Greetings All! 

As we are gearing up for a prosperous 2011 – there are a few incredibly noteworthy items to review. First, for those of you who have been following the embezzlement case surrounding my former employee – we are now waiting for the actual sentencing from one of the cases (the other cases against her are still pending at the time of this writing). And I don’t mean to sound like a broken record but if it were not for my involvement with PMPV/VAPHCC I would never have had the contacts to help me and the company uncover the truth about this employee that we had all come to trust like family.

   Speaking of family – I am now a grandmother! I know, many of you are now asking yourself how someone who looks and acts so young could be a grandmother! Well, the years have been kind (what can I say)! I have instructed my daughter and son-in-law that I am ONLY to be referred to as “Aunt Theresa” in public though. The funny thing is that with technology being so advanced – I felt like I knew my grandson before I ever met him! After attending a 4-D ultra sound with my daughter, son-in-law, and some select friends – I already had a clear picture of what my little fellow looked like (yes, he’s lucky that he is apparently getting all his grandma’s good looks!)…. Ok, so many of you are now asking why I am talking about my grandson so much in a trade publication but the answer is simple 1) of course I am a proud grandma but 2) the old phrase “we’ve come a long way baby” not only applies to ultra-sounds – but it also applies to our trade!

   Had it not been for my daughter reading everything about 4-D ultra sounds – I would never have known how far advanced technology had come. I mean, I never even had an ultra sound. Which brings me to my next question… How many of us take the time to read more and stay up with the changing times not only in the industry but technology as a whole? How many of us are making sure that our employees, like ourselves, are staying on top of things – making sure our staff is trained and prepared to compete not only with the competition next door but on a more state-wide level? After all, THAT is what sets you apart from your competition!

   And for those of you who are not satisfied with mediocrity – it’s important to remember that not only does new technology impact the industry but new laws can impact it as well. The way you run your business, the laws that govern health care, small business tax deductions, etc are all things that a smart business owner needs to be on top of. Now, don’t get me wrong – you are not going to see me as the poster girl for a political campaign but I do recognize that we can’t keep our heads in the sand on things that WILL impact our trade and ultimately our lives. Now, we are lucky in that we have a wonderful Legislative Chair who stays on top of everything we should be aware of but that does not negate our need to have a strong understanding of the process and understand how work is done on our behalf. That said, for those of you who are ready to be an active participant in the path or our industries in the future – please join us for PMPV/VAPHCC’s Legislative Outreach Day on January 13th, 2011. This gives us the opportunity to meet our legislators and put a name to the face! If you have never participated or been to the Virginia General Assembly - please join us. It is very interesting and you would be amazed at the impact PMPV/VAPHCC has when the time comes to get or fight a bill that’s important to the industry.

   I hope to see you all on the 13th and I am sure I could be persuaded to share some photos of me and my grandson!

Sincerely,
Theresa Dagenhart
President, PMPV/VAPHCC