company valued the educational offerings at $30 million, based on other sources of continuing education in the veterinary industry. “Medical and practice technology is constantly evolving, changing and improving in veterinary medicine,” said Jonathan W. Ayers, CEO of Idexx Laboratories. “By providing these educational resources, we help to strengthen the bonds that lead to healthy pets and practices, in a way that also advances the veterinary profession,” Ayers added. Idexx called itself the leader in veterinary continuing education, a claim other top providers didn’t directly challenge. One of them, the North America Veterinary Community, which schedules classes at its annual convention and throughout the year, described Idexx as “a valued partner.” “We are always impressed with how Idexx creates new ideas and innovations,” said NAVC’s CEO, Thomas M. Bohn, MBA, CAE. “The Idexx Learning Center is a model for continuous veterinary CE, and we commend this monumental achievement and support any effort to improve the standards of care and client satisfaction.” Western Veterinary Conference hosts continuing education at its annual convention, at the nearby Oquendo Center and during the new “On the Road” series. The Las Vegas organization stated that veterinarians collectively earned more than 290,000 CE hours at the 2015 convention and that veterinary technicians completed nearly 61,000 hours. Canada-based education provider LifeLearn Inc. declined to release its CE numbers.
