Consulting
Dr. Kelly Cairns helps veterinary organizations design education, build clinical quality systems and develop the people who deliver care. A board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist and former Vice President of Medical Excellence and Education for a network of about 400 hospitals, she brings both clinical and enterprise experience to every engagement. Through Dr. Kelly Cairns Consulting, she provides consulting and advisory services to colleges of veterinary medicine, veterinary hospitals, education companies and industry partners.
Areas of work
Veterinary education and curriculum
Designing how veterinary professionals learn, from the first day of school through practice.
- Curriculum architecture and course design
- Competency-based education implementation
- Clinical reasoning and instructional design
- Transition-to-practice programs
- Faculty development
In practice: curriculum implementation partner for a new three-year veterinary program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Veterinary Medicine, and curriculum and course design for the preclinical team-based learning program at Lincoln Memorial University Orange Park.
Medical excellence and clinical quality
Building the systems behind consistent, high-quality patient care.
- Medical excellence program design
- Clinical quality and patient safety systems
- Medical governance and standards of care
- Workflows that scale across hospitals
In practice: built Thrive Pet Healthcare's Medical Excellence and Education function from inception, including enterprise-wide clinical quality initiatives across general practice, emergency and specialty hospitals.
Leadership and organizational development
Developing the clinicians and leaders who carry an organization forward.
- Clinical leadership pipelines
- Mentorship programs for new graduates and medical leaders
- House officer (internship and residency) programs
- Academic-practice partnerships
In practice: founded the National House Officer Symposium and built enterprise mentorship programs for new graduates and medical leaders.
Advisory and content development
Specialist insight for education companies, publishers, nonprofits and industry partners.
- Strategic and advisory board service
- Educational content and CE module development
- Internal medicine subject matter expertise
In practice: strategic advisor to VetEd Teaching Solutions, dvm360 Editorial Board member, and Chief Programs Officer of the Canine Stroke Foundation, leading continuing education, caregiver education and financial assistance programs that turn research on stroke in dogs and cats into practical support.
Speaking
Keynotes, CE lectures and full-day programs on veterinary education, leadership, professional wellbeing and clinical medicine. See Speaking.
How engagements work
Engagements are shaped around each organization's goals, from a single advisory session to a multi-phase project:
- Advisory sessions, from an hour to a full day
- Strategy and planning workshops
- Project-based work, such as program design or a full curriculum build
- Educational content developed to your specifications